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Just came across this interesting post by Dr Mercola. He claims that consumer tests on 15 different types of whey protein powders and drinks have shown that they contain high levels of toxins such as lead, arsenic and cadmium. Many of you, including myself, consume protein shakes on a regular daily basis as a good source of muscle building protein. I am more than a little surprised to think that I am ingesting toxic metals without realizing it.
The worst offenders include the ready to drink EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate Shake and (the worst product) Muscle Milk Chocolate Powder which contained some of the highest levels of all four toxins. The report is a little biased and he is using it to his advantage by promoting Miracle Whey (his own protein product?) but it still highlights an important question, are we being poisoned by supposedly healthy products. Products that we take in good faith, believing we are following a health diet and lifestyle.
The original sources of the report are
- ABC 6 Action News – Warning about protein drinks
- Consumer Reports Magazine – Alert: Protein Drinks
I find it very unsettling to think my protein powder could be bad for my health, I mean the stuff is not exactly cheap is it! I for one will be choosing my protein very carefully from now on.
Related articles
- What is the difference between soy protein and whey protein powder (wiki.answers.com)
- Vitalabs Recalls Whey-26 Protein Powder Over Salmonella Fears (walletpop.com)
- Optimum Platinum Whey Protein Powder Review (fitnesstroop.com)
- Coming Soon? Whey Protein Soft Drinks (fooducate.com)
Well, if you read up on tuna, eating more than 3 tins of tuna per week over time can supposedly make you go blind, due to the high mercury content. I know a lot of people that eat tuna in big amounts every day and they are still healthy, so maybe like with tuna, the research is biased and hyped up. Perhaps having 40 protein shakes per day could be toxic, but it would be harmful in other ways anyway with that dosage. Everything in moderation I say.