There is a meat lead connection lurking in unlikely places.

This video was originally published on NutritionFacts.org and republished with permission. NutritionFacts.org

As a heavy metal, lead accumulates easily in the body, stays for decades and is extremely difficult to eliminate. Unsurprisingly, lead is carcinogenic, but it is also linked to depression, memory loss, impotency and more. Virtually every organ and system is susceptible to the toxicity of lead, so it is important to know that the meat lead connection is very real.

Tuna is the usual scapegoat when people discuss lead content in food and with good reason. The fish tops the list when when examining the meat lead connection, but lead shows up in a surprising number of meat products and in quantities that are equally surprising. When tuna byproducts are used as food for other mass-farmed animals, the lead passes along from one animal into the next.

Even strict paleo dieters who eat more turf than surf aren’t necessarily safe. Bones are one of the places in the body that lead can build up, and one of the more popular soup stock ingredients is none other than animal bone. A study investigated the safety of bone broth and found levels of lead elevated enough to urge doctors and nutritionists to issue warnings before suggesting a paleo diet. All of this points in the direction that a more plant-based diet is the most healthy option.