Consumer Reports: What's in your protein?

wow
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/m...rink/index.htm

Glad that I haven't purchased commercial products like these in the 2 years since finding PF

Yea its kinda weird. My first thoughts is that the heavy metals are coming from the "other" ingredients in these products. But I am getting analysis compiled on some of my whey proteins to check the levels of heavy metals. Does anyone have the data on these products? If you go to consumer reports you have to become a member, ( I guess I have to buy the magazine if I wanted the counts of the metals in Muscle Milk and EAS)

I am planning on buying this issue of the magazine just so I can read the full article. I will pass on whatever info there is in the article.

Nevermind I found it...someone posted it on bodybuilding.com.


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As I suspected they (consumer reports) bunched RTD's (the EAS drink), Weight gainers or MRP's (Muscle Milk and BSN), and whey protein together. When technically they should have been separate. (Just shows you how dumb and misleading consumer reports is!!) Notice how the whey protein shakes were tested to contain barely any heavy metal counts. Finally (and this doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure this one out) notice how all the HIGHER counts were in the CHOCOLATE drinks. All of the vanilla drinks were very low. So what does this tell me. That chocolate flavoring and/or cocoa contains higher levels of heavy metals.


Bottom line. Drink all the PROTEIN (know the difference) you want. Consumer reports "protein drink" report is misleading.

FYI, I will be posting the heavy metal counts (if any) for my proteins. They are currently coming in. But everyone must know this. There is HEAVY METALS in ALL foods we eat, including bottled water. If you want a heavy does of heavy metals eat some seafood.

so to sum up heres the truth.
1) The consumer "protein report" title is misleading. Instead it should be entitled nutritional RTD's and powders. Because anyone that has somewhat basic knowledge of supplementation knows that whey protein powder is different than muscle milk and RTD's in terms of nutritional profiles.

2) The HIGHER heavy metal counts were found in the RTD's not the powders.

3) The HIGHER heavy metal counts were found in the chocolates and not in the vanillas. Which tells us that something in the chocolate flavorings have a higher heavy metal count.

4) The report is misleading because heavy metals are found in everything. Even bottled water!! Organic products have higher heavy metal counts than non-organic

5) If you want a really high dose of heavy metals eat some seafood. Its contains more heavy metals than anything else.

The report is completly misleading and whomever did it is an asshole. He or she is probably some overweight fat ass who never picked up a weight in his entire life. He or she probably was smoking when they did the tests and contaminated the tests with second hand smoke. Honestly there are 1,000 other "things" to worry about than naturally occuring heavy metals. Seriously get a grip pal

Thanks for posting the chart w/the results. (btw--caught this thread via the tweet on twitter.)

This is a general statement regarding the amount of cadmium and in whey ingredients. Whey ingredients contain LESS THAN 0.01mg/kg of cadmium. Lets do the math together shall we
Whey powder (concentrate, isolate, or sweet dairy whey) contains approximately 0.01mg of cadmium per 1,000 grams.
convert 0.01mg to grams = 0.00001g
Now divide 0.00001g by 1,000g = 0.00000001 X 30 grams serving of whey protein powder= 0.0000003 or (move decimal 6 times to right
= 0.3mcg of cadmium per 30 grams of powder.
for those of you who dont give two shits about math. and just want the freakin bottom line. Yea thats a very, very, small and irrelevant amount of cadmium in whey powder, so like I said before...have another drink of whey protein.

Hey alex

I am glad that you are getting analysis for your protein. I am looking forward to it! and would you please send a notice or a big button on your site so I will not miss it? thnx!

Glad to see you found the chart. I was going to post that here after scanning it.

In the July 2010 issue of Consumer Reports, there’s a 4 page spread and chart showing that those favorite protein drinks of yours can contain potentially unsafe levels of heavy metals. Things like Arsenic, Lead and Cadmium! With such a report, it’s almost a guarantee to rock the supplement world. Or is it?
Maybe the better question: Should it?
The full report will be in the July issue of Consumer Reports.
QUESTION: I just read the Consumer Reports article about potentially unsafe levels of heavy metals. Some of those protein drinks I consume. I’m currently drinking Muscle Milk chocolate. Not three times a day but I use it frequently. Do you think I should stop drinking protein shakes entirely? What is your thought on this report?
ANSWER: Could this be true? The same magazine I used to buy my last washer and dryer is now the expert on supplement research? Can the same evaluation methods to test how dry my socks are be used to tell me if I’m in-taking too much dangerous levels of heavy metals? Or even better, how much protein I need a day?
In a nutshell, Consumer Reports used USP (U.S. Pharmacopeia) an independent research facility to test 15 protein drinks which included ready to drinks, meal replacement power and just whey powders.
Consumer Reports testing was based on consumption of three shakes per day and the testing applied proposed U.S. Pharmacopeia standards - not current, accepted or approved standards or guidelines. It’s important to note this was not published in a peer reviewed scientific journal.

They tested for:

• Arsenic
• Cadmium
• Lead
• Mercury

USP found most of the products to be in the low or moderate range for the 3 servings except for the following three products.

