Recently on the Dr. Oz show it was revealed to the audience that high levels of arsenic, a toxic heavy metal, were found in apple juices sold in America. This revelation has created a stir with consumer groups trying to get the federal government to assure us that our food supply is safe. Along this same line in a recent study, Consumer Reports tested 88 brands of apple juice and grape juice for toxic levels of lead and arsenic. What they found might give you pause next time you reach for that bottle of juice at the store. High levels of both lead and arsenic were found many of their samples. The authors of the study point out that if the same standards for bottled water were applied to these juice samples, that 59% of them would not be safe to drink. If that weren't enough to worry you, most of the apple juice concentrate used for the popular brands of juice come from China, a country where pesticide use and other toxins are less regulated. When we buy cheap food like these juices, we are often supporting an industry that poisons our bodies, supports unfair practices of labor in other countries, and generally lowers our health and well-being. The moral of this story is while reading labels is critical for health, knowing what isn't on the label is also important. To avoid this toxic exposure it is best to buy your food from reputable, clean, and organic sources. Unfortunately, we live in a caveat emptor or "buyer beware" world and this is especially true of our food supply. And no one is more responsible for your health than you are, so make the right choice! To avoid exposing yourself and your family to these health-negative produces, we at Red Mountain Chiropractic recommend buying high quality, organic juices whenever possible. Better yet, we suggest trying to make fresh juices at home! Be careful to avoid brands with excess artificial sweeteners since natural juices are already concentrated forms of fruit, and have plenty of sugar. The best way to incorporate fruit juice is in limited quantities. We like to use five or six parts water to one part juice - just enough to flavor the water and taste the juice. Yours in Health, Dr. Andrew