RE: July 2010 Consumer Report On CytoSport Muscle Milk Poisons

Triathlon Forum
1

Hello runsliketurtle and All,

Thanks to runsliketurtle for inviting my attention to the July Consumer Report article page 24-27 on protein drinks.

I just recenty read the entire article since you have to buy the magazine (or go to the library) if you want to learn more than presented in the abstract.

I sent the following Open Letter to CytoSports ie. Muscle Milk CEO and other interested parties:

===================================================

9 July 2010

Open Letter

Greg Pickett, President/CEO CytoSport
4795 Industrial Way
Benicia, CA 94510
1-888-298-6629
707 748-5732

Hello Greg Pickett and All,

I have been using Muscle Milk Protein (chocolate) for a long time now.

I was pleased to see that Muscle Milk became NSF certified http://www.nsf.org/index.asp as I compete in events where I will be subject to WADA in competition and out of competition drug testing.

http://www.wada-ama.org/...ted_List_2010_EN.pdf

I read your May 30, 2010 rebuttal statement about the upcoming July 2010 Consumer Report article on Muscle Milk protein.

http://www.cytosport.com/...osportstatement1.pdf

Some time back, Travis Tygart, CEO of USADA had mentioned to me that their labs had discovered heavy metals in some supplements they tested but I felt reassured that Muscle Milk would not be among the poisonous ones since it was held to a higher standard by being NSF certified.

http://www.usada.org/

Travis said the heavy metal and other contaminants might be sourced in cheaper product obtained from China and India.

I was disappointed to read in the July 2010 Consumer Reports that your Muscle Milk product has probably been poisoning me with lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.

http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/…-protein-drinks.html

(The URL above Consumer Report reference is only an abstract and you need to buy the print version for the full report)

I am an REI member but usually buy my Muscle Milk protein powder at Costco as I live in Southern California now. I grew up in Napa not far from your headquarters in Benicia.

I remember learning about Itai-Itai disease (cadmium poisoning) and it’s debilitating effects while flying to and from Japan.

I read in the July 2010 Consumer Report article that Muscle Milk was the worst protein supplement product tested for cadmium and lead contamination poisoning.

The article noted that cadmium accumulates in the kidneys and can take 20 years for the body to eliminate even half of the cadmium ingested today.

What testing do you recommend to determine if I have been poisoned?

As someone that races you have probably heard the phrase ‘get the lead out’ - it has taken on another meaning for me now.

What treatment do you recommend to mitigate my damages from the poisons - for instance - chelating?

Is this Consumer Report true and factual and if so what is being done to correct the heavy metal poisoning problem with your CytoSport Muscle Milk protein?

Please advise.

Respectfully submitted,

Neal Henderson
nealhe@cox.net

Copied Via US Mail:

Senator Byron Dorgan
United States Senate
322 Hart Senate Office Bldg
Wash, DC 20510
202 224-2551

Senator John McCain
United States Senate
241 Russell Senate Office Bldg
Washington, DC 20510
202 224-2235

3002 - Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010

Hello John,

We have a mutual friend, Orson Swindle, who was my neighbor in Beaufort MCAS base housing when I was maintenance officer and flying F-8’s in VMF-333.
Orson was a ground officer then and I encouraged him to apply for flight training, telling him that flying fighters was the most fun he could have with his shoes on. I was sorry to hear he got shot down and spent seven torturous years in the Hanoi Hilton with you.

I will be competing in Ironman Hawaii World Championship again on 9 October 2010 having qualified by winning Ironman Arizona in my age group.

http://ironman.com/events/ironman/worldchampionship

I support your Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010 for obvious reasons.

Respectfully submitted,

Neal Henderson
nealhe@cox.net

ps: I have included a contribution for your current Senate race. Good luck!

Costco
PO Box 34331
Seattle, WA 98124****
1-800-774-2678

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Proposition 65 Enforcement Reporting** Attention: Prop 65 Coordinator 1515 Clay Street, Suite 2000 Post Office Box 70550 Oakland, California 94612-0550 Phone: (510) 873-6321 Fax: (510) 622-2270**

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Included via eMail:

‘educationnews@usada.org’; ‘publicaffairs@rei.com’; ‘editor@consumerreportshealth.org’; ‘mfolan@infinitnutrition.us’

‘customerservice@cytosport.com’; ‘info@nsf.org’; ‘info@sciencecorps.org’; ‘khenderson@sayrelevitt.com’; ‘khenderson@sayre-law.com’

2

While I think that this is great information - your CC: to folks like Mike Folan (who’s product I use most every day) seems a bit odd. What are your intentions with the CC to folks like McCain and others in DC? Remove the products from the market? (probably rightly if that is the case). If in fact regulations are passed as pertaining to the content of these “performance” drinks it can only add to the cost structure and with any luck get rid of some of the just plain false claims that many make.

