It sounds like the contamination is coming from crops, and the ultra processed nature of it. They were testing for pea protein. But another Consumer Lab report recently called out cassava and a...
It sounds like the contamination is coming from crops, and the ultra processed nature of it. They were testing for pea protein. But another Consumer Lab report recently called out cassava and a bunch of other ingredients.
I honestly really hate the whole protein fad. Yes, you need to eat protein to build muscles. But the amount of people who are suffering from insufficient protein intake are vanishingly small in...
I honestly really hate the whole protein fad. Yes, you need to eat protein to build muscles. But the amount of people who are suffering from insufficient protein intake are vanishingly small in the rich countries that are going protein-crazy. Especially in the US where large swaths of people demand meat for practically every meal.
Generally speaking, a healthy person should not be taking protein supplements at all. Protein is a nutrient, and you should be getting all of the nutrients you need from your food. If you are protein-deficient, it's because you aren't eating a balanced diet, and that's something that our collective societies really need to spend more effort into combating because imbalanced diet is a cause of major public health issues.
This issue with heavy metals in protein supplements is also another aspect in the discussions on ultraprocessed food. The first thing I thought about when I saw the headline was that section in "Salt Sugar Fat" by Michael Moss where he tried cornflakes made without salt, and how it tasted metallic; it was apparently the reason why they have salt in them - to mask that taste.
But to be fair, it might not be the processing and machinery causing this issue; the fact that it mostly affects plant sources implies that it's a problem with the crops being used to make them. Frankly, I find that to be a much worse scenario, because that means that the farms meant to be feeding us are poisoning us instead.
If you're actually working out actively, it's not a matter of "sufficient or not". It's a sliding scale. We have double blind studies showing that muscle growth and protein intake is causated. Of...
If you're actually working out actively, it's not a matter of "sufficient or not". It's a sliding scale. We have double blind studies showing that muscle growth and protein intake is causated. Of course, there is diminishing returns, but many studies have shown that it's quite shockingly high - upwards of 1g per lb of bodyweight.
It is, in the end, quite difficult to eat that much protein from whole foods. If you're, say, a 180 lb athlete, you're supposed to intake anywhere from 100-180g of protein a day to maintain your muscle mass.
I would also counter the idea that whey powder, which is vast majority of protein powder consumed today, is in some way fundamentally different, and should be considered a "supplement" as opposed to simply a type of food. It's really no more processed than, say, white flour. It is merely the solids from whey leftover from after the curds are removed when making cheese. Everyone consumes whey when they drink milk.
We've use reusing whey leftover from cheese production for thousands of years, for both human use and animal feed, for essentially the same reason - extra fortification of nutrients. Make use of all the animal, and all. Whey protein just has the water removed for easier transport.
You are right that it's a sliding scale, but as I was saying in another comment, professional athletes are an outlier and the average person should not be basing their diet on a lifestyle they do...
You are right that it's a sliding scale, but as I was saying in another comment, professional athletes are an outlier and the average person should not be basing their diet on a lifestyle they do not actually live. I have heard that there have been recent studies that have shown a correlation of high protein intake to lower lifespans, even - though to be fair, they hardly represent scientific consensus.
I'm not trying to vilify whey. I think it's gross, and like all animal-based food people shouldn't be eating it, but it's not entirely based on processing. Still it's very hard to consider it to be food. It's fairly rare to purchase unflavored unsweetened plain whey, even for bodybuilders in my experience, though the recent protein explosion is seeing more people using it as a component to their cooking. But heck, in your next paragraph you basically described it as a supplement.
You don't need to be a professional athlete, just anyone who wants to build muscle, whether that be for it's own sake, to play a sport, or to do difficult hikes or whatever. Athlete is a fairly...
You don't need to be a professional athlete, just anyone who wants to build muscle, whether that be for it's own sake, to play a sport, or to do difficult hikes or whatever. Athlete is a fairly broad category.
