☠️ Could Your Protein Powder Be Toxic?
A new report reveals some scary substances in protein powders.
Protein powders are generally heralded as THE supplement of supplements.
Whereas most other added pills and potions of the fitness world yield questionable results, it’s undoubtedly true that most people need extra protein, so supplementing with a powder is the best option.
…Or is it?
A new study by the Clean Label Project found that protein powders on the market could contain toxic metals like lead and cadmium, which are linked to disease when consumed in high amounts.
Scientists in this study tested 160 products from 70 big protein powder brands (the likes of which were not named, but this is your sign to go support a new up-and-coming brand), that take up 83 percent of the protein market.
In contaminant tests, some of the heavy metals found were lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury to bisphenols like BPA and BPS and perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or so-called "forever chemicals."
Let’s dive into what this means.
Newsletter Summary:
The surprising facts about popular protein powders that should make us second-guess over-relying on them
The nuance about pollution around us
One quote about thinking critically
☠️ Could Your Protein Powder Be Toxic?
The short answer is “maybe,” depending on how front-of-the-store your brand is.
There are many shocking things about this study:
Surprisingly, organic protein powders were more guilty of higher toxin levels than their non-organic counterparts, which should make us rethink whether “organic” anything is actually better
In the products that were tested, almost half had levels of metals in them that were illegal in at least one U.S. state
For the longest time, supplements have not been FDA-regulated. This begs the question about whether this should change.
Going a level deeper — do we trust the FDA to regulate supplements? Does it make them any safer, given what the FDA has a history of letting come to market? Or does it hurt small businesses genuinely trying to make healthy additives?
I don’t have the answer to these questions. I hope it helps you think more critically about your health shopping, though.
Protein is hardly the only “super-supplement” with toxins in them — honey, for example, a darling of antioxidant-conscious consumers, has varying metal levels state-to-state — but the levels of toxins in these protein powders might not be cause for too much concern, depending on what brands you consume and what frequency you have shakes at.
Your disease risk — factors like immune health, family history, and other genetic factors — might be more determinant of how well your body expels these toxins or absorbs them, so it’s even more essential to get granular (no pun intended) about which protein powder is best for you.
From Men’s Journal:
“Similarly, plant-based protein powders were also found to be worse for you, as they had three times more lead than whey-based options.”
Big L for the vegan folks.
But does this mean you should stop buying protein powder altogether?
Probably not.
Let’s go bigger picture for a second.
💨 The nuance about pollution around us
Regardless of your stance on green energy, the overwhelming fact about our current climate is that the air, water, and environment have these toxins floating around us quite a bit.
Does that mean we’re all being constantly poisoned?
No.
Could we do better as a nation to filter our air, water, and trash?
Absolutely.
I say this to say that some lead in protein is not the end of the protein powder industry, because there’s simply no correlation between protein powder consumption and death.
I struggle to think consuming protein powders alone would be the reason someone developed cancer or another illness.
The far more likely candidate for developing disease lies in the contaminants that are in our water and atmosphere — two things we inevitably interact with every single day.
More industrial, urban areas are mass-producing the same toxins I mentioned above at an alarming rate to sustain the city-ness of their cities.
Again, this is something I don’t have an immediate solution to.
But it should add some nuance to your thinking about protein powder if you’re concerned that it could kill you.
Don’t let a report about protein powder be the reason you don’t ever buy any.
But, don’t let that turn into negligence — research your biomarkers and find out what protein you could use most effectively.
Similarly, don’t think that just because you eat healthy that your air and water aren’t harmful to you.
But also don’t let that be the reason you never go outside.
🔎 One Quote About Critical Thinking To Keep You Sharp This Week
“It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
— Aristotle
I’m on a roll with the quotes lately.
Think about these paragraphs above without letting your bias in.
Use the information above not to panic, but make an informed decision about your health.
That’s why High-Performance Health exists.
Happy Wednesday, everyone.