In July, Consumer Reports magazine tested 15 protein powders for levels of 4 heavy metals:
- Lead
- Arsenic
- Mercury
- Cadmium
At certain levels, these heavy metals can be poisonous.
The worst thing is that they will accumulate over time so if you continue to use these products, you’ll accumulate more and more poisons in your system and they may reach a level that causes negative health effects.
What are these brands and what are the levels of these poisons?
Check out this chart first then I’ll explain more below:
First of all, notice that these are all based on 3 servings, not 1 serving.
So if you’re doing 1 serving a day, then you’ll be well below the daily limits for all of these brands.
But remember, these heavy metals accumulate, so ideally you want NONE!
Here are the daily limits for each metal:
- Arsenic – 15 ug
- Cadmium – 5 ug
- Lead – 10 ug
- Mercury – 15 ug
Amounts exceeding these levels are in BOLD in the chart.
By looking at the chart, we can see that the EAS Myoplex Shake and Muscle Milk products are the worst.
So I’d avoid these things at all costs.
And there are so many alternatives that there’s no reason at all to use these products.
One product I use is Hemp Protein vs. Whey.
No, you don’t get high from it (unfortunately).
I still use Whey occasionally, but find myself taking Hemp protein more often as it’s a) closer to nature and b) has protein, fibre and healthy fats, making it a more balanced food.
Plus, they keep coming out with new flavours vs. the original sludge flavour, so it’s actually tasty now!
Either way you go, I always recommend rotating brands – don’t use the same brand all the time.
This way, you can insulate yourself from potentially overloading your system with heavy metals or other toxins contained in these products.
And, your body doesn’t develop an intolerance to a particular brand and it’s components.
Another brand you can check out for Whey protein is Prograde.
They’re not the cheapest whey protein (which is probably a good thing) but they’ve got some videos taking you into their labs and I like to see the behind the scenes action when I can – it just makes me trust them a bit more.
Plus, I know the registered dietitian in charge of the whole operation (Jayson Hunter) and he’s a good guy and he’s also a martial artist himself.
You can check em out and what they offer by clicking the image below:
So make sure you hit the ‘Like’ button to share this article so your friends/family avoid these poisonous proteins, and share your favourite brands (and where to get em) in the Comments section below!
– Eric
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