Can kids eat cereal?

The worst time to feed someone cereal is when they’re an infant. Infant rice cereal, which is very popular, has inorganic arsenic. In the soils where grains and plants are grown, there is always going to be some arsenic in very small amounts. This is called organic arsenic. Our bodies can actually deal with this very easily. But, inorganic arsenic is different and is not healthy. There is even an interesting study that talks about the exposure of infants to cereal, increasing the risk of autoimmune diseases. Infants also don’t have the enzymes to digest the cereal.

The other big problem is the amount of sugar in cereal. This could set the child up for blood sugar issues down the road. With some cereals, 1 cup is equal to the amount of sugar in a Twinkie.

The whole grains in cereal also contain phytate. Phytate is a chemical in grains that will block the absorption of zinc and other important minerals. Many kids also have an allergy to gluten, which is in many kinds of cereal.

GMO grains have also been exposed to glyphosate, which can create problems with the immune system. The fortification of cereal with synthetic vitamins can also cause problems.