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A naturally occurring element found in popular sweet treats like dark chocolate could be linked to an increased risk of developing dementia.
Researchers have found a link between exposure to cadmium and memory and thinking problems for the first time.
The metal is released from bedrock and cigarette smoke and has been showing up in unnatural levels in food – from hot chocolate to brownie mix and cake mix.
Dr Liping Lu, a public health and nutrition researcher at Columbia University, who co-authored the paper, said: ‘With the high occurrence and high cost of dementia to families and to society, it’s important to identify risk factors for early cognitive problems that could be affected by changes in people’s behavior or in society.’
The above graphic shows 48 chocolates tested in a separate study that all contained lead and cadmium, which can pose dangers to human health. Three samples of each product were sent for testing by Consumer Reports to reveal the findings
Cadmium and lead have been found in 23 brands of chocolate in the US.
The paper followed 2,172 people approximately 64 years old without cognitive issues over a period of 10 years. About 61 percent of the participants were white and 39 percent were black.
Researchers measured their cadmium levels at the beginning of the study and participants regularly took tests to measure their cognitive abilities.
At the end of the study, when researchers looked at the group who had developed cognitive impairment, the precursor to dementia, as a whole, they found no association between cadmium levels and cognitive decline.
But when they divided the data and looked at it by demographics, a different pattern emerged.
White people’s cognition declined as their levels of cadmium exposure increased.
So much so that white people with high cadmium levels were twice as likely to develop cognitive decline than white people with low cadmium levels – even after researchers ruled out the affect of other factors like weight and alcohol use.
There was no association between cadmium levels and cognitive decline in black people.
Nearly 10 percent of white people with high cadmium levels developed problems with cognition.
Dr Lu said the difference probably had to do with the smoking habits between the two groups.
The white participants with high cadmium levels smoked about one pack a day for 23 years, whereas the black participants with high cadmium levels smoked about one pack a day for nine years.
In the short term, inhaling cadmium can cause flu-like symptoms, including fever and muscle pain, shortness of breath and chest pain. Over time, this can lead to kidney disease, lung cancer and bone weakening.
It is not clear how cadmium could affect the brain and researchers say they need to conduct further studies to determine the link, but the health effects already tied to the heavy metal mean it would bode well to reduce your exposure to it.
Dr Lu said: ‘There are many reasons to reduce exposure to cadmium, whether it’s through implementing policies and regulations for air pollution and drinking water or people changing their behaviors by stopping smoking or being around cigarette smoke.’
But as smoking trends continue to die down, researchers are looking towards other potential cadmium exposures, like food.
A 2022 study from Consumer Reports found cadmium and lead in 23 of 28 chocolate bars tested – including popular favorites like Hershey’s.
Researchers from Columbia University found that long term exposure to high levels of cadmium was tied to problems with memory and thinking in white people.
The results are particularly concerning as dementia currently affects some 6.7million Americans and researchers project this number will exceed 13million by 2050.
These levels were small, but when consumed frequently or in high amounts, they can yield health problems, that report said.
More commonly than chocolate though, cadmium is found in cigarette smoke.
The individuals in the most recent study, which was published in the journal Neurology by the American Academy of Neurology, were most likely exposed to cadmium via tobacco.
