Some Protein Drinks Can be Toxic: Try These 3 Safe Sources

[EZDUZIT]

[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]They are quick, portable and seemingly healthy, but some health experts are warning that protein drinks may be toxic if consumed in excess. For many people trying to get in shape or bulk up quickly, protein-supplemented products seem to be the answer.
[/FONT][FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]However, protein drink manufacturers target busy people who are either trying to lose weight or gain muscle quickly with fancy and enticing marketing ploys. Protein shakes are popular with a wide variety of people from teenagers to serious bodybuilders who are drawn to the convenience and protein content of these products.
[/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Protein accounts for about 20% of our body weight and is needed for a number of physiological functions. It helps to keep the immune system functioning at top speed, maintains healthy skin, nails and hair and assists in the production of enzymes.[/FONT]


[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]But, protein drinks may not be the best way to supply the body. Some drinks are unhealthy, even though they may seem healthy while others, are downright dangerous.[/FONT][FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]According to a 2010 study, published by Consumer Reports, consuming too many protein shake can cause serious problems with your health. The study uncovered some very dangerous ingredients in these drinks such as arsenic, cadmium and lead, not exactly “healthy” additives to what manufacturers say is an extremely healthy protein product.[/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Consumers Report tested 15 brands of protein drinks and looked for four different heavy metals including arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead. Heavy metals were present in all 15 brands that they tested, some in larger amounts than others.[/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]According to the report, three products were especially concerning because just three servings a day could result in exposure to cadmium, arsenic and lead that exceed proposed safe limits. These three were Eas Myoplex, which contained arsenic and cadmium, Muscle Milk-Chocolate, which contained cadmium and lead and Muscle-Milk Vanilla Creme which contained lead.[/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]The biggest concern with heavy metal exposure is that once the body has been exposed, the metals tend to accumulate and stick around for a very long time. Many people who consume these drinks have more than one a day. Another concern is minimal regulation – in general, there are inadequate controls on the manufacturers to prove that these drinks are safe.[/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Because label laws are so lax, manufacturers can easily slip ingredients past consumers who are certain that the product they are drinking is safe and effective.[/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Healthier Options[/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]The good news is that healthier and certainly less expensive protein options exist. Rather than chance your health to a laboratory birthed protein shake, why not choose something safe? Here are three great “real” sources of protein to consider, each costing about a dollar (US):[/FONT]

1. [FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]A 3.5 oz (100 g) serving of grass-fed beef has 25 grams of protein[/FONT]
2. [FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]A 3.5 oz (100 g) serving of free range chicken has 21 grams of protein[/FONT]
3. [FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]Three free range eggs have 18 grams of protein[/FONT]

[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]For vegans, nuts, seeds and beans are good sources of both protein and fiber.[/FONT]
[FONT=Tahoma, Calibri, Geneva, sans-serif]- The Alternative Daily[/FONT]

 

[kissdadookie]

Nonsense. Smh.

 

[mtinsideout]

I'm not really surprised by this, you hear this kind of stuff happening with a lot of vitamins as well. You have to wonder though, are any of the source ingredients the problem or is it the way these companies process them?

 

[kissdadookie]

I'm not really surprised by this, you hear this kind of stuff happening with a lot of vitamins as well. You have to wonder though, are any of the source ingredients the problem or is it the way these companies process them?

If you actually looked at the findings, the amounts of heavy metals and carcinogens they found in the protein powders were FAR less than that found in a serving of spinach, tuna, etc. So the idiocy of such a hit piece article is how are these heavy metals and carcinogens considered unhealthy and unsafe when found in supplements yet are perfectly fine when they are found in far higher concentrations in our food supply of common foods?

 

[mtinsideout]

If you actually looked at the findings, the amounts of heavy metals and carcinogens they found in the protein powders were FAR less than that found in a serving of spinach, tuna, etc. So the idiocy of such a hit piece article is how are these heavy metals and carcinogens considered unhealthy and unsafe when found in supplements yet are perfectly fine when they are found in far higher concentrations in our food supply of common foods?

I'm not going to argue with you on that front but I don't think these things are naturally occurring in whey protein and should not be found in it.

