John Myers
Many protein concentrates of animal origin are contaminated with heavy metals. Anyone striving for a higher protein supply should therefore pay careful attention to the quality of the protein preparation and, if possible, choose a product of plant origin.
Heavy metals in protein powders put a strain on the organism
Toxic heavy metals are repeatedly found in protein powders and protein drinks: arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury.
The American consumer magazine Consumer Reports tested 15 different protein concentrates and discovered measurable amounts in all of them, and in some brands even very high doses of the heavy metals mentioned. The situation is similar in Germany.
Consumer Reports pointed out that people in industrialized countries usually consume more protein than is healthy with their normal diet alone.
If protein concentrates were now also consumed, then that – together with the toxicity of the heavy metals contained in them – would represent an extreme burden for the organism.
The German Society for Nutrition and the World Health Organization recommends that adults consume around 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of ideal body weight every day.
Endurance athletes should also consume one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight. A person who weighs 70 kilograms, for example, should be well served with 56 grams of protein per day.
With today’s diet, however, twice the required amount of protein ends up in the human body.
If protein concentrates are also taken, the already questionable dose of protein increases many times over. In industrialized countries, it is almost impossible to suffer from a protein deficiency.
Heavy metals are difficult to degrade
On the contrary, many typical civilization diseases (osteoporosis, rheumatic diseases, cancer, etc.) can be associated with chronic excess protein.
Excess protein is therefore a not insignificant problem these days. Another very common health problem is heavy metal poisoning.
Heavy metals penetrate our tissues – including the brain, heart, and kidneys. Although our bodies have detoxification mechanisms, they are not prepared for the amount and type of toxins circulating today.
Heavy metals in particular are extremely difficult to degrade, if at all only with organic silicon.
They, therefore, accumulate in the tissue and can then – above a certain dose and depending on individual tolerance – trigger a wide variety of symptoms: exhaustion, burnout, nausea, depression, thyroid dysfunction, adrenal dysfunction, heart problems, and many others.
The alternative: vegetable protein powder
In most cases, protein concentrates are obtained from animal proteins. Since animals can naturally accumulate heavy metals from their food and environment in their bodies throughout their lives, the protein preparations obtained from them naturally also contain enormous amounts of these heavy metals.
Unpolluted vegetable protein sources such as sweet lupine, quinoa, beans, rice, seeds (e.g. hemp), and green leafy vegetables are always the better choice. Sweet lupine in particular is already available in the form of a protein-rich powder, which could be a recommendable alternative for all those who had previously consumed protein powder of animal origin.
The protein richness of a natural diet
All of the plant-based foods mentioned ensure a high-quality and healthy supply of protein. A cup of quinoa (cooked) contains about 14 grams of protein.
A hundred grams of sweet lupine contain about 40 grams of alkaline protein and a cup of raw spinach contains one gram of protein.
A meal consisting of, for example, a cup of quinoa, a sweet lupine product, and various types of vegetables with some hemp seeds and, as a snack, a green smoothie made from finely blended green leafy vegetables, some water, almond butter, and fresh or frozen fruit not only provides you with the right amount of essential amino acids but also with a lavish variety of vital substances, roughage, minerals and trace elements – a variety that industrially processed animal protein concentrate can only longingly dream of.
In many ways, consuming fresh, live food is a far healthier option than consuming questionable concentrates and protein drinks.
So the question to ask when choosing the right protein is: What am I getting from this or that product besides the protein? In addition to protein, does it also contain important vital substances?
Or maybe I don’t get any other useful substances with the protein, but instead a portion of dangerous heavy metals?
In addition, the burden of vaccines should be minimized and the consumption of contaminated fish should be severely restricted.
One study also found that exposure to mercury in white ibis (a species of seabird) is associated with an increased incidence of homosexuality among male birds.
The researchers concerned explained that mercury, especially during the embryonic period and also in early childhood, can influence development so strongly that it can result in changed sexual behavior.
In female ibises, mercury reduced fertility, so mercury exposure leads to fewer and fewer offspring.