Still it's very hard to consider it to be food.
Why so? There's plenty of food that can be considered "gross". The part I want to push back against is the idea that whey protein is some kind of synthetic material or something. It's just part of milk. In the same way that white flour is a flour that is nearly only simple carbohydrates, whey powder is a flour that is nearly only protein.
You probably wouldn't consider adding flour to a stew to be a "supplement". Adding protein in the same way is no different. It's a pretty normal and healthy thing to do, is the point.
In the end, eating protein powder is safe. Whey protein in particular, which the article above notes as not being the culprit of heavy metal poisoning. It's mostly the vegetarians being screwed, there.
I'm not trying to say that protein supplements are unsafe, merely that they are unnecessary and eating whole foods is vastly more preferable for various reasons. I have to say, though, the more...
I'm not trying to say that protein supplements are unsafe, merely that they are unnecessary and eating whole foods is vastly more preferable for various reasons.
I have to say, though, the more you use this flour metaphor the less I agree with you about it. You don't add flour to soup to increase it's nutrition, you do it to alter the texture. White flour is also not great for your health precisely because of the imbalanced nutrients. It's actually funny because protein is one of the areas where I think a degree of refinement is useful; I eat tofu pretty regularly.
You're speaking in absolutes, and what you're saying is simply not true for everyone. I'm not a "professional athlete" but I do lift weights 4x a week, and to get the protein I require for optimal...
I'm not trying to say that protein supplements are unsafe, merely that they are unnecessary
You're speaking in absolutes, and what you're saying is simply not true for everyone. I'm not a "professional athlete" but I do lift weights 4x a week, and to get the protein I require for optimal muscle growth (which many studies have shown to be 0.8-1g of protein per lbs of body weight per day) purely from eating whole foods would be exceedingly difficult to the point of being unfeasible.
I still get the majority of my protein from whole foods (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, lean meats, eggs, etc). However, by including a protein shake every day, and the occasional protein bar, it gives me a lot more leeway so I don't need to obsess about getting 40+g of protein in every single meal I eat.
What absolutes am I talking in? I am speaking generally. I also work out four times a week generally, and I do not take any protein supplements. There is no need to strive for optimum nutrition....
What absolutes am I talking in? I am speaking generally.
I also work out four times a week generally, and I do not take any protein supplements. There is no need to strive for optimum nutrition. You don’t need to obsess over anything. The human body is pretty flexible when it comes to what you eat.
You're speaking in generalities but also seemingly ignoring huge segments of the population that can actually greatly benefit from increased protein intake through supplementation. And that...
You're speaking in generalities but also seemingly ignoring huge segments of the population that can actually greatly benefit from increased protein intake through supplementation. And that doesn't just mean professional athletes or bodybuilders either. Basically anyone who lifts weights, and even elderly people can benefit from eating more protein since it helps them build and maintain their muscle mass... and moreover, higher muscle mass is a significant predictor for longevity.
There is no need to strive for optimum nutrition.
Why not? Thanks to protein powder and bars, it's been relatively easy to make sure I get consistent optimal protein intake every day. And not doing that undermines all the effort I've been putting in to growing my muscles. Even if it's only 10% less muscle growth, that adds up to a significant amount of wasted effort over time.
Have I made you upset? I honestly kind of feel like I’m being baited into an argument here. I don’t think anything I said was particularly controversial other than my personal opinions on dairy.
Have I made you upset? I honestly kind of feel like I’m being baited into an argument here. I don’t think anything I said was particularly controversial other than my personal opinions on dairy.
Opening the thread by calling protein supplements a "fad", saying "a healthy person should not be taking protein supplements at all", and only acknowledging benefits to protein deficient people or...
Opening the thread by calling protein supplements a "fad", saying "a healthy person should not be taking protein supplements at all", and only acknowledging benefits to protein deficient people or professional athletes are fairly controversial and absolute. Dismissing a desire to maximize nutrition to get the most out of workouts as unnecessary is a little insulting to anyone who cares about that.
