Avoid These Toxic Protein Powders Until You Hear These Disturbing Details

Posted By Dr. Mercola | June 22 2010
Consumer Reports purchased 15 protein powders and drinks and tested multiple samples of each for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Levels in several of the products could, with just three servings a day result in daily exposure to arsenic, cadmium, or lead exceeding USP limits. When taking into account the large serving size suggested, the number of micrograms per day for these products was comparatively high. *According to ABC 6 Action News*
Which Protein Drinks Fared the Worst?
Three daily servings of the ready-to-drink liquid EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate Shake contained an average of:
•16.9 mcg (micrograms) of arsenic
•5.1 mcg of cadmium

The proposed United States Pharmacopoeia's (USP) limits for these two toxins are 15 and 5 mcg respectively.

The worst of the products tested was Muscle Milk Chocolate powder, which contained all four toxic metals; three of them at the highest levels of all products tested. Three daily servings of this particular brand and flavor contained an average of:
•5.6 mcg cadmium
•13.5 mcg of lead
•12.2 mcg of arsenic
•0.7 mcg of mercury
Muscle Milk's Vanilla Crème contained slightly less lead, but still exceeded the USP lead limit of 10 µg.

A fourth product, Muscle Milk's liquid Nutritional Shake Chocolate, also tested high in arsenic, providing you with an average of 14.3 mcg of arsenic per day, which is very close to the USP limit.

Clearly, getting a potentially toxic dose of heavy metals with your daily protein drink is not what you had in mind, but based on these results, that may indeed be what you're getting…