Protein drinks are being advertised as a way to boost fitness, and that marketing targets everyone from body builders to teenagers.
But, according to a new study, over-consuming some of those products could be dangerous.
"Early Show" Consumer Correspondent Susan Koeppen takes a look at an investigation being released Monday by Consumer Reports.
Though manufacturers and salesmen say that these products are safe, the new study says some protein drinks may cause health problems over time. The investigation found some contain things like arsenic, cadmium, and lead.
CBS News took a hidden camera to nutrition stores in New York City asking about these supplemental drinks, but not one sales person warned about possible health risks.
Some said taking more than recommended doses wouldn't hurt.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1mvGOQrLF8
Eas Myoplex (Arsenic, Cadmium)
Muscle Milk-Chocolate (Cadmium, Lead)
Muscle Milk-Vanilla Crme (Lead)
Urvashi Rangan, Consumer Reports, said, "What we're concerned about here is the chronic low level exposure of a heavy metal. And what people should know, is that heavy metals, once they come into our bodies, once they're metabolized, they tend to stay there for a long period of time."
The supplement industry disputes claims that protein shakes could be harmful.
Andrew Shao, of the Council for Responsible Nutrition, says, "The results of this analysis aren't alarming. The heavy metals that https://ross4preston99.wordpress.com/2015/08/30/advocare-24-day-challenge-grocery-list-step-2-easy-tips-to-lose-the-weight-and-keep-it-off/ were found are well below the limits FDA (Food and Drug Administration) would be concerned about, so they don't pose a health risk to consumers at all."
But Consumer Reports says there is little regulation requiring manufacturers to prove their protein drinks are safe.
"We think the FDA should be tracking these products better," says Rangan, "and that is not happening at this time."
The manufacturers of those three products say independent testing shows their products are within government safety standards even if taken three times a day.
Still, CR notes there other ways to get protein at a cheapter price, such as:
Half a chicken breast (27 grams of protein, 62 cents per serving)
Three glasses of milk (23 grams of protein, 60 cents per serving)
Three scrambled eggs (20 grams of protein, 46 cents per serving)
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