How concerning is news about lead in Stanley cups?

Staying well-hydrated can mean the difference between good and poor health.

Drinking enough water daily helps keep your brain, heart and mood healthy, boosts weight loss and even slows aging and prolongs your life.

It’s a healthy habit most of us get — one that’s clearly demonstrated by the popularity of big tumblers that help keep our water cold while keeping track of how much we drink.

But if you’re seeing headlines like this one — “Customers sue Stanley, say the company failed to disclose presence of lead in tumblers” — you may be wondering if your healthy habit is actually harming you.

Lead exposure is a big and serious deal. Here’s why you shouldn’t take any claim about potential exposure lightly…

Show me the lead

The proposed class action lawsuits against Stanley for undisclosed lead in their tumblers were filed in U.S. District Court in Washington state.

And it all started with suits initiated by two women who like most of us purchased tumblers from big box retail stores.

However, unlike the rest of us, they didn’t take the safety of those tumblers for granted, but instead performed their own testing for dangerous heavy metals at home.

Sure enough — those tests came back positive for lead.

Stanley has fired back, stating that the claims are ‘meritless’ because the lead is found only in the materials they use to secure the vacuum insulation at the base of the cups.

They say that this means that, “there is no lead present on the surface of any Stanley product that comes into contact with the consumer nor the contents of the product.”

However, the lawsuit charges that Stanley failed to take into account the fact that the vacuum seal could break and expose the user to lead. It’s a danger that becomes more likely during strenuous activities when the cup can easily be dropped and/or damaged.

But whether you have one of these cups or not — I hate to tell you, it’s probably the least of your worries as far as lead exposure…

Why the big worry about lead?

Lead exposure has been linked to everything from obesity to neurological issues and heart disease.

In fact, lead is responsible for approximately 30 percent of all deaths from cardiovascular disease. This is a number six times higher than previous estimates — and a bigger cause of heart disease than smoking or high cholesterol.

These reasons are why you will see us write about it any time we learn about a potential new threat that allows lead to further leach into our lives.

But though it’s easy to see why the possibility of lead lurking in steel tumblers could be concerning, here’s why that cup is probably the least of your worries…

Multiple studies have shown that those of us in the U.S. already experience a heightened level of lead exposure from sources we come into contact with daily, including:

• Common spices like cumin and coriander
• Decorative plates and glassware (especially the ones we put out during the holidays)
• Dark chocolate
• Drinking water (due to a combination of lead in pipes plus a compound in a chemical used for water treatment)
• Juices and some plant-based milks have been found to contain both lead and arsenic
• Rice grown in the U.S. has been found to contain toxic metals, including lead.

Getting the lead out

There is a solution to the lead threat. EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid), a lead chelating agent, was introduced decades ago to treat lead poisoning in employees in battery factories and WWII sailors who painted ships with lead-based paint.

Chelation is simply the process of chemically binding heavy metals so they can be pulled from the bloodstream and excreted through the urine. 

But unfortunately, most doctors don’t know enough about chelation therapy to talk about it, unless they are affiliated with the American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM).

In cases of acute lead poisoning, EDTA chelation can be administered through IV. But since it’s a simple amino acid, it’s popularly taken in supplement form and supported by detox enthusiasts and integrative healthcare.

If you’re interested in learning more, we’re providing a link below to an e-book considered the quintessential guide to chelation.

In the meantime, do what you can to cut down on sources of lead exposure in your daily life.

Sources:

Customers sue Stanley, say the company failed to disclose presence of lead in tumblers – USA Today