Are Michiganders Being Exposed to a Chemical In Cheerios?

Are Michiganders being exposed to a chemical from eating Cheerios and other oat-based products?

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Heart Healthy Cheerios

Cheerios has long marketed their product as being a part of a heart-healthy diet that can help lower your cholesterol.

Scientists say that 3 grams of soluble fiber daily from whole grain foods as part of your diet can reduce the risk of heart disease.

Cheerios even releases a limited edition box from time to time where the cereal is heart-shaped

Even though Cheerios and other oat-based products can lower cholesterol they have been tested and found to have an agricultural chemical that has been tested to cause reproductive and developmental issues in animals.

What Chemical is Being Found in Cheerios and Other Oat-Based Products?

The chemical is called chlormequat and is a highly toxic agricultural chemical the Environmental Agency says is a pesticide that alters plant growth.

According to the National Institutes of Health, chlormequat will make oat plants with sturdier, thicker shorter stalks, making a stronger yield of oats, wheat, and barley for farmers.

Is Chlormequat Dangerous to Humans?

According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), in 2018, under the Trump administration, the EPA started allowing chlormequat residue on oats to be imported into the United States. The EPA doesn't allow farmers in the U.S. to use the product.

According to WOOD, 80% of Americans tested positive for chlormequat and numbers continue to rise. Chlormequat is said to leave the body with 24 hours but since it is known to cause reduced fertility, altered fetal growth, and delayed puberty in pigs, rats and mice it has not been properly tested on humans.

The EPA is considering allowing chlormequat to be used as a pesticide in the U.S. but the EWG is concerned about how ingesting it might harm children based on studies showing the chemical can damage the reproductive system and disrupt fetal growth. Learn more about this issue and how you can have a voice by clicking here.