How Safe Is Your Protein Powder? (Optimum Nutrition, MuscleTech and Bsn Under scope)

Whey Protein, the most consumed sport supplement has many health benefits, from hardening the immunity to help prevent cancer, and of course increase strength and muscle mass. however, you can't say that your protein powder is that healthy if it contains large amounts of heavy metals that clearly causes cancer and make your body vulnerable to diabetes along with other chronic diseases.

Before we jump to the lab test, let us talk about heavy metals why they are dangerous. when i say heavy metals, i mean exactly these guys: lead, cadmium, mercury and arsenic.

-Cadmium: here i quote from the Oxford journal "Cadmium causes kidney damage but possibly also bone effects and fractures". Enough said.

-Mercury: "low risk of neurological damage to adults", still scratching your dental amalgam? don't worry it will soon be banned.

-Lead: Neurotoxic effect,

-Arsenic: Skin cancer, Lung cancer and other cancers.

If you are a human who does eat food, i have for you a good news and bad news. the good news is: Heavy metals are naturally found in our foods and our body tolerate a certain amount of it. the bad news is: nowadays we eating more heavy metals than our body can tolerate and heavy metals doesn't just go away in stool, it accumulate in our body, with other words it will never leave (It's need a lot of time to go, and if we keep eating the same way ... you know).

Now let's get back to sport, let say you need 100g of protein to support you diet. there is two ways to do so, taking 130g of protein powder (say Gold Standard whey by ON) or taking 280g of lean beef.

You don't have to say it, i know. we just can't be bodybuilders without the protein powder unless you are using AAS. So, if we gonna keep consuming powder let us chose the right one.

Here is the table that compare protein supps, i compiled it from "Consumer Reports" table. we are comparing gram to gram, i mean the content in 100g of powder.



Product                              Arsenic                 Cadimum                Lead                  Mercury
                                              (µg)                        (µg)                    (µg)                       (µg)

Muscle Milk                         5.33                       0.95                       5.8                      N/A

BSN Syntha-6                       3.18                       1.96                     4.09                    0.83 

ON Gold Standard                 2.6                       1.77                      1.04                     0.2

MuscleTech Nitro Tehc        1.25                         N/A                      0.4                      0.2

Solgar Whey to Go Whey      1.2                          N/A                      N/A                   N/A

ON Platnm Hydro Whey      1.2                          N/A                        N/A                   N/A

GNC Pro Performance         2.27                      1.05                        1.05                   N/A

GNC Lean Shake                 4.86                         2.7                        3.47                  N/A

Designer Whey 100%           5                           2.05                       3.07                   1.15







Here with pictures in case you forgot what your protein's name.

Product                              Arsenic                 Cadimum                Lead                  Mercury
                                              (µg)                        (µg)                    (µg)                       (µg)

                         

 


               5.33                       0.95                       5.8                      N/A







                                   
            3.18                       1.96                       4.09                    0.83

 
        2.6                       1.77                        1.04                     0.2






                 

 
        


1.25                         N/A                      0.4                      0.2










    1.2                          N/A                      N/A                   N/A








 



           1.2                          N/A                        N/A                   N/A









        2.27                      1.05                          1.05                   N/A












         4.86                         2.7                          3.47                  N/A

 5                           2.05                         3.07                   1.15


















here you can find the original work by Consumer Report where they have lab results of GNC, EAS and more.

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/04/protein-drinks/index.htm