 

[kissdadookie]

I'm not going to argue with you on that front but I don't think these things are naturally occurring in whey protein and should not be found in it.

You're forgetting that protein powder also contains other ingredients such as emulsifiers and flavourings, most of which are derived from foodstuff. 1/3 of the standard scoop of protein powder if not slightly more than that, consists of flavouring agents as well as emulsifiers and other ingredients for texture and what not. The article which the OP refers to only targeted protein supplements in isolation as if protein supplements was a special class of drugs or what not. In reality however, protein supplements are just powdered food and thus their contents should be compared to other foods in general. If NATURAL foods contains the SAME heavy metals and carcinogens they found in the protein supplements AND at higher concentrations per serving (of the NATURAL foods), why is the protein supplements being called out on it? Again, the stuff is just powdered food and contains REGULARLY used food additives/flavourings/etc. which consists of at least 1/3 (on average) of the content of each serving. Why did they not compare the protein supplements with other processed foods containing much of the same food additives and see how that compares as well?

As you can see, when you take the findings of the article the OP refers to and analyze it and put it in perspective of a BIGGER picture (aka, our food supply), the findings and warnings are essentially bunk. Again, protein supplements are just a form of powdered food.

So the problem here at the end of the day is not that these heavy metals and carcinogens were found in the protein supplements, the actual problem is that the protein supplements are being looked at and considered to NOT be just powdered food (which at the end of the day, that's all the stuff is, POWDERED FOOD).

 

[mtinsideout]

You're forgetting that protein powder also contains other ingredients such as emulsifiers and flavourings, most of which are derived from foodstuff. 1/3 of the standard scoop of protein powder if not slightly more than that, consists of flavouring agents as well as emulsifiers and other ingredients for texture and what not. The article which the OP refers to only targeted protein supplements in isolation as if protein supplements was a special class of drugs or what not. In reality however, protein supplements are just powdered food and thus their contents should be compared to other foods in general. If NATURAL foods contains the SAME heavy metals and carcinogens they found in the protein supplements AND at higher concentrations per serving (of the NATURAL foods), why is the protein supplements being called out on it? Again, the stuff is just powdered food and contains REGULARLY used food additives/flavourings/etc. which consists of at least 1/3 (on average) of the content of each serving. Why did they not compare the protein supplements with other processed foods containing much of the same food additives and see how that compares as well?

As you can see, when you take the findings of the article the OP refers to and analyze it and put it in perspective of a BIGGER picture (aka, our food supply), the findings and warnings are essentially bunk. Again, protein supplements are just a form of powdered food.

I'm not forgetting any of that nor am I arguing your point. I use unflavored WPI to avoid all the other flavorings, artificial sweeteners, etc. The only other ingredient I expect to see is soy lecithin which makes up less than 1% of the brand I buy.

 

[kissdadookie]

I'm not forgetting any of that nor am I arguing your point. I use unflavored WPI to avoid all the other flavorings, artificial sweeteners, etc. The only other ingredient I expect to see is soy lecithin which makes up less than 1% of the brand I buy.

Just pointing it out since you mentioned that the found heavy metals and carcinogens should not be found in the protein, but the products being discussed are essentially prepared processed foods with food additives Essentially pointing it out to point out that the multitude of flaws in the findings in the article the OP referred to.

I could totally understand there being a problem if there were things that are not naturally occurring found in straight WPI/WPC/etc. since that would imply that there is contamination happening and thus a correlation could be made on quality control. The products that were tested however were finished products in which 1/3 of the content per serving consisted of food additives (which are mostly derived from actual food sources).

 

[mtinsideout]

Just pointing it out since you mentioned that the found heavy metals and carcinogens should not be found in the protein, but the products being discussed are essentially prepared processed foods with food additives Essentially pointing it out to point out that the multitude of flaws in the findings in the article the OP referred to.

I could totally understand there being a problem if there were things that are not naturally occurring found in straight WPI/WPC/etc. since that would imply that there is contamination happening and thus a correlation could be made on quality control. The products that were tested however were finished products in which 1/3 of the content per serving consisted of food additives (which are mostly derived from actual food sources).

So many people (likely even a few on this forum) consume huge amounts of these products though. If you have ever read the label of some of these protein powders they recommend using several scoops a day. I'm sure people down more than 3 shakes of this stuff a day so it is still somewhat of a concern for the people that use it.

