Children May Be Consuming Dangerously High Levels Of Certain Nutrients In Breakfast Cereals

A Washington, D.C.-based research/advocacy groups says that fortified breakfast cereals put children at risk of consuming too much vitamin A, zinc and niacin, nutrients meant for adults. The three nutrients can be dangerous: too much vitamin A, for example, can damage the liver, bones, skin, nails and hair. Too much zinc can impair copper absorption; and too much niacin can cause short-term problems like rash, nausea and vomiting. The solution, according to the Environmental Working Group, is for children to get those nutrients naturally from fruits and vegetables. A pediatrician, however, notes that he has never heard of children being harmed by ingesting too much of the three nutrients. Another observer says most of the cereals cited in the report were targeted at adults anyway, and rarely eaten by children.