Muscle Milk

by Lissie Lyles |

In his book, In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan suggests, “If you’re concerned about your health, you should probably avoid products that make health claims. Why? Because a health claim on a food product is a strong indication that it is not really food and food is what you want to eat.”

Such is the case with Muscle Milk. If the hideously, unappetizing name has not been reason enough to steer clear of this “Protein Drink,” a closer look at the ingredient list makes a very strong case for avoiding this food product all together.

Marketed as a high protein energy beverage for body builders and gym rats, muscle milk is popular among kids and teens, even pregnant women. The product’s maker, CytoSport, claims that their product “promotes recovery from exercise, lean muscle growth and healthy, sustained energy,” as stated on their website. At first glance, one might believe that this product is in fact healthy. After all, it is filled with synthetic B vitamins, vitamin D, Biotin and several minerals that we are often told are essential for strong muscles and tissue. Great for growing bodies right?

Actually, out of the 41 listed ingredients (possibly more, since some of the ingredients are rather vague, for example “natural and artificial flavors”) six are potentially hazardous, even down right toxic.

6 reasons to rethink muscle milk:

Crystalline Fructose: A heavily processed dehydrated form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), this simple starch is a cheap sugar alternative. Many doctors suggest that HFCS consumption is related to coronary artery disease, increased obesity, liver disease and diabetes.

Potassium Chloride (KCI): This chemical compound is a metal halide salt composed of Potassium and Chlorine. Besides being found in food products, KCI is also used in agricultural fertilizers, medications and is one-third of the ingredients used in judicial execution through lethal injection. KCI is toxic in excess. High doses can cause cardiac arrest and rapid death. That’s probably why it’s the third and final drug administered in the lethal injection process.

Acesulfame Potassium (K): 180-200 times sweeter than sugar, it is often blended with other artificial sweeteners. The use of several different sugar substitutes together helps to mask the bitter aftertastes that they would otherwise have individually. Lab tests on rats suggest that the ingredient may be carcinogenic, and inhibits insulin production. The US FDA has yet to recognize these claims.

Cholecalciferol: A form of vitamin D that is added to fortify foods; it is extracted from the lanolin in sheep’s wool. Poisonous at high doses, this is a common ingredient used in bait designed to kill pests. New Zealand uses Cholecalciferol in a gel that kills possums. It is also quite dangerous for domestic pets. Cholecalciferol overdose results in the systemic calcification of soft tissue, leading to kidney failure, cardiac abnormalities, hypertension, CNS depression and GI upset.

Chromium (III) Chloride: Although considered less poisonous than hexavalent chromium, chromium salts are generally considered toxic.

Potassium Iodine (KI): An inorganic compound, in the form of white salt. There have been reports of orally doses of SSKI causing swelling of the parotid gland (a gland that secretes saliva). Other side effects from KI include acne, loss of appetite or stomach problems, vomiting, skin rashes, irregular heartbeat and numbness and tingling of the hands and feet.

If the above information did not surprise you, the July 2010 issue of Consumer Reports reveals more troubling information. An independent laboratory test of 15 protein drinks, including ready-to-drink formulas and powders meant to be mixed with milk or water, were tested for contaminants, including arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury. The products were tested in volumes of three servings each, which provide between 27-180 grams of protein. Muscle Milk was one of three products found to be of special concern. Muscle Milk powders, at three servings, were found to contain all four metals, three of which were found at levels that were among the highest of all the tested products. Muscle Milk, vanilla creme, ready to drink formula had high traces of lead and arsenic, well above the daily limit. Cadmium is especially dangerous because it accumulates in, and damages the kidneys, which is an organ that is already susceptible to damage, as a result of excessive protein consumption. It can take the body 20 years to eliminate even half of the cadmium absorbed today.

The abovementioned Muscle Milk products do not specify a maximum daily intake that is safe for consumers. The CytoSport website recommends that consumers should have one ready- to-drink shake before working out, and a second one afterwards. Greg Pickett, founder of CytoSport, argues that ‘’It would be uncommon, if not impossible, not to detect the trace amounts reportedly found in any agricultural product, such as dairy products.” On their website, CytoSport notes that both products were analyzed by NSF international, an independent organization that sets product standards, and were found to pass. According to government surveys, most Americans surpass the recommended daily protein intake already, without the assistance of protein drinks. Conclusion: stick to regular milk.

References:

1. Balch, Phyllis A., CNC and James F. Balch, M.D., Prescriptions for Natural Healing, Third Edition, Penguin Putnam, New York, 2000
2. Wikipedia.org
3. Doheny, Kathleen, WebMD Health News, Reviewed by Dr. Laura J. Martin, MD, June, 2010, www.webmd.com
4. www.consumerreports.com
5. Pollan, Michael, In Defense of Food, an Eater’s Manifesto, Penguin Press, New York, 2008