Reports show that heavy metals exist in protein shakes – Should we be alarmed?

A very good question given the preliminary result and the basic truth about all food out there. One study may not be enough to give cause for alarm, and here’s why:

Make no mistake: the fact that a study revealed 15 protein powder and drink brands containing rather high amounts of arsenic (that’s right, arsenic), cadmium, lead and mercury is some cause for alarm, especially since those components are above the acceptable limit. To be exact, EAS Myoplex Unique Wealthy Darkish Chocolate had 16.9 micrograms of arsenic and 5.1 micrograms of cadmium. That popular Muscle Milk chocolate powder you’d find in the health food stores had 12.2 micrograms of arsenic and 5.6 micrograms of cadmium as well, plus 13.5 micrograms of lead and .7 micrograms of mercury. Their vanilla cream brand also had 12.2 micrograms of lead. The numbers definitely make it look scary, so the question remains:

Do We Need to Freak Out and Boycott All Protein Shakes and Powders

We should be cautious, yes. But there’s no cause for alarm in completely boycotting some staples of the health and fitness industry, for several reasons:

One, third-party lab results bringing up those numbers can be brought to scrutiny, especially since overall all studies of all such brands have resulted in comparably low amounts, so low that they’re obviously below the acceptable limit, rendering them relatively safe for consumption. It just so happens that these three brands at the moment of the study resulted in heavy findings of metallic contaminants. You shouldn’t drink those, obviously —

But that’s like saying one out of twenty Big Macs will have boogers in them from the crappy, snotty grill associate in the back who wanted to play a prank on unsuspecting customers. We in no way, shape or form can boycott Big Macs, much less McDonald’s as a whole, because of one bad sandwich.

Secondly, overall the study saw that 12 of the brands also tested came out looking good to go. However, the point of the fact that these three suspected brands with high doses of metallic elements may also have that excess due to massive amounts of powder examined.

In other words…. Don’t overdo the protein shakes! This goes without saying: for any type of food, any product, you overdo it, you could cause yourself some problems. You just might have one particular container of one brand that may have a slightly higher dose of heavy metals; and if you’re a prolific protein chugger at the gym, you could be ingesting more arsenic in your system than you’d like to have.

The Study Isn’t a Cause for Alarm, But Just Information to Keep You in the Know About Your Habits, and How Much You Drink

As we already mentioned: many products will have resultant components or materials we normally wouldn’t ingest in our bodies. At minute amounts, though, such materials are relatively harmless, and that’s just the nature of the processed food industry. Convenient, the industry is, yes — but it does come with its necessary evils. So just be aware.

What you can do is keep the intake of protein shakes and powders quite slim. A little does go a long way, people. Also don’t be so dependent on them, which means you do need to focus a bit more on a substantial diet and not let this be about weight loss or anything. No protein shake or meal substitute can replace good, wholesome food.

Additionally, keep a close eye on mainstream media and question everything. Just because a study will say that this may be bad for you doesn’t mean it actually is. Bear in mind that the best scientific evidence results from multiple tests — not just one.

It’s easy to panic when a study reports that people are swallowing poison, but keep everything in perspective. After all, when you swim in a chlorinated pool, do you have any idea just how much chlorine you’re accidentally ingesting without even knowing it? Your body’s just fine. However…. Be aware.