 

[kissdadookie]

So many people (likely even a few on this forum) consume huge amounts of these products though. If you have ever read the label of some of these protein powders they recommend using several scoops a day. I'm sure people down more than 3 shakes of this stuff a day so it is still somewhat of a concern for the people that use it.

Yes, understandable but again, let's put it into perspective. The carcinogens and heavy metals they found in the products were found at those concentrations at the recommended serving size (average 50-60 grams of protein going by label serving size suggestions), that's 2 scoops of the protein supplement. Now, even @ the 2 scoops, there was FAR LESS of a concentration of the found carcinogens and heavy metals than there are in things like spinach and tuna. Actually, the amounts of carcinogens and heavy metals found in things like spinach and tuna PER SERVING were more than double than the concentrations found in the average 2 scoops of protein supplements.

So, again, where is the concern here? Let's say a person eats 2 servings of spinach a day. That effectively would contain at least 4 x's the carcinogens/heavy metals found in 4 scoops (average) of the worst offender protein supplement referred to in the article the OP referred to. So to get similar concentrations one would get from the 2 servings of spinach, that would be 4x4 which equals to roughly 16 scoops of protein. That's more than half a tub of a typical 2 lbs tub of protein.

The REAL problem here is the public's PERCEPTION of artificial foodstuff as well as food additives. People see the word "artificial" or "additive" and AUTOMATICALLY assume that it's bad and then outlets like Consumer Reports goes out and create these hit pieces out of context just to generate buzz off of the already present public perception.

Remember MSG? To this day MSG is still singled out as something bad. How did MSG get the bad wrap? Because of a doctor that made a correlation between Chinese take out food and people's migraines which people were having after eating a lot of Chinese take out. They then singled out the MSG as being the culprit since MSG was essentially an additive which is popular with Asian cooking but not well used in western cooking. Here's the thing, it wasn't the MSG, it was the really bad nutritional profile of Chinese take out food that was causing things like BP elevation and migraines, however MSG was blamed because MSG was something that was not a familiar food additive in western cooking.

I'm not trying to knock your preferences or that of anybody else. It's your choice to partake or not partake in consuming food additives/artificial foodstuff. The claims of the dangers of food additives/artificial foodstuff however, since it is a claim, needs to be properly backed up with research, research that also takes into consideration the big picture. Things have to be placed into proper context. The Consumer Reports piece lacks any context.

 

[mtinsideout]

Yes, understandable but again, let's put it into perspective. The carcinogens and heavy metals they found in the products were found at those concentrations at the recommended serving size (average 50-60 grams of protein going by label serving size suggestions), that's 2 scoops of the protein supplement. Now, even @ the 2 scoops, there was FAR LESS of a concentration of the found carcinogens and heavy metals than there are in things like spinach and tuna. Actually, the amounts of carcinogens and heavy metals found in things like spinach and tuna PER SERVING were more than double than the concentrations found in the average 2 scoops of protein supplements.

So, again, where is the concern here? Let's say a person eats 2 servings of spinach a day. That effectively would contain at least 4 x's the carcinogens/heavy metals found in 4 scoops (average) of the worst offender protein supplement referred to in the article the OP referred to. So to get similar concentrations one would get from the 2 servings of spinach, that would be 4x4 which equals to roughly 16 scoops of protein. That's more than half a tub of a typical 2 lbs tub of protein.

The REAL problem here is the public's PERCEPTION of artificial foodstuff as well as food additives. People see the word "artificial" or "additive" and AUTOMATICALLY assume that it's bad and then outlets like Consumer Reports goes out and create these hit pieces out of context just to generate buzz off of the already present public perception.

Remember MSG? To this day MSG is still singled out as something bad. How did MSG get the bad wrap? Because of a doctor that made a correlation between Chinese take out food and people's migraines which people were having after eating a lot of Chinese take out. They then singled out the MSG as being the culprit since MSG was essentially an additive which is popular with Asian cooking but not well used in western cooking. Here's the thing, it wasn't the MSG, it was the really bad nutritional profile of Chinese take out food that was causing things like BP elevation and migraines, however MSG was blamed because MSG was something that was not a familiar food additive in western cooking.