What Consumer Reports Found:

• EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate Shake has an average of 16.9 micrograms of arsenic in three servings — more than the 15 micrograms a day that is the proposed USP limit. It has an average of 5.1 micrograms of cadmium for three servings — above the USP limit of 5 micrograms a day.

• Muscle Milk chocolate powder, at three servings, contained all four of the metals, and three metals were found at a level that was among the highest of all 15 products tested. Cadmium levels were 5.6 micrograms — above the 5-microgram limit. Lead was 13.5 micrograms — above the USP limit of 10 micrograms. The arsenic averaged 12.2 micrograms — near the 15-microgram daily USP limit.

• Muscle Milk vanilla crème had 12.2 micrograms of lead per three servings — above the 10-microgram daily limit. It has 11.2 micrograms of arsenic — close to the 15-microgram daily limit.

WPvideo 1.10



Here’s What They Aren’t Telling You … They Didn’t Compare Apples to Apples!
All of the products listed in the Consumer Reports article are not the same. Muscle Milk and Myoplex ranked the highest partly because they are Meal Replacement Powders or MRPs. MRP’s will have naturally higher trace amounts of these elements because they include a blend of all macronutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrates), plus micronutrients in vitamins & minerals. Whey protein powders OR low carb protein powders will contain lower levels of these elements because they provide mostly protein and not the full blend of macronutrients plus vitamins & minerals that MRP’s do.
In other words, the more nutrient sources (macronutrients & micronutrients) one consumes, the more trace amounts of these metal elements they are ingesting. The report would have been more accurate if all like products were compared (MRP’s). Pure Whey protein powders will have lower amounts of these elements for the reasons just mentioned.
Do You Know What’s In Your Food?
Don’t forget the substances tested by Consumer Reports are naturally occurring in the environment, and it would be uncommon, if not impossible, not to detect the trace amounts reportedly found in any agricultural product, such as dairy products, fruits and vegetables.
FDA’s publication Total Diet Study Statistics on Element Results (December 11, 2007), which analyzes 200 foods found in grocery stores four times per year, showed the following:
Lead Contamination in Everyday Foods


BUT KEEP READING…

First off … let me start by saying I’m not a scientist by nature. But that doesn’t disqualify me from making comments on how a proper study should be conducted. In fact, I wondered myself after reading this article.. how would one conduct such a study?
My guess is, at the very least they need to include the methods used in testing so that anybody else qualified could reproduce the results. Even friendly hackers do this. They report their findings and methods used to reproduce the error in an effort to get the company in question to fix their product.
However, what’s the #1 thing missing from this Consumer Reports article Heavy Metals Found in Protein Shakes? Care to take a guess?
The methods used! For all I know, they took various expired supplements from a location in Area 51 and used a metal testing kit from ACE Hardware. They don’t specifically say how it was conducted and the onus is on them.
Here’s How another 3rd Party, Independent Agency Responded to the Consumer Reports Article on Protein Drinks
“NSF International cannot comment on the test results reported in the July 2010, Consumer Reports article on protein drinks. It omits critical information about the laboratory that performed the test and its accreditation qualifications. ISO 17025 accreditation is critical for any laboratory testing for heavy metals in dietary supplements and nutritional products.
The article also omits the test methods used, analytical preparation, sample size, the basis of their risk assessment, detection limits, quality control data and instrumentation used for this report.”
FACT: In order to report your finding you MUST report methods used so that results can be reproduced by others. Sorry Consumer Reports but your study is invalid without such. Not to mention your testing apples to oranges.
But don’t take my word for it… I asked Daniel Whittaker, a personal trainer for decades, a Wellness Consultant, an Expert Moderator on DiscussBodybuilding.com and researcher. He’s currently attending California State University, Los Angeles, where he is studying Exercise Science and Bioscience and assisting with research in the University Human Performance Laboratory.
He is the recipient one of two Certificates of Honor awarded by his College in recognition of exceptional academic achievements, and he has been inducted into both Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society and Golden Key International Honor Society.
“Marc, your comments about the validity of the research methods are spot on. Without a methods section, the report is really of no value if I can not repeat it consistently in a proper lab with the same methods…” -Daniel Whittaker

What’s even more shocking is that nobody including the fitness expert you probably follow seems to pay attention to the 4 pages that precede the pretty colored chart. Things I’ve tried in my newsletter, program, blog, podcasts and forum to battle. What things?
MYTH:
“The body can only break down 5 to 9 grams of protein per hour” -Kathleen Laquale, licensed nutritionist and certified athletic trainer
FACT:
“Regarding the quote from Kathleen Laquale about the body only being able to break down 5 to 9 grams of protein an hour. I defy her to find research to support this. I cringed when I saw the original quote in Consumer Reports, and I’m cringing again to see that the NPR site has adopted it as fact. - TCLoma (of T-Nation?)
“There is no such thing as consuming too much protein.as long you’re getting other nutrients in your diet as well.” – Dr. Andrew Shao, Ph.D, in Nutritional Biochemistry from Tufts University in Boston, M.S. in Human Nutrition Science. His B.A. in Biology is from Brandeis University in Waltham, Mass.
A reoccurring theme throughout the entire article is:

such a great read...thx much