With over 29,000 products available, the dietary supplement industry is a multi billion dollar industry.  

They range from herbal products to multivitamins, protein powders to fat loss products.  And everything in between.

And with all the marketing and hype, they leave a lot to be desired.

Recently, the supplement industry has come under fire — herbal products are coming up showing they’re contaminated.  Popular fat loss supplements are being pulled off the market for potential liver damage.

The list can go on.

But none of this deters most consumers.

One of the most common questions we get has to do with "what supplements do I need to take?"

First thing is first.  Supplements are nothing more than that — supplements to a clean diet. They’re often sold as "hope in a can" — and marketed as magic bullets.

One of the most common products taken is protein powder.  In fact, one study showed that protein powders were the most common supplement among 12-18 year olds.

But it’s not it’s not just young athletes who use it; busy stay at home moms who are looking to shed some pounds may use protein powders and stressed out executives who are always on the go may like them for convenience.

So how do you pick the right product for you and sort through marketing hype?  And, are these supplements safe?

Well the July 2010 issue of Consumer Reports attempted to help out, at least from a safety perspective.

They examined 15 different protein supplements to determine their safety — were they contaminated with other ingredients?

After all, just because it’s on the label (or not on the label) doesn’t mean it’s not in the bottle.  Unfortunately the industry isn’t controlled as well as it should be, so many rogue products slip through the cracks.  

Now, there is some "controversy" surrounding their testing methods and also the fact that they used 3 servings/day of each product … while some people surely do use that much, many would not.  

Regardless, what they found in the products should simply keep you on your toes, so to speak, to make sure if you do use supplements, you’re using the highest quality products.  

Not all products are created equally.  

Out of the 15 products tested, 3 came back with levels of heavy metals (arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury) that exceeded the "maximum limit" set by a certain testing agency.

The 3 products include: EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate Shake (liquid), Muscle Milk (chocolate), and Muscle Milk (vanilla creme).

Now, again, did Consumer Reports simply use 3 servings to make sure they had a story … otherwise none of the levels were high enough?  Or is there cause for concern.

EAS is a reputable brand for sure.  I personally know scientists there.  They were the first company to go through the rigors or what’s called the NSF certification, meaning certain products in their line are approved for use by players in the NFL (this certification assures there are no banned substances in the products).

Muscle Milk also has a quality product and has also received similar "certifications" to make sure it too is a clean product.

What do we use?  

BiPro USA — it is an unflavored protein, without fillers or anything by whey protein isolate.  It has the same NSF Certification, and is a nice boost of healthy whey protein for smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt, for example.

BOTTOM LINE:

• Supplements will never replace a clean diet.
• Certain supplements can be a nice adjunct to a clean diet.
• Always talk to your personal health care practitioner if you are taking ANY supplements.

What supplements do you take?

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Posted June 1st, 2010 under Nutrition. Tags: consumer reports protein report, dietary supplement safety, protein powders contaminated
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