Out of curiosity, what is this optimal muscle growth needed for? Like, outside of lifting weights, are you unable to live life in the way you want if you don't attain optimal muscle growth - or is...
to get the protein I require for optimal muscle growth (which many studies have shown to be 0.8-1g of protein per lbs of body weight per day)
Out of curiosity, what is this optimal muscle growth needed for? Like, outside of lifting weights, are you unable to live life in the way you want if you don't attain optimal muscle growth - or is the optimising mostly serving the weightlifting hobby?
I totally get where you're coming from, and for a layperson maintaining the same weight, you're spot on. However, for athletes, people trying to gain (or, especially, lose weight), and some other...
I totally get where you're coming from, and for a layperson maintaining the same weight, you're spot on. However, for athletes, people trying to gain (or, especially, lose weight), and some other categories like vegetarians and the elderly, protein supplementation ranges from "really helpful" to "basically mandatory." If you're interested we can discuss specific recommendations for each group and why, but I don't want to lecture you if you know (or don't care).
Yeah, as someone who really struggles to put on weight, if I don't load my body with protein pre- and post-workout, I literally cannot build strength. Dietary protein is of course superior, and...
Yeah, as someone who really struggles to put on weight, if I don't load my body with protein pre- and post-workout, I literally cannot build strength.
Dietary protein is of course superior, and these supplements are a great example of why that's a reliable heuristic. However, if I had to rely on whole foods for protein, my only options for protein-dense, non-filling foods would be...sardines and tofu? Honestly struggling to come up with alternatives that I could scarf down in a couple minutes and wouldn't interfere with my range of motion.
As it stands, I use whey protein. If that's somehow worse for me than yogurt, I could switch to making yogurt smoothies. But at that point, what's the dang difference except the aesthetic?
Yup. My ADHD meds killed my appetite so it's a big struggle to eat enough to even maintain my weight, let alone get my muscle back. Protein powder and shakes are something I try to hold on to what...
Yup. My ADHD meds killed my appetite so it's a big struggle to eat enough to even maintain my weight, let alone get my muscle back. Protein powder and shakes are something I try to hold on to what I've got left
I do know that there are categories of people who should be consuming more protein than the average baseline, but supplementing should be a last resort. The first thing you should do if you really...
I do know that there are categories of people who should be consuming more protein than the average baseline, but supplementing should be a last resort. The first thing you should do if you really need to increase protein is to increase the amount of protein you get from your food. There are many sources of protein to pick from.
But frankly I think that bringing up athletes in this kind of topic is something of a cop-out. There are very few professional atheletes on the planet compared to the rest of the world.
Apologies for not being clear -- I don't mean professional athletes, I mean anybody who exercises 3x/week or more with any sort of goals, progression, etc.
Apologies for not being clear -- I don't mean professional athletes, I mean anybody who exercises 3x/week or more with any sort of goals, progression, etc.
In my experience, a 120g protein/day diet with an extra protein shake a day usually ends up being much more balanced than trying to get 140g of protein a day from normal food
If you are protein-deficient, it's because you aren't eating a balanced diet
In my experience, a 120g protein/day diet with an extra protein shake a day usually ends up being much more balanced than trying to get 140g of protein a day from normal food
I haven't read this book (yet), so maybe he talks about it, but my first thought on hearing this is that most cereals in North America are fortified with vitamins and minerals - including iron -...
The first thing I thought about when I saw the headline was that section in "Salt Sugar Fat" by Michael Moss where he tried cornflakes made without salt, and how it tasted metallic; it was apparently the reason why they have salt in them - to mask that taste
I haven't read this book (yet), so maybe he talks about it, but my first thought on hearing this is that most cereals in North America are fortified with vitamins and minerals - including iron - which is likely a big contributor to the metallic taste.
I would be interested to see if a non-fortified, salt-free cornflake would still taste metallic.
