Heavy Metals in Protein Powders
For the longest time, adding protein powder to your smoothie or drink has been simple but effective health boost. It has been an easy way to supplement reduced protein intake, especially in adults looking to build a bit of muscle and bone.
The benefits of this supplement are at risk, as today it has become difficult to find any protein powder without heavy metals tainting it. Consumption of heavy metals has been linked to life threatening diseases such as cancer, organ damage and even death. So how do heavy metals end up in protein powders?
Plant-Sourced Heavy Metals
Plants rely on the soil for nutrients, and the soil can sometimes become contaminated with heavy metals. Examples of sources that could contaminate the soil include waste from metal mining, effluent from industries making their ways into rivers and eventually into the soil, and even pesticides used in agriculture that end up soaking into the soil. Plants then absorb the heavy metals only to end up consumed by animals whose byproducts are used to make whey protein.
Solvent Sourced Heavy Metals
The other way in which heavy metals make their way into whey protein is through the manufacturing process. Some of the solvents that are used in the manufacturing process can end up introducing heavy metals into the end products.
In early 2018, the nonprofit group Clean Label Project released a damning report detailing the toxins within protein powders that many consumers had not been aware of. The report described comprehensive screening that revealed powders to contain heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic, lead and cadmium. This isn’t even the first organization to discover dangerous toxins in whey protein. As far back as 2010, Consumer Reports protein powders testing revealed detected arsenic, lead cadmium and mercury in whey protein powder samples. Throughout all these studies, some very popular brands were found to contain shocking amounts of heavy metals, ranking poorly in overall testing.
Understanding The Prop 65 Warning On Protein Powder Labels
Some of the harmful heavy metals that could be present in whey protein have already been mentioned, but it really doesn’t hurt to know all of them. This is the reason why the Prop 65 Warning was introduced. Known fully as Proposition 65, it is an act that requires businesses to provide warnings about significant exposures to elements or toxins in their products on the labels. The act lists all of the potentially harmful toxins that could be found in regularly consumed products, and it includes heavy metals. When you are shopping around for a good whey protein powder, seeing a prop 65 warning on the label should be an indication that there are high levels of heavy metals within.
Low Heavy Metal Verification; How Nutrology Stands Out
In order to ensure that our consumers are getting completely safe products, Nutrology conforms to the standards set by LowHeavyMetalsVerified.org. It is these standards that we apply to testing our very own protein powders, ensuring that you get to enjoy the benefits of protein powder without heavy metals.
REFERENCES
Vhahangwele Masindi, Khathutshelo L. Muedi, (2017): “Environmental Contamination by Heavy Metals”. Retrieved from https://www.intechopen.com/books/heavy-metals/environmental-contamination-by-heavy-metals
Harvard Health Publishing, (2018): “The hidden dangers of protein powders”. Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-hidden-dangers-of-protein-powders
Jesse Hirsch, (2018): “Arsenic, Lead Found in Popular Protein Supplements”. Retrieved from https://www.consumerreports.org/dietary-supplements/heavy-metals-in-protein-supplements/