I'm not trying to knock your preferences or that of anybody else. It's your choice to partake or not partake in consuming food additives/artificial foodstuff. The claims of the dangers of food additives/artificial foodstuff however, since it is a claim, needs to be properly backed up with research, research that also takes in the consideration of the big picture. Things have to be placed into proper context. The Consumer Reports piece lacks any context.

Reading further into it, you would correct. The amount they mention is per kg bodyweight - per day... If I'm understanding that correctly lol.

 

[kissdadookie]

Reading further into it, you would correct. The amount they mention is per kg bodyweight - per day... If I'm understanding that correctly lol.

LoL.

 

[EZDUZIT]

Reading further into it, you would correct. The amount they mention is per kg bodyweight - per day... If I'm understanding that correctly lol.

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is one of the most toxic ingredients in our food supply. Commonly known as 'the flavor enhancer,' MSG is a neurotoxin and to some, can be highly addictive.
I have more on this article too if u want me to post.

 

[kissdadookie]

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is one of the most toxic ingredients in our food supply. Commonly known as 'the flavor enhancer,' MSG is a neurotoxin and to some, can be highly addictive.I have more on this article too if u want me to post.

Notice how you said article rather than studies. MSG is not toxic. MSG has been shown to NOT have any adverse effects on healthy individuals. The entire myth was again, created by one doctor that made a correlation between people getting migraines from having Chinese take out food and seeing that Chinese food contained MSG. Fact of the matter is that people were getting migraines from Chinese food due to the pretty terrible nutritional profiles of Chinese take out food.

 

[EZDUZIT]

MSG In studies performed on mice and rats, MSG was found to triple the amount of insulin created by the pancreas, causing the animals to become obese without any additional food intake. Additionally, a body of research starting from 1969 has shown that MSG causes lesions in the hypothalamus of monkeys. The hypothalamus is the portion of the brain that, along with other functions, regulates weight control. Studies of blood plasma have found that humans are 20 times more sensitive to MSG than monkeys, and children are 4 times more sensitive to MSG than adults. Plus, MSG is a highly addictive substance, and the more you eat, the greater your chances of obesity. Research shows that hunger greatly affects one's decision making process. In experiments performed on fruit flies at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, researchers found that hunger actually altered pathways in the brain. Another study, performed on humans, showed that the test subjects took much greater financial risks when they were hungry, as opposed to the control group, whose appetites were satiated. So, to keep your mind clear, and your waistline in check, avoid foods that make you hungrier, and stick to whole, nutritious, organic foods that serve the true purpose of food: to provide energy and satisfy your appetite naturally. -The Alternative Daily

 

[kissdadookie]

MSG In studies performed on mice and rats, MSG was found to triple the amount of insulin created by the pancreas, causing the animals to become obese without any additional food intake. Additionally, a body of research starting from 1969 has shown that MSG causes lesions in the hypothalamus of monkeys. The hypothalamus is the portion of the brain that, along with other functions, regulates weight control. Studies of blood plasma have found that humans are 20 times more sensitive to MSG than monkeys, and children are 4 times more sensitive to MSG than adults. Plus, MSG is a highly addictive substance, and the more you eat, the greater your chances of obesity. Research shows that hunger greatly affects one's decision making process. In experiments performed on fruit flies at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, researchers found that hunger actually altered pathways in the brain. Another study, performed on humans, showed that the test subjects took much greater financial risks when they were hungry, as opposed to the control group, whose appetites were satiated. So, to keep your mind clear, and your waistline in check, avoid foods that make you hungrier, and stick to whole, nutritious, organic foods that serve the true purpose of food: to provide energy and satisfy your appetite naturally. -The Alternative Daily

Humans are not rats. Alternative Daily is also a complete nonsense source for information. Humans are also not monkeys.

Seriously, stop embarrassing yourself any further. Smh.

 

[EZDUZIT]

Not my words and I'm not embarrassed by an article whether I believe it or not. Everything is open for discussion. It is a forum. It's all good!