European here. Food Laws are much stricter, thus nearly all Cornflakes you can buy are without added Vitamins/Micronutrients. I have never in my life experienced a metallic Cornflake, be it...
I would be interested to see if a non-fortified, salt-free cornflake would still taste metallic.
European here. Food Laws are much stricter, thus nearly all Cornflakes you can buy are without added Vitamins/Micronutrients. I have never in my life experienced a metallic Cornflake, be it sweetend, in Mueslis or plain old flakes without anything added. Feel free to ask more questions :-)
This is likely because most breakfast cereals (and many flour-based products) are fortified with elemental iron (literally, food grade iron filings). Run a few pounds of any generic baking flour...
he tried cornflakes made without salt, and how it tasted metallic;
This is likely because most breakfast cereals (and many flour-based products) are fortified with elemental iron (literally, food grade iron filings). Run a few pounds of any generic baking flour across a rare earth magnet and you see it accumulate; a cornflake floating in water will behave kind of like a weak compass needle. If they weren't fortified like that they probably wouldn't taste metallic. You'd still need some sodium for balancing the taste/flavor, but it likely wouldn't need near as much.
Just so you know, the "safe level" used here is California's Proposition 65 MADL levels, which are defined as 1/1000th of the level at which there are any observable reproductive or developmental...
Just so you know, the "safe level" used here is California's Proposition 65 MADL levels, which are defined as 1/1000th of the level at which there are any observable reproductive or developmental health effects. Those are known to be extremely cautious guidelines leading to many random products having cancer warning labels in California.
The CR article explains this, and shows how it's still an issue even by FDA's much less strict reference levels (and of course, there are no safe levels of lead exposure), but I just want to point out that while this is bad, "200% of safe daily level" sounds much scarier than it actually is.
Consumer Reports does have a bit of a history exaggerating the danger levels of toxic chemicals found in stuff
(I mostly wrote this for myself to save myself from a hypochondriac anxiety attack though)
I recommend looking at the article to see their charts of which brands are safer or less safe
Protein supplements are wildly popular, but CR’s tests of 23 products found that more than two-thirds of them contain more lead in a single serving than our experts say is safe to have in a day
I recommend looking at the article to see their charts of which brands are safer or less safe
Yep, for example Dymatize (the brand I use) is safe for up to 4 servings per day. I tend to use a serving a couple times a week so it's really not a big concern at all.
Yep, for example Dymatize (the brand I use) is safe for up to 4 servings per day. I tend to use a serving a couple times a week so it's really not a big concern at all.
I feel like this article is slightly misleading. They've sampled pea protein powders exclusively, but the lack of specificity and number of products tested implies that they've covered the protein...
I feel like this article is slightly misleading. They've sampled pea protein powders exclusively, but the lack of specificity and number of products tested implies that they've covered the protein powder market more generally.
This is a huge deal, and I hope people are able to hear this news and stop poisoning themselves ASAP. I just wish they'd specified the form of protein before the last third of the page, or tested other forms on the market as well.
Yeah, reminds me of the reports of contaminants in dog food last year. It's a shame, peas should be an excellent "filler" for pet food. We really need to do better about heavy metals in agriculture.
Yeah, reminds me of the reports of contaminants in dog food last year. It's a shame, peas should be an excellent "filler" for pet food. We really need to do better about heavy metals in agriculture.
I don't think this is true. They say "All the plant-based powders CR tested relied on pea protein as a main ingredient." But they also tested many non-plant-based powders.
They've sampled pea protein powders exclusively
I don't think this is true. They say "All the plant-based powders CR tested relied on pea protein as a main ingredient." But they also tested many non-plant-based powders.
You're right. They explicitly state it: And later compare:
You're right. They explicitly state it:
For our tests, CR selected a range of bestselling dairy, beef, and plant-based protein supplements, including protein powders and ready-to-drink protein shakes.
