Some protein powders and shakes tested by Consumer Reports contained levels of lead, a heavy metal, that experts say could raise the risk of long-term health problems.

Scientists hired by Consumer Reports, an independent non-profit based out of the U.S., tested 23 popular protein products, and found lead levels ranging from zero to 7.7 micrograms per serving — above the stringent limits set by the state of California, but below U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) standard for females of childbearing age.

There is no safe level of lead for human consumption, though it finds its way into many foods because lead is present in the environment.

  • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
    1·
    2 days ago

    Heh. Given that I’ve been a vegetarian for ~20 years, yeah, I would say I’ve looked into nutrition, with particular focus on the commonly held myths around protein, a fair bit. 😆

    We vegetarians are asked about this apparently scarce macronutrient so often that we laugh and repeat the “but where do you get your protein?!” phrase when we are with each other. That’s because we’ve all heard it countless times when someone learns we are vegetarian. I cannot tell you how many people in my life that are still convinced that I’ll waste away, I will be weak, I will lose muscle mass, have anemia, fatigue, etc…despite all the years of empirical evidence I have by living it and by the literature I could point them at. That’s how predominant the myths about protein are. I don’t ever offer up that I’m vegetarian IRL for a whole host of reasons, but not walking people through the protein thing is definitely one of those reasons.

    If people feel the need to supplement, they now have multiple ways to do it without eating any whole foods, including ice cream, chips and drinks from Starbucks. If people want to believe marketers over the science, it’s understandable since the marketing is everywhere, while the science is something you usually have to seek out. The science says that most people, including athletes, do not need to supplement. In the cases of actual extreme athletes or people age 65+, etc., some probably actually do measure and get empirical evidence of needing to up their intake or not, because it’s probably good to know if they are just literally pissing away money and/or causing unwanted issues. I bet most people never measure, though.

    Lastly, I don’t think anyone was suggesting getting nutritional advice from Black. He’s just skewering the people taking nutritional advice from marketers such as those at Frito-Lay and from influencers.

    • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
      1·
      2 days ago

      Whether or not someone needs to supplement depends entirely on their diet and what food options are available to them. My target is 70-80g/day on ~1800 calories, if I go much below that it adds days to my recovery from working out. If I’m restricted to fast food meals and pre-packaged shit that I can take with me on the go that day it can be hard to get there, I have to supplement it 2-3 times a week, especially if I’m cutting and need to keep my calories extra low as well. Obviously if I could meal plan properly and eat only whole foods this would be easier but due to my living situation my choices are limited. It’s not about marketing.

      • CharlesDarwin@lemmy.worldEnglish
        1·
        2 days ago

        As I said elsewhere on the thread, YMMV. My comments are not about you specifically, since there is no way to know what a specific person’s needs are w/o knowing more. Of course it is going to vary person to person based on weight, age, genetics and lifestyle.

        My comments are more about the aggregate population and this culture that everyone is in ever-present danger of being deficient in protein. They aren’t. Most people are probably taking in too much protein, in fact. But the marketing has now reached this fever pitch where people actually feel they are going to be healthy by eating ice cream and chips fortified with protein.

        I found it hilarious enough in the 90s when “protein bars” - many of which are little different from candy bars if you take a closer look - started to get marketed to a certain class of people that considered themselves in need of these things if they even sometimes set foot in an REI. I’ve been on very short, low-impact hikes with people where they felt they had to stop and munch on these things. Or when they got back to the car as a “post workout”, LOL. I’m almost enough of a smartass that I’ve thought about throwing a Snickers in my bag and busting that out and giving the same reasons as they do and watching the reactions. 🤣 So far I have refrained.