Consumer Reports July 2010 on protein drinks

 Some important health issues on consuming too many protein drinks . They tested lots of protein drinks and the findings were that some contained  lots of heavy metals which are not good for your kidneys . 

Thanks for the heads up!!!  Do you know which protein drinks we should avoid or do you have a link tothe study?  Our community should definitely be consuming the best product!!!  I've heard there are some we should avoid because the protein quality is poor.

I always check out www.vitalady.com for protein options and then buy big with with the products I've sampled (you can buy samples there before investing big) and like a lot.  Michelle (aka vitalady) had WLS herself and has spent over 10 years researching products that are bioavailable and the best for us.  I know she's gone through her products in detail so if it's on her site then I'm pretty sure we can trust the products.

Our poor kidneys are in danger as a post-op anyway from the high protein counts most of us get in.  I started taking milk thistle a few years ago to help guard my kidneys & liver.  And...best thing yet is to make sure we are hydrated!

It's good to see a Dr. Blackstone patient posting!  We don't hear much from that group these days

Take care friend!

**  I'm currently a fan of the Nectar products from Syntrax and Champion Pure Whey Stack.  Both are whey products and the Nectars are whey isolates. ...supposedly the best protein source available to those of us who malabsorb.

 I just read this in the magazine. I am not very good on the computer and I don't have a link. You might be able to get it at www.ConsumerReports.org . The protein drinks they tested were:
BSN, Designer Whey, EAS, GNC, Jillian Michaels, Muscle Milk, Muscle Tech, Optimum, Six Star and Solgar Whey.  The max limits for them in dietary supplements proposed by U.S. Pharmacopes per day are: Arsenic(inorganic)15 micrograms. Cadmium 5 micrograms, lead 10 micrograms. 

3 servings of:

EAS had the highest levels of Arsenic 16.9 micrograms,  Cadmium 5.1 micrograms

Muscle Milk chocolate had the highest levels of Cadmium 5.6 and Lead 13.5

Muscle Milk Vanilla Creme Lead 12.2

Hope that helps.

You'd be surprised how much of those metals are in your water. I believe that's where most of them come into play in the protein drinks. They are made and then dried so the levels stay in the powders. City water systems are allowed a certain level of each chemical and you really can't get rid of them during filtration or through chemicals. Even playing in dirt (gardening) will expose you to arsenic and a host of other heavy metals. I don't know of any way to not be exposed to them even if you use filtered or bottled water. As a matter of fact, the bottled water industry is not regulated and you never know what the concentration of heavy metals it has. I guess we just have to do what we can to avoid the proteins with the heaviest concentrations. I use to do EAS and Muscle Milk but haven't done them for a long time. I also don't know how you can find out what concentrations are in the proteins you use unless they were part of the study by Consumer Reports.