And later compare:
The lead levels in plant-based products were, on average, nine times the amount found in those made with dairy proteins like whey, and twice as great as beef-based ones. Dairy-based protein powders and shakes generally had the lowest amounts of lead, but half of the products we tested still had high enough levels of contamination that CR’s experts advise against daily use.
While not a protein powder, it would be interesting to see if this trend extends to food-replacement products such as yfood- I've been working through a few bags of the powder as a way to increase...
While not a protein powder, it would be interesting to see if this trend extends to food-replacement products such as yfood- I've been working through a few bags of the powder as a way to increase my food intake over the one-ish meals a day that has become a potentially unhealthy habit.
I suspect it unfortunately would given that they already tested Huel Black Edition, which is marketed as a "high-protein complete meal", and it had the second highest concentration of lead...
it would be interesting to see if this trend extends to food-replacement products such as yfood
I suspect it unfortunately would given that they already tested Huel Black Edition, which is marketed as a "high-protein complete meal", and it had the second highest concentration of lead (6mcg/serving) out of all the products they tested.
Thank you for sharing. I did feel like the seemingly infinite brands and drop shipping inclusion must have somehow made the quality suffer in general. I didn’t find and of the brands I use there,...
Thank you for sharing. I did feel like the seemingly infinite brands and drop shipping inclusion must have somehow made the quality suffer in general. I didn’t find and of the brands I use there, however, I literally just purchased some Huel meals (not the one listed) because I’m going to be on the road a lot and I wanted some easy meals on the road. I hope huel will do some serious checking up and warn us, because right now I’m not really sure if I should replan my whole food plan.
If this is your first time with Huel, please be aware that it can cause some people to have bowel experiences... not compatible... with being out on the road. Some adjust after a a bit of time,...
If this is your first time with Huel, please be aware that it can cause some people to have bowel experiences... not compatible... with being out on the road. Some adjust after a a bit of time, some have better luck with certain flavors (slightly different artificial sweeteners or amounts, etc.), and some unfortunate souls remain frequently explosive as long as they continue.
omg that's such a good warning :D Do you think that happens to the hot&savory one too? That ones more like an actual meal... I was planning on having one of those drink meals just before my...
omg that's such a good warning :D Do you think that happens to the hot&savory one too? That ones more like an actual meal...
I was planning on having one of those drink meals just before my flight, but now I am reconsidering that plan
Sorry my friend only has experience with the classic powders. Are you looking for something you can bring with you to the airport (or even on the plane), or something you can slam down on the way...
Sorry I my friend only has experience with the classic powders. Are you looking for something you can bring with you to the airport (or even on the plane), or something you can slam down on the way out the door?
I have both - I will go on a 2 week trip around namibia and wanted some easy food that is nutritious enough and vegan. And I have one ready to drink meal that I would have drunk maybe at the airport
I have both - I will go on a 2 week trip around namibia and wanted some easy food that is nutritious enough and vegan. And I have one ready to drink meal that I would have drunk maybe at the airport
It sounds like the contamination is coming from crops, and the ultra processed nature of it. They were testing for pea protein. But another Consumer Lab report recently called out cassava and a bunch of other ingredients.
Basically I'll just assume nothing's safe. -..-
Looks like I lucked out with my optimum nutrition gold standard.
Looks like I lucked out yet again by not pursuing personal health.
Dr. Zoidberg: Once again, the conservative, sandwich-heavy portfolio pays off for the hungry investor.
I honestly really hate the whole protein fad. Yes, you need to eat protein to build muscles. But the amount of people who are suffering from insufficient protein intake are vanishingly small in the rich countries that are going protein-crazy. Especially in the US where large swaths of people demand meat for practically every meal.
Generally speaking, a healthy person should not be taking protein supplements at all. Protein is a nutrient, and you should be getting all of the nutrients you need from your food. If you are protein-deficient, it's because you aren't eating a balanced diet, and that's something that our collective societies really need to spend more effort into combating because imbalanced diet is a cause of major public health issues.