 

[Jiigzz]

MSG In studies performed on mice and rats, MSG was found to triple the amount of insulin created by the pancreas, causing the animals to become obese without any additional food intake. Additionally, a body of research starting from 1969 has shown that MSG causes lesions in the hypothalamus of monkeys. The hypothalamus is the portion of the brain that, along with other functions, regulates weight control. Studies of blood plasma have found that humans are 20 times more sensitive to MSG than monkeys, and children are 4 times more sensitive to MSG than adults. Plus, MSG is a highly addictive substance, and the more you eat, the greater your chances of obesity. Research shows that hunger greatly affects one's decision making process. In experiments performed on fruit flies at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, researchers found that hunger actually altered pathways in the brain. Another study, performed on humans, showed that the test subjects took much greater financial risks when they were hungry, as opposed to the control group, whose appetites were satiated. So, to keep your mind clear, and your waistline in check, avoid foods that make you hungrier, and stick to whole, nutritious, organic foods that serve the true purpose of food: to provide energy and satisfy your appetite naturally. -The Alternative Daily

Do the studies state the dose used to elicit these effects on rats and monkeys? What would be the amount a human must ingest for these same problems to occur?

Just wondering

 

[kissdadookie]

Not my words and I'm not embarrassed by an article whether I believe it or not. Everything is open for discussion. It is a forum. It's all good!

That long winded PM you sent, can't tell if you're just completely ignorant or if you are trolling. I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you are trolling.

Let's put it this way, modern public perception is that MSG is some artificial and very MODERN ingredient. What are the facts though? It was an ingredient introduced to the western diet via Chinese restaurants which caught up in the mainstream in the 60's. Prior to this, MSG is actually as normally and frequently used ingredient such as salt in Asia. It has been used for a LONG time prior to the 60s. A VERY long time as it is a staple ingredient that goes into everything practically. How is it that Asians never had such issues with MSG toxicity when the stuff has been used as commonly as salt? Again, the problem comes back to the idiotic correlation ONE doctor made, the whole thing was even called the Chinese Food Syndrome or something similar.

The facts and historical use of MSG DOES NOT support your argument. The facts and historical use of MSG FAR OUTWEIGHS your monkey and rat studies.

 

[kissdadookie]

Let me again try to explain MSG to you EZDUZIT. MSG was discovered in Japan in 1908 and was derived from seaweed. It is also from MSG in which a new taste was discovered, umami. MSG is a salt and is naturally occurring. As we all know, sodium can cause migraines and other side effects when one is sensitive to sodium. Same applies to MSG really.

So, again, how does this ingredient which has close to a century of widespread use in Asia without any noted side effects in otherwise healthy individuals magically a toxic substance? The reason goes back to the idiotic doctor that came up with the Chinese Food Syndrome concept (or something called similar to that).

Bottom line here is that an idiotic correlation was made between a side effect that was noted to an ingredient in which the western diet is not familiar with.

If you want to get REAL scientific, the fact is that your need FIVE TIMES the amount of MSG to elicit harmful toxicity compared to the amount needed to elicit harmful toxicity with salt. So in reality, salt is actually FIVE TIMES more toxic than MSG in terms of the amount needed to elicit harmful toxcity. It's safer than salt so how does this magically make MSG one of the most toxic substances? Proof again that these "natural/raw/vegan/organic" sites and articles often offer bunk arguments.

 

[EZDUZIT]

Hey, again no ignorance. What u stated is probably true. In fact you state some great points. Like I said its all good. Thanks for stating your opinion. It makes sense. It would be nice to find any Chinese studies on what our doctors find since as we know that the Chinese have some great physicians and scientists. Food for thought I guess.

 

[kissdadookie]

Hey, again no ignorance. What u stated is probably true. In fact you state some great points. Like I said its all good. Thanks for stating your opinion. It makes sense. It would be nice to find any Chinese studies on what our doctors find since as we know that the Chinese have some great physicians and scientists. Food for thought I guess.

It's not an opinion that MSG is FIVE TIMES LESS LETHAL than salt when it comes to the amount needed to be a lethal dose. That was a western study as well. Actually it's the same study you referenced except when you referenced it, you failed to mention that in that SAME study it was noted that MSG needed five times the amount of salt that would be required to become a lethal dose. MSG is basically five times less lethal/toxic than salt. How the heck does this magically make MSG one of the most toxic things in the food source?