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28% of Protein Powders and Drinks Fail ConsumerLab.com's Tests of Quality
White Plains, New York, June 15, 2016 — Protein powders and drinks can help build and maintain muscle when combined with exercise and can also help with blood sugar control. However, recent ConsumerLab.com tests of popular protein powders and drinks reveal you may be getting more cholesterol or sodium than expected from these products — or consuming cadmium, a toxic heavy metal.
Among the fourteen protein products ConsumerLab.com selected for testing, two contained more cholesterol than claimed -- including one product which claimed to contain no cholesterol but actually had 16.5 mg per serving. Another product contained 181.4 mg more sodium than listed, while a fourth contained 70 mg more sodium than listed and was contaminated with cadmium. Each of these problems was confirmed in a second, independent laboratory. Ten of the products were found to contain what they claimed without contamination, as did thirteen others that passed the same testing through CL's voluntary Quality Certification Program.
The cost of an equivalent serving of protein from products approved for quality by ConsumerLab.com ranged from just 67 cents to over $5.
ConsumerLab.com tested the products to determine the accuracy of their label claims for total calories, total carbohydrates, total sugars, total protein, total fat (including a breakout of saturated fat and trans fat), sodium and cholesterol, as well as for possible contamination with lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury. Those claiming to be gluten-free were tested for gluten levels, and amounts of lactose in each product were reported to help people with lactose intolerance.
ConsumerLab.com's Protein Powders, Shakes and Drinks Review is now available online. The review summarizes the clinical evidence regarding the use of protein supplements, explains differences among protein sources (whey, soy, egg white, rice pea and hemp), explains which ingredients in protein products you may want to avoid as well as the best way to take and store protein powders and drinks, and provides cost comparisons. It includes test results and quality comparisons for 27 products, plus information about one similar to another product which passed testing. Included in the report are Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein - Chocolate, EAS 100% Whey Protein Chocolate, Genisoy Soy Protein Shake Chocolate, GNC Pro Performance 100% Whey Protein, GNC Total Lean, Lean Shake 25 Rich Chocolate, Hammer Nutrition Hammer Vegan Chocolate, Isopure Zero Carb Protein Drink - Coconut, Jay Robb Egg White Protein - Unflavored, Muscle Milk Organic Protein Shake - Chocolate, Muscletech Nitro Tech Milk Chocolate, Myology Whey Isolate - Vanilla, Naturade Pea Protein - Vanilla, Nature's Way Alive! Protein Complete Shake - Vanilla, Nature's Way Alive! Ultra-Shake - Pea Protein - Vanilla, Nutivia Organic Hemp Protein Powder, ON Gold Standard 100% Whey Double Rich Chocolate, PlantFusion Complete Plant Protein - Vanilla Bean, Precision Engineered Whey Protein Isolate - Vanilla, Reserveage Grass-Fed Whey Protein - Vanilla, Shakeology - Chocolate, Shakeology - Strawberry, Shakeology - Vanilla, Shakeology Vegan - Chocolate, Shakeology Vegan - Tropical Strawberry, Six Star Pro Nutrition Casein Protein - Triple Chocolate, Solgar Whey To Go Whey Protein - Chocolate, Swanson Ultra Whey Protein Powder - Vanilla and V8 Protein Shakes - Vanilla.
Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online and provides immediate access to reviews of more than 1,000 products from over 400 brands. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.
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Among the fourteen protein products ConsumerLab.com selected for testing, two contained more cholesterol than claimed -- including one product which claimed to contain no cholesterol but actually had 16.5 mg per serving. Another product contained 181.4 mg more sodium than listed, while a fourth contained 70 mg more sodium than listed and was contaminated with cadmium. Each of these problems was confirmed in a second, independent laboratory. Ten of the products were found to contain what they claimed without contamination, as did thirteen others that passed the same testing through CL's voluntary Quality Certification Program.
The cost of an equivalent serving of protein from products approved for quality by ConsumerLab.com ranged from just 67 cents to over $5.
ConsumerLab.com tested the products to determine the accuracy of their label claims for total calories, total carbohydrates, total sugars, total protein, total fat (including a breakout of saturated fat and trans fat), sodium and cholesterol, as well as for possible contamination with lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury. Those claiming to be gluten-free were tested for gluten levels, and amounts of lactose in each product were reported to help people with lactose intolerance.
ConsumerLab.com's Protein Powders, Shakes and Drinks Review is now available online. The review summarizes the clinical evidence regarding the use of protein supplements, explains differences among protein sources (whey, soy, egg white, rice pea and hemp), explains which ingredients in protein products you may want to avoid as well as the best way to take and store protein powders and drinks, and provides cost comparisons. It includes test results and quality comparisons for 27 products, plus information about one similar to another product which passed testing. Included in the report are Body Fortress Super Advanced Whey Protein - Chocolate, EAS 100% Whey Protein Chocolate, Genisoy Soy Protein Shake Chocolate, GNC Pro Performance 100% Whey Protein, GNC Total Lean, Lean Shake 25 Rich Chocolate, Hammer Nutrition Hammer Vegan Chocolate, Isopure Zero Carb Protein Drink - Coconut, Jay Robb Egg White Protein - Unflavored, Muscle Milk Organic Protein Shake - Chocolate, Muscletech Nitro Tech Milk Chocolate, Myology Whey Isolate - Vanilla, Naturade Pea Protein - Vanilla, Nature's Way Alive! Protein Complete Shake - Vanilla, Nature's Way Alive! Ultra-Shake - Pea Protein - Vanilla, Nutivia Organic Hemp Protein Powder, ON Gold Standard 100% Whey Double Rich Chocolate, PlantFusion Complete Plant Protein - Vanilla Bean, Precision Engineered Whey Protein Isolate - Vanilla, Reserveage Grass-Fed Whey Protein - Vanilla, Shakeology - Chocolate, Shakeology - Strawberry, Shakeology - Vanilla, Shakeology Vegan - Chocolate, Shakeology Vegan - Tropical Strawberry, Six Star Pro Nutrition Casein Protein - Triple Chocolate, Solgar Whey To Go Whey Protein - Chocolate, Swanson Ultra Whey Protein Powder - Vanilla and V8 Protein Shakes - Vanilla.
Founded in 1999, ConsumerLab.com is a leading provider of consumer information and independent evaluations of products that affect health and nutrition. Membership to ConsumerLab.com is available online and provides immediate access to reviews of more than 1,000 products from over 400 brands. The company is privately held and based in Westchester, New York. It has no ownership from, or interest in, companies that manufacture, distribute, or sell consumer products.
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