{"id":19266,"date":"2019-12-04T11:09:15","date_gmt":"2019-12-04T19:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/?p=19266"},"modified":"2024-04-10T16:48:43","modified_gmt":"2024-04-10T23:48:43","slug":"protein-powder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/foodrevolution.org\/blog\/protein-powder\/","title":{"rendered":"3 Things That Shouldn\u2019t Be in Your Protein Powder (But Probably Are)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Written by Matt Frazier. A version of this article was originally published on nomeatathlete.com<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

Over the years, we\u2019ve talked a lot about protein: How much you need<\/a>, how to get it from food<\/a>, and whether or not you should supplement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s no one-size-fits-all answer to that last question\u2026<\/p>\n

Although I\u2019ve managed to get plenty of protein from whole foods for the past few years, I\u2019ve always acknowledged that for certain people \u2014 people who want to add muscle, try to hit macronutrient levels, or just want some peace of mind \u2014 supplementing makes more sense.<\/p>\n

But if you take protein powder yourself, there\u2019s one question you should most definitely know the answer to:<\/p>\n

What\u2019s in your protein powder?<\/i><\/p>\n

I started looking more closely at protein powders a few months ago, for my kids\u2019 sake. They\u2019re both young plant-based athletes, and \u2014 call it parental paranoia if you want \u2014 I find myself worrying about their picky eating habits, specifically that most of the foods they love (fresh fruits and vegetables, especially in smoothies) aren\u2019t necessarily dense in protein or, more generally, in total calories.<\/p>\n

But when I started looking at the ingredient lists of the common plant-based powders, I was surprised and disappointed. Unfamiliar and artificial ingredients, plus sweeteners (even natural ones) that I knew they wouldn\u2019t like the taste of in their smoothies.<\/p>\n

So I did some more digging\u2026<\/p>\n

And it got worse. Waaay worse.<\/p>\n

Today, I want to share a bit about what I found, in hopes that it helps you to make more informed decisions when choosing a protein powder, if you choose to use them.<\/p>\n

And I\u2019ll start with the one that scares me the most\u2026<\/p>\n

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iStock.com\/Lecic<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

1. Heavy Metals and Other Carcinogens<\/h2>\n

Now, I know what you\u2019re thinking.<\/p>\n

Heavy metals and chemicals in my protein powder? Nah. No way. I get the good stuff. And it comes from plants. <\/i><\/p>\n

Think again. Last year, the Clean Label Project\u2122 completed a study examining 134 plant-based and animal-based protein powder products<\/a> from 52 different brands. They screened for over 130 toxins, including heavy metals, BPA, pesticides, and other contaminants with ties to health problems.<\/p>\n

And you know what they found? (You might want to sit down for this one.)<\/p>\n

Many of the most popular plant-based protein powders were ranked the worst for their high levels of contaminants like heavy metals.<\/strong> In fact, plant-based protein powders ranked lower than animal-based protein powders on average.<\/p>\n

So how does that nasty stuff get into your powder?<\/p>\n

According to Clean Label Project, \u201cContaminants are the result of sourcing and production practices. Contaminants can be found in soils because of pesticides and mining run-off (ex. heavy metals) and can be absorbed into plants just like nutrients. They can also be the result of the manufacturing process (ex. BPA\/BPS is using the lining of cans and containers and leach into the protein powder.)\u201d<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a closer look at some of the most common heavy metals and chemicals to see what the study actually found:<\/p>\n

BPA (bisphenol A)<\/h3>\n

By now you\u2019ve probably heard of BPA, but most people don\u2019t actually know what it is. BPA, or bisphenol A, is a chemical used in a lot of commercial product packaging as a way to strengthen the plastic.<\/p>\n

High amounts of BPA, however, are known to cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other mental and physical health issues<\/a>.<\/p>\n

A few years ago, BPA garnered a lot of attention when it was discovered to leach from plastic into drinks<\/a>, like water. Since then, many popular water bottles have gone BPA-free, but it\u2019s still commonly used in many food containers, including some plastic containers that store protein powder, or even the plastic measuring scoop often included in the tub.<\/p>\n

The Clean Label Project study found that 55% of protein powders tested had high levels of BPA.<\/strong> And one had over 25 times the allowed regulatory limit in just one serving.<\/p>\n

Lead<\/h3>\n

According to the study, nearly 70% of plant-based protein powders also contained measurable amounts of lead.<\/strong> The potential mental and physical health problems associated with lead are well documented<\/a>, so why is it showing up in these protein powders?<\/p>\n

The primary problem seems to be where the ingredients are sourced from. Lead in the ground seeps into the growing food before harvesting and stays there as it\u2019s turned into your powder.<\/p>\n

Arsenic<\/h3>\n

Arsenic is a naturally occurring chemical often found in water, food, and soil.<\/a><\/p>\n

This is a particular problem with rice-based products<\/a>, which is grown in water-flooded conditions. And arsenic in the soil<\/a> finds its way into the roots of rice crops and is eventually stored in the grains.<\/p>\n

Arsenic, of course, is also known to cause a number of health problems including cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

So why is it in protein powder? Primarily because of poorly sourced rice protein isolate.<\/p>\n

Cadmium<\/h3>\n

According to the same Clean Label Project study, 74% of protein powders contained measurable amounts of cadmium.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Cadmium is another natural toxic element often found in rocks and soil, and because it does not corrode easily, it\u2019s often used in batteries. That\u2019s right, batteries.<\/p>\n

