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
    11·
    2 days ago

    I think it’s just marketing to people that are sort of half-tuned in, but know that protein is something your body does need. And they aren’t wrong. But unless you are eating a very bizarre or restricted diet, it’s not likely you have to count grams of protein. One of the ways you see this kind of thing slip into menus is to have someone select “a protein” as an option to be added to your meal. Typically, it’s a protein from a dead animal, thus reinforcing the false notion that “protein” = meat. It’s extra amusing when the portion already includes egg and/or cheese…and the “protein” is actually a “fat”.

    The author of The Protein Myth has a funny anecdote where he has to dig deeper into people’s proclaimed dietary habits. He asks them what they eat for breakfast, and they’ll say something like “a protein”. He digs deeper and finds out it sausage or the like. It’d be more accurate to describe that as “a fat”, if we are only thinking of foods as what macronutrient they have the most of…

    If you pay attention, you’ll notice the marketing in any case - I’m pretty sure I’ve seen it on fast casual dining boards.

    Look, I have zero problems with the notion of giving a good breakdown of what’s in your food, including protein. But it’s weird to see it as some kind of marketing gimmick, if you ask me. It’s not as if nutrition and health works like that - take one value, dial it way up, and we’re good, LOL. I bet most Americans have little to no idea how much sodium (or even sugar) they consume in a given day, but I am quite sure a few of the “bro science” types could definitely tell you how many grams of protein they ingest…