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.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone make that claim. I sure hope no one is out there making that claim. I surely am not. I’m talking about the way it gets treated in society as if it’s somehow “healthy” to be eating massive amounts of protein, especially animal protein. Just pay attention to how it’s marketed for everyday foods, including at restaurants.
And yes, in some cases, there are people that may need more protein if they are trying to build/maintain muscle mass. I’ve seen the documentary w/ Patrik in it. This is hardly typical kinds of intake, though, and I’d wager a lot of people that are eating lots of protein are just overworking their kidneys and pissing most of it out a few hours later. Even athletes.
If I had the ability, I’d actually be curious to measure my own intake vs. waste, much like the author of that Bowflex book I mentioned. This guy was also a body builder…
Most people these days are terribly out of shape, overweight/obese, and have way too much body fat and way too little muscle mass. People eat way too much fat and carbs and way too little protein. They also don’t move nearly enough, of course, so eating protein without doing the work is not going to help.
Since I’ve started lifting weights and trying to build muscle and lose weight, I’ve begun to realize how difficult it is to get enough protein to do that without spending a lot of money on meat or eating a bunch of legumes (and feeling awful all day the next day).
Forget 410 grams per day. It’s hard enough to get 100 grams per day without supplementing.
Eh, YMMV. I went vegetarian many, many years ago and stuck with it because I feel fantastic on it. It was like night and day, and just prior I had already cut red meat and pork to nearly zero, but was still eating things like seafood and poultry. I still felt very low-energy as an omnivore even when trying to really watch everything I ate.
I was also working on losing weight/keeping lean with strength training and cardio at the time. I still am. I’ve never worried about getting enough protein in that process. But I’m not trying to bulk up or anything, either. I’m shooting more for health goals, not aesthetic ones.
The over-the-top marketing of the protein myth has gotten so bad that even Lewis Black just commented on this ridiculous trend last night:
https://inv.nadeko.net/watch?v=YFJx0zFxNAk