And you guessed it, cadmium also has links to cancer<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But what if my powder is organic?<\/p>\n

That was one of my first questions as well. But organic, although good for other reasons, is no help when it comes to heavy metals. Organic protein powders had on average twice the amount of heavy metals as non-organic options. So if a brand doesn\u2019t disclose heavy metal information to you, you\u2019re left wondering.<\/p>\n

2. Sweeteners and Flavorings<\/h2>\n

These days, sweeteners<\/a> are added to just about every processed food, so it should come as no surprise that they\u2019re also often added to protein powder. <\/strong><\/p>\n

But here\u2019s the thing.<\/p>\n

Sweeteners are totally unnecessary. Same goes with flavors (natural or not) like vanilla. The only reason companies often adds the sweeteners and flavors is to try and mask the taste.<\/p>\n

In turn, however, they\u2019re adding unnatural ingredients that not only taste fake, but are potentially harmful.<\/p>\n

Take a look at common artificial sweeteners<\/a> like acesulfame potassium, sucralose, or splenda, for example. These sweeteners with their potent taste not only train the brain to crave sweet foods, but are known to increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and obesity.<\/p>\n

How about natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit, you ask?<\/p>\n

In my opinion, if it isn\u2019t serving me (or my kids), I don\u2019t want to add it to my smoothie, where the additional sweetness only makes things taste less natural. I want my smoothie to taste like the fruit that\u2019s in it, and no sweeter.<\/p>\n

3. Fillers, Preservatives, and Gums<\/h2>\n

While the contaminants scare me most, the biggest shocker I came across in my research on protein powder was what I learned about fillers.<\/p>\n

First, there\u2019s a reason you don\u2019t see percentages next to protein powder ingredients on labels.<\/p>\n

Many brands, like the one I used to take, boast a \u201cblend of pea, rice, hemp, and chia\u201d (for example) to create the appearance of a complete amino acid profile. But if they\u2019re not telling you the amounts of each in the product, then nothing prevents them from using 95% or even 99% of the cheapest powder, and only blending the others to make up the remaining 5% or less.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s nothing to tell you it\u2019s pretty much just one type of protein. And that the amino acid profile is incomplete.<\/p>\n

In an industry so unregulated as supplements are, it\u2019s not hard to imagine that\u2019s what they do.<\/p>\n

Besides cheap proteins, dextrin (a carbohydrate from starch) and maltodextrin (produced from corn, rice, potato starch, or wheat) are common fillers added to protein powder to bulk it up. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Then there are gums, like xanthan gum, which is derived from corn and soy and often used as a thickener in protein power. These gums are totally unnecessary and some people can find them hard to tolerate<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lax labeling requirements mean you can\u2019t really feel confident about what\u2019s in your powder. Sure, you might have an ordered ingredient list, but when you don\u2019t know how much of each ingredient is included, you have no idea if your powder is really what it claims to be.<\/p>\n

Where This Leaves Us<\/h2>\n

When it comes to protein, the best place to get it is from food. And for many people, that\u2019s not hard to accomplish. If you eat a wholesome diet based around real food, then in the vast majority of cases that will leave with more than enough. (And keep in mind, the average American gets about twice as much protein as they need. <\/strong>And in the industrialized world, excess protein consumption is causing vastly more disease than inadequate protein.)<\/p>\n

But if you\u2019re over 65 or highly active, and vegetarian or vegan, then you may want to consider supplementing with protein powder, especially if you don\u2019t include soy, gluten, or abundant legumes in your diet.<\/p>\n

If you choose to use a protein supplement, the best bet is to look for one that is fully compliant with California\u2019s super stringent Prop 65 requirements.<\/strong> That means any heavy metals and other carcinogens present are less than 0.1% of the \u201cNo Observable Effects Level\u201d set by California. And remember, you are looking for brands that explicitly state that they comply with California\u2019s proposition 65, not just in California, but everywhere else, too!<\/p>\n

And make sure to read the label to insure that the protein you\u2019re getting is organic and is free of any undesirable sweeteners, flavorings, chemicals, preservatives, fillers and gums that you don\u2019t want. Bonus points if it uses a range of protein sources, tells you how much of each is included, and has a diverse amino acid profile.<\/p>\n

A protein supplement isn\u2019t for everybody. In fact, it isn\u2019t even for most people. But if you\u2019re someone who might benefit from it, then the way I see it, you deserve to know the facts so you aren\u2019t spending an arm and a leg (Newsflash: most protein powders aren\u2019t exactly cheap!) to buy a product that might wind up doing more harm than good.<\/p>\n

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Editor\u2019s Note<\/h4>\n

The author of this article, No Meat Athlete <\/i>founder Matt Frazier, was so frustrated by what the learned when he researched the protein powder options on the market, that he decided to take action. He developed a plant-based, organic, non-GMO protein powder that is low in heavy metals, and that he could feel good about giving to his own kids. And now he\u2019s sharing it with the rest of us, too. If you want to find out more, click here<\/a>. (If you make a purchase from this link, you\u2019ll get a special Food Revolution Network discount, and Matt will also make a contribution to support the work of Food Revolution Network. Thank you!)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Tell us in the comments:<\/h4>\n