This issue with heavy metals in protein supplements is also another aspect in the discussions on ultraprocessed food. The first thing I thought about when I saw the headline was that section in "Salt Sugar Fat" by Michael Moss where he tried cornflakes made without salt, and how it tasted metallic; it was apparently the reason why they have salt in them - to mask that taste.
But to be fair, it might not be the processing and machinery causing this issue; the fact that it mostly affects plant sources implies that it's a problem with the crops being used to make them. Frankly, I find that to be a much worse scenario, because that means that the farms meant to be feeding us are poisoning us instead.
If you're actually working out actively, it's not a matter of "sufficient or not". It's a sliding scale. We have double blind studies showing that muscle growth and protein intake is causated. Of course, there is diminishing returns, but many studies have shown that it's quite shockingly high - upwards of 1g per lb of bodyweight.
It is, in the end, quite difficult to eat that much protein from whole foods. If you're, say, a 180 lb athlete, you're supposed to intake anywhere from 100-180g of protein a day to maintain your muscle mass.
I would also counter the idea that whey powder, which is vast majority of protein powder consumed today, is in some way fundamentally different, and should be considered a "supplement" as opposed to simply a type of food. It's really no more processed than, say, white flour. It is merely the solids from whey leftover from after the curds are removed when making cheese. Everyone consumes whey when they drink milk.
We've use reusing whey leftover from cheese production for thousands of years, for both human use and animal feed, for essentially the same reason - extra fortification of nutrients. Make use of all the animal, and all. Whey protein just has the water removed for easier transport.
You are right that it's a sliding scale, but as I was saying in another comment, professional athletes are an outlier and the average person should not be basing their diet on a lifestyle they do not actually live. I have heard that there have been recent studies that have shown a correlation of high protein intake to lower lifespans, even - though to be fair, they hardly represent scientific consensus.
I'm not trying to vilify whey. I think it's gross, and like all animal-based food people shouldn't be eating it, but it's not entirely based on processing. Still it's very hard to consider it to be food. It's fairly rare to purchase unflavored unsweetened plain whey, even for bodybuilders in my experience, though the recent protein explosion is seeing more people using it as a component to their cooking. But heck, in your next paragraph you basically described it as a supplement.
You don't need to be a professional athlete, just anyone who wants to build muscle, whether that be for it's own sake, to play a sport, or to do difficult hikes or whatever. Athlete is a fairly broad category.
Why so? There's plenty of food that can be considered "gross". The part I want to push back against is the idea that whey protein is some kind of synthetic material or something. It's just part of milk. In the same way that white flour is a flour that is nearly only simple carbohydrates, whey powder is a flour that is nearly only protein.
You probably wouldn't consider adding flour to a stew to be a "supplement". Adding protein in the same way is no different. It's a pretty normal and healthy thing to do, is the point.
In the end, eating protein powder is safe. Whey protein in particular, which the article above notes as not being the culprit of heavy metal poisoning. It's mostly the vegetarians being screwed, there.
I'm not trying to say that protein supplements are unsafe, merely that they are unnecessary and eating whole foods is vastly more preferable for various reasons.
I have to say, though, the more you use this flour metaphor the less I agree with you about it. You don't add flour to soup to increase it's nutrition, you do it to alter the texture. White flour is also not great for your health precisely because of the imbalanced nutrients. It's actually funny because protein is one of the areas where I think a degree of refinement is useful; I eat tofu pretty regularly.
You're speaking in absolutes, and what you're saying is simply not true for everyone. I'm not a "professional athlete" but I do lift weights 4x a week, and to get the protein I require for optimal muscle growth (which many studies have shown to be 0.8-1g of protein per lbs of body weight per day) purely from eating whole foods would be exceedingly difficult to the point of being unfeasible.
