As our society pushes an image of fitness, whether it is bigger muscles or a thinner stomach, many are turning to vitamins and supplements such as protein shakes. Most pick up this expensive habit without looking at the potential health risks associated with them.
Protein shakes and supplement are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Therefore we are left to trust what the manufacturer puts into the powder or shake, without any government regulation or testing. Consumer Reports addressed this issue by taking fifteen different protein powders/shakes to a lab for testing, and what they found inside these shakes is alarming.
They tested each of these products for levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. While the results showed a considerable range, there were two products that stood out with frightening levels of these heavy metals.
Before we delve into the data of this study, it is important to clarify that these heavy metals are found in small amounts in the food we eat every day. But the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) has set proposed daily limits of these metals, meaning they are potentially toxic upon surpassing these set levels.
The study was done using the average serving-size someone puts into their protein shake. The results showed that the two most popular protein shake companies, Muscle Milk and EAS Myoplex, actually make the two most dangerous drinks to consume.
EAS contained 16.9 micrograms of arsenic which exceeds the USP limit of 15 micrograms. This also doesn’t take into account the other amount of arsenic that you consumed through your daily diet. EAS also contained 5.1 micrograms of cadmium, which just tips over the USP limit of 5 micrograms.
Muscle Milk tested positive for all four of the heavy metals examined in the study, with amounts of cadmium and lead that greatly exceed the USP limit.
Robert Wright, M.D., an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, who is conducting research on the health effects of exposure to toxic metals, says, “Small amounts of exposure are inevitable, but a product that exceeds the USP limit is clearly doing something wrong.â€
If some of these drinks are dangerous how do we know which ones are safe? Well this study also answers that question by highlighting some of the drinks that are either low in heavy metals or completely heavy metal free.
Optimum Nutrition and Six Star Protein Powder both tested negative for cadmium, lead, and mercury, and only had small amounts of arsenic below the USP limit.
If you are searching for the healthiest protein powder for you, and don’t mind shelling out the extra money, then organic protein powders are the answer. These can be found at Whole Foods and are even now available in local supplement stores, but these powders can almost cost twice as much as brands like Optimum and Six Star.
If you are unwilling to give up your daily Muscle Milk shake, there are a few other tips to avoid consuming toxic levels of these heavy metals.
You could take less of the product by only using half a serving or one scoop of the powder. And do not worry about getting enough protein, because the truth is you probably already get enough of it in your daily diet.
How much protein do you really need? For non-athletes you can get the grams of protein you need in a day by multiplying your body weight by 0.4. For an athlete, about 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is recommended. (UCLA)
Not only are these protein shakes potentially dangerous, but they are also practically useless if you are already getting the protein you need. Because our body can only break down 5-9 grams of protein per hour and any excess is converted to fat or excreted. (UCLA) Therefore you may be flushing that $50 month supply of protein down the toilet.
When you can find 64 grams of protein in a full chicken breast or 20 grams of protein in 3 scrambled eggs, it is easy to see that these protein supplements are unnecessary and overpriced.
If you don’t have to, why put these heavy metals into your body? But if you still need that extra protein in your day, make sure you are aware of what you are putting into your body because the FDA is not regulating it for you.
Zachary Heppner
Viewpoints Contributor
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