A reader emailed me a few days ago asking which formula is closest to breast milk since she was going back to work and would no longer breastfeed.
My email reply suggested that learn how to make homemade baby formula. While not as good as breastmilk from a well nourished mother, it is the next best alternative and certainly better than any commercial formulas on the market.
This reader emailed back saying that she didn’t have time to make the homemade formula or use a breastmilk donor bank and pressed for a commercial formula recommendation.Â
I responded that I could not recommend any commercial formulas, not even the organic ones. She really needed to find the time to make the homemade formula or have a relative or friend make it for her. The long term health of her baby depended on it!
The reasons for avoiding commercial formula both dairy and nondairy go far beyond the fact that they are highly allergenic concoctions of denatured milk proteins and rancid vegetable oils.
Is soy formula dangerous for a baby too? Absolutely considering that multiple studies indicate the potential for lifelong endocrine disruption and fertility issues.
Here’s another big issue few parents seem to know about ….
Arsenic in Organic Baby Formula
According to reports from researchers at Dartmouth, organic baby formulas contain levels of arsenic six times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) considers safe for the water supply.
These high levels of arsenic are due to the inclusion of brown rice syrup, which is the top ingredient in the organic formulas.
Nature’s One, the manufacturer of organic baby formula, wrote in response that their California based supplier of brown rice syrup:
 … uses qualified, world-renowned, third-party, independent lab to test arsenic levels in their organic brown rice syrup. Their testing results report undetectable amounts of arsenic at laboratory testing limits.
Nature’s One went on to say that:
As an organic manufacturer, Nature’s One’s primary concern is the amount of environmental chemicals ingested by infants, toddlers and children. Parents can rest assured that Nature’s One® will test arsenic levels for every lot of organic brown rice syrup and organic rice oligodextrin prior to production.
Who to believe??
Should we believe the researchers who found dangerous levels of arsenic in the organic baby formulas or the manufacturer who insists that undetectable levels of arsenic are in the brown rice syrup they use to manufacture the baby formula.
Best not to try and figure out the truth in this situation and just make your own homemade baby formula with wholesome, natural ingredients.
When food is processed in a factory, there is always the risk of something going wrong even when organic ingredients are used.
For your precious, vulnerable baby, the risk from any factory produced foods is too high. Â Remember the baby that died just a few weeks ago from tainted commercial formula that the mother purchased at Walmart. Â A parent carefully preparing a homemade baby formula in her own kitchen will always be an infinitely better, safer, and healthier choice than anything that is produced in a factory.
Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist
Source: ABC News, A Hidden Arsenic Source
Wow! I need to be very thankful that our grassfed raw milk is only $7 a gallon and will drop back to $6 in the spring!
Very important post. This is proof that food processing can make even organic products questionable, to say the least. Obviously, no baby or human being, for that matter, should be ingesting arsenic. I doubt very much that there is any safe level of arsenic, one of the deadliest poisons known to humanity.
The other problem is that there may be other things wrong with organic formulas that have not been discovered yet. The health of US children is the worse it has ever been, and is deteriorating. Nutrition is important at all times, but never as crucial as it is for a baby. Poor nutrition and toxins can create huge problems that our ignorant, corrupt, arrogant medical system cannot cure. Good nutrition from day one builds a strong body with healthy natural functions which is by far the best protection against illness, environmental toxins, physical injury, mental problems, and everything else.
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Nasty!! So glad it’s never passed the lips of my littles.
I read somewhere else that Nature’s One Baby’s Only tests their own formula and they say it does not contain arsenic. It might be good to search their website for some answers.
It’s easy to say breastfeed breastfeed when you have ONE baby and you have adequate milk. I had TWO babies, twins, and my body didn’t cooperate and didn’t produce enough milk. I pumped every two hours, took herbs, everything….still not enough. Breastfeeding exclusively is not a viable option for all mothers. And I find it so offensive that in this organic community you are made to feel small if you cannot exclusively breastfeed. I wish when my children were babies I would have known about homemade formula but unfortunately I didn’t. I sought advice from a very holistic pediatrician-completely organic, real food Dr to supplement what my just didn’t produce and she stated the best formula was this exact brand in the news lastnight. And I believed her and used it. We do have a raw goat milk share now as I have learned over the past 6 months….however….I did what I thought to be best at the time. I hope that not one baby is affected by this finding.
Exactly! THANK YOU! When some mothers don’t exclusively breastfeed or HAVE to supplement, it’s not ALWAYS because they are “inconvenienced,” “ignorant,” or “lazy.” Sometimes it’s just not possible. We do the very best that we can.
I feel so lucky that I have been able to breastfeed my daughter. All of the babies I know that are on traditional formula have so many digestion problems, and many end up on acid reflux medicine. All the more reason for mothers to work to make their own if they aren’t able to breast feed.
The place I know to get it is also $10 here as well in AZ. No fun.
Becky, what part of VA do you live. Feel free to private message me.
Well hopefully the raw grassfed milk is cheaper where they are (and you are) than it is here in VA. It’s about $10/gallon here, and there is a waiting list, so there’s no getting it here.
Breastfeed your chidren, problem solved. Human milk for human babies, cow’s milk for baby calves.
I breast feed all of my kids. I pumped when I went back to work but that might be hard for alot of women. Also, some women have trouble nursing.
Do anyone think the arsenic problem is from plants grown out of the US?
http://www.nature.com/news/2005/050801/full/news050801-5.html
It is my understanding that arsenic in rice is actually a problem with rice grown in the US, on former cotton fields where arsenic-laden pesticide use has contaminated the soil. I try to buy locally, mostly, but will buy rice from overseas before I buy rice that might have been grown in American cotton country.
I breastfed my first son for 3 years (home for 5 months, then pumped for over 6 months, then BF when I was home). I got ‘lucky’ with my second and because I was let go from work, I stayed home with him for 10.5 months. I then pumped for 3 or 4 months (only planned 1-2 months but it was going well so I kept at it). I’m still BF him at home and he’s 2. It can be done!!! Only in very extreme cases (lots of stress, travel, etc. or just no being able to BF at all) will it be too much. With proper support (knowledge, nutrition, rest, etc.) it can be done!!! A friend at my former work BFd her first exclusively then supplemented some with her 2nd and 3rd child. Again, BF can be done!! My simply goal was to BF for at least a year. I was not going to accept substitutes. Of course the raw milk formula was always at the back of my mind but I didn’t have to use it after all…
Don’t forget babies will wait longer between feeds when you are not around. Mine would go 4-5 hours, no problem. If you can get to them midday, you may not need to make formula…