I still get the majority of my protein from whole foods (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, lean meats, eggs, etc). However, by including a protein shake every day, and the occasional protein bar, it gives me a lot more leeway so I don't need to obsess about getting 40+g of protein in every single meal I eat.
What absolutes am I talking in? I am speaking generally.
I also work out four times a week generally, and I do not take any protein supplements. There is no need to strive for optimum nutrition. You don’t need to obsess over anything. The human body is pretty flexible when it comes to what you eat.
You're speaking in generalities but also seemingly ignoring huge segments of the population that can actually greatly benefit from increased protein intake through supplementation. And that doesn't just mean professional athletes or bodybuilders either. Basically anyone who lifts weights, and even elderly people can benefit from eating more protein since it helps them build and maintain their muscle mass... and moreover, higher muscle mass is a significant predictor for longevity.
Why not? Thanks to protein powder and bars, it's been relatively easy to make sure I get consistent optimal protein intake every day. And not doing that undermines all the effort I've been putting in to growing my muscles. Even if it's only 10% less muscle growth, that adds up to a significant amount of wasted effort over time.
Have I made you upset? I honestly kind of feel like I’m being baited into an argument here. I don’t think anything I said was particularly controversial other than my personal opinions on dairy.
Opening the thread by calling protein supplements a "fad", saying "a healthy person should not be taking protein supplements at all", and only acknowledging benefits to protein deficient people or professional athletes are fairly controversial and absolute. Dismissing a desire to maximize nutrition to get the most out of workouts as unnecessary is a little insulting to anyone who cares about that.
Out of curiosity, what is this optimal muscle growth needed for? Like, outside of lifting weights, are you unable to live life in the way you want if you don't attain optimal muscle growth - or is the optimising mostly serving the weightlifting hobby?
I don’t think this applies to people that are weight training. And I’m mostly vegetarian, so supplementing protein a few times per week helps.
I totally get where you're coming from, and for a layperson maintaining the same weight, you're spot on. However, for athletes, people trying to gain (or, especially, lose weight), and some other categories like vegetarians and the elderly, protein supplementation ranges from "really helpful" to "basically mandatory." If you're interested we can discuss specific recommendations for each group and why, but I don't want to lecture you if you know (or don't care).
Yeah, as someone who really struggles to put on weight, if I don't load my body with protein pre- and post-workout, I literally cannot build strength.
Dietary protein is of course superior, and these supplements are a great example of why that's a reliable heuristic. However, if I had to rely on whole foods for protein, my only options for protein-dense, non-filling foods would be...sardines and tofu? Honestly struggling to come up with alternatives that I could scarf down in a couple minutes and wouldn't interfere with my range of motion.
As it stands, I use whey protein. If that's somehow worse for me than yogurt, I could switch to making yogurt smoothies. But at that point, what's the dang difference except the aesthetic?
Yup. My ADHD meds killed my appetite so it's a big struggle to eat enough to even maintain my weight, let alone get my muscle back. Protein powder and shakes are something I try to hold on to what I've got left
I do know that there are categories of people who should be consuming more protein than the average baseline, but supplementing should be a last resort. The first thing you should do if you really need to increase protein is to increase the amount of protein you get from your food. There are many sources of protein to pick from.
But frankly I think that bringing up athletes in this kind of topic is something of a cop-out. There are very few professional atheletes on the planet compared to the rest of the world.
Apologies for not being clear -- I don't mean professional athletes, I mean anybody who exercises 3x/week or more with any sort of goals, progression, etc.
In my experience, a 120g protein/day diet with an extra protein shake a day usually ends up being much more balanced than trying to get 140g of protein a day from normal food
I haven't read this book (yet), so maybe he talks about it, but my first thought on hearing this is that most cereals in North America are fortified with vitamins and minerals - including iron - which is likely a big contributor to the metallic taste.
I would be interested to see if a non-fortified, salt-free cornflake would still taste metallic.
That's an excellent point. I'd be interested as well if you ever find out.
