Sometimes I just get a feeling in my gut that something is not healthy. Sometimes that feeling is very strong and others, it’s a tiny warning. In the case of protein powders, it was a strong feeling. I never wanted to use them and I couldn’t really explain why. So many people consume them every single day and I kept thinking it seems ridiculous that I refuse to give them a try. So I decided to do some research – for them and against them. Here is what I found . . .
One obvious reason not to consume protein powder is that it is a highly processed food. I am a huge supporter of whole, organic foods and will defend fresh produce with all its fiber and nutrients in tact to my dying day. I truly believe that if you want protein, there is plenty of it in hemp or chia seeds, both of which are excellent protein additions to any smoothie. Deriving protein from whole food sources is the best way to get it.
Many protein powders contain whey protein and with it, the favorite food of cancer, casein (a protein found in dairy products). Whey is also a common allergen (dairy products). I learned that these powders are heated to such high temperatures that the protein has actually been denatured and made useless as a source of protein. Additionally, many protein powders have been shown to contain heavy metals like cadmium, arsenic and lead and artificial sweeteners and flavors. If that isn’t bad enough, they often contain soy proteins (another common allergen) made from genetically modified organism (GMO’s) which have been linked to cancer and serious hormonal imbalances.
A doctor friend of mine once mentioned that daily use of protein powders can cause kidney stones and other kidney problems. The kidneys are necessary in filtering out toxins from the body. If you get more protein than the body needs, it gets stored as fat and is given to the kidneys to process. We do not need the huge amount of protein we are told we need. Here’s what Dr. Joel Fuhrman has to say about protein and the kidneys:
“Ingesting more protein than your body needs is not a small matter. It ages you prematurely and can cause significant harm. The excess protein you do not use is not stored by your body as protein; it is converted to fat or eliminated via the kidneys. Eliminating excess nitrogen via your urine leaches calcium and other minerals from your bones and breeds kidney stones.”
To read in more detail, see Dr. Fuhrman’s article on protein powders here.
I urge you to ditch your protein powder and look at getting your protein from other sources. If you are working out hard, have a berry smoothie with hemp and chia seeds and some almonds. Add flax seeds for some Omega 3 fatty acids and fiber. Think whole proteins, not processed powders for your protein sources. If you feel you need more protein, an egg or two will be plenty (the whole egg, not just the whites).
Lower the amount of protein you are eating. You probably don’t need nearly as much as you think you do. At the very least, try eliminating your protein powders for a week and see how you feel. Nothing is worth the risk of long term damage especially not from a potentially poisonous processed powder that you think you have to have in order to be healthy.
Dr. Meg Haworth, Ph.D. is a private chef to the stars in Hollywood, cookbook author, instructor at Whole Foods Markets and wellness coach. You can find her on the web at www.deliciousandhealthy.com or email her at meg@deliciousandhealthy.com for menu plans tailored to your needs for food allergies, healing diets for specific conditions and healthy weight loss. For her cookbook, click here.
