What’s in protein powders? If you look at their labels, I’d bet there are many things you never heard of, nor can you pronounce. They are laboratory-created chemicals designed to make muscles grow, but there could be serious side effects.
We must keep in mind that whenever we take substances that make muscles grow there is also the potential to make undesirable things grow, such as cancer cells. For instance, branch-chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine) are included in protein powders, but are also implicated in cancer cell growth (Branched-chain amino acids regulate the development and progression of cancer).
Since most of the protein supplements have not been tested over the long term, they may be risky. Yes, you will grow muscles, but at what price?
Secondly, taking protein powders distorts the protein, carbohydrate and fat ratios in your body. Too much protein intake means less carbohydrate and fat intake. Unfortunately, in America and many other countries, diseases from too much protein are very common, like arthritis, gout, bone loss and kidney failure.
Diseases of too little protein are almost non-existent and most people don’t even know what they are (namely kwashiorkor).
In countries where whole food plant-based diets are more common, macronutrient ratios fall naturally into place and many “too much protein” disease rates are lower. That said, whole food plant-based is the way to go.