European here. Food Laws are much stricter, thus nearly all Cornflakes you can buy are without added Vitamins/Micronutrients. I have never in my life experienced a metallic Cornflake, be it sweetend, in Mueslis or plain old flakes without anything added. Feel free to ask more questions :-)
This is likely because most breakfast cereals (and many flour-based products) are fortified with elemental iron (literally, food grade iron filings). Run a few pounds of any generic baking flour across a rare earth magnet and you see it accumulate; a cornflake floating in water will behave kind of like a weak compass needle. If they weren't fortified like that they probably wouldn't taste metallic. You'd still need some sodium for balancing the taste/flavor, but it likely wouldn't need near as much.
Just so you know, the "safe level" used here is California's Proposition 65 MADL levels, which are defined as 1/1000th of the level at which there are any observable reproductive or developmental health effects. Those are known to be extremely cautious guidelines leading to many random products having cancer warning labels in California.
The CR article explains this, and shows how it's still an issue even by FDA's much less strict reference levels (and of course, there are no safe levels of lead exposure), but I just want to point out that while this is bad, "200% of safe daily level" sounds much scarier than it actually is.
Consumer Reports does have a bit of a history exaggerating the danger levels of toxic chemicals found in stuff
(I mostly wrote this for myself to save myself from a hypochondriac anxiety attack though)
I recommend looking at the article to see their charts of which brands are safer or less safe
Yep, for example Dymatize (the brand I use) is safe for up to 4 servings per day. I tend to use a serving a couple times a week so it's really not a big concern at all.
I feel like this article is slightly misleading. They've sampled pea protein powders exclusively, but the lack of specificity and number of products tested implies that they've covered the protein powder market more generally.
This is a huge deal, and I hope people are able to hear this news and stop poisoning themselves ASAP. I just wish they'd specified the form of protein before the last third of the page, or tested other forms on the market as well.
I edited to headline to be more specific... since I agree that it was pretty misleading as written.
What worries me is Ive seen pea protein as an ingredient in cat food recently
Yeah, reminds me of the reports of contaminants in dog food last year. It's a shame, peas should be an excellent "filler" for pet food. We really need to do better about heavy metals in agriculture.
I don't think this is true. They say "All the plant-based powders CR tested relied on pea protein as a main ingredient." But they also tested many non-plant-based powders.
You're right. They explicitly state it:
And later compare:
While not a protein powder, it would be interesting to see if this trend extends to food-replacement products such as yfood- I've been working through a few bags of the powder as a way to increase my food intake over the one-ish meals a day that has become a potentially unhealthy habit.
I suspect it unfortunately would given that they already tested Huel Black Edition, which is marketed as a "high-protein complete meal", and it had the second highest concentration of lead (6mcg/serving) out of all the products they tested.
Thank you for sharing. I did feel like the seemingly infinite brands and drop shipping inclusion must have somehow made the quality suffer in general. I didn’t find and of the brands I use there, however, I literally just purchased some Huel meals (not the one listed) because I’m going to be on the road a lot and I wanted some easy meals on the road. I hope huel will do some serious checking up and warn us, because right now I’m not really sure if I should replan my whole food plan.
If this is your first time with Huel, please be aware that it can cause some people to have bowel experiences... not compatible... with being out on the road. Some adjust after a a bit of time, some have better luck with certain flavors (slightly different artificial sweeteners or amounts, etc.), and some unfortunate souls remain frequently explosive as long as they continue.
omg that's such a good warning :D Do you think that happens to the hot&savory one too? That ones more like an actual meal...
I was planning on having one of those drink meals just before my flight, but now I am reconsidering that plan
Sorry
Imy friend only has experience with the classic powders. Are you looking for something you can bring with you to the airport (or even on the plane), or something you can slam down on the way out the door?I have both - I will go on a 2 week trip around namibia and wanted some easy food that is nutritious enough and vegan. And I have one ready to drink meal that I would have drunk maybe at the airport