3

Hello R10C and All,

Matty Reed has Muscle Milk for a sponsor - it will be interesting to see if the Consumer Report article will affect that.

I also use InfiniT and like it. I have not had it tested and it is not certified but I was assured they do most eveything in house and athletes using it have tested OK.

Besides InfiniT is mostly maltodextrin with only the zero to small amount of protein you can add to your formula, although it would be reassuing to see it certified.

I thought it would be useful information to Mike since he is in the supplement business - if he has not already seen it yet - for background industry/political supplement activities.

John has a bill up with Sen Dorgan to regulate the supplement industry:

======================================================

SENATOR JOHN MCCAIN INTRODUCES THE DIETARY SUPPLEMENT SAFETY ACT OF 2010

February 3, 2010

· Like many of you, I am looking forward to watching the Super Bowl this Sunday and the Winter Olympics later this month. However, a little over a year ago the NFL suspended six players, including two players from one of the teams competing this Sunday, for violating the league’s anti-doping policy. Several of the players were surprised that they tested positive for a banned substance because they used a dietary supplement they believed to be safe and legal.
It is for precisely this reason that today Senators Dorgan and I are proud to introduce the Dietary Supplement Safety Act of 2010. All Americans should know the exact ingredients of any dietary supplement they use and the FDA must have the tools necessary to ensure the safety of dietary supplements.

· This legislation would require dietary supplement manufactures to register with the FDA and fully disclose the ingredients contained in the supplement. Surveys have found that a majority of dietary supplement users believe the FDA approves the safety of dietary supplements prior to market introduction. However, that is not the case. In fact, dietary supplement manufacturers’ advertised claims of safety and effectiveness are not reviewed or approved by the FDA.

· Last January, the GAO published a comprehensive report entitled, “The FDA Should Take Further Actions to Improve Oversight and Consumer Understanding of Dietary Supplements.” The report stated, “…several factors limit the agency’s ability to detect concerns and remove products from the market. For example, FDA has limited information on the number and location of dietary supplement firms, the types of products currently available in the marketplace, and … once FDA has identified a safety concern, the agency’s ability to remove a product from the market is hindered by a lack of mandatory recall authority…”

· Lastly, the proposed legislation provides the FDA with mandatory recall authority if a product is found to be unsafe or harmful. It took the FDA ten years to ban ephedra – a dietary ingredient used for weight loss and bodybuilding that was found to cause serious medical risks to users including death. It has been reported that use of ephedra contributed to the deaths of Baltimore Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler and Minnesota Vikings player Korey Stringer. Additionally, there are numerous stories of amateur athletes who took this supplement and experienced serious health problems.

· It is my hope that this legislation will ensure that all Americans, including athletes, have all the information necessary to make informed decision when choosing whether to use a dietary supplement, and that the FDA has the ability to remove any harmful dietary supplements from the market.

Cheers,

Neal

4

What constitutes a serving size?

5

Neal,

I read the Consumer Report on CytoSport (and others) a week or so ago. As many other athletes do, I consume these products with the intention of keeping my body fueled properly for performance and recovery.

It was extremely disturbing to read the report regarding the levels of contamination and the heavy metals found. There are serious health consequences to ingesting these harmful substances.

Unfortunately, as disturbing as it is, I can say I’m not surprised. I’ve also had my doubts about some of the other nutritional supplements or companies I’ve used in the past (one in particular you mentioned - which I stopped using due to some “side effects” and lack of answers from the company).

Thank you for bringing it to the highest level of attention it needs to be at. Please keep us posted as to any replies, responses or outcomes.

Cheers !

6

Expect no reply, or a thanks for writing, our product meets all consumer safety regulations ('cause there aren’t many) form letter. Any acknowledgement that they “poisoned” you, or recommendations on how to cure the damage would open them up to lots of lawsuits, so they’ll say as little as possible.

7

This is interesting, thanks for posting. Like many here, I consume protein supplements and this topic is very relevant. A few comments:

  1. There are small amounts of bad stuff in nearly everything that we eat, drink, breathe, or touch. According to the article, you have to consume more than 3 servings per day of the product in question to exceed the NSF limits. That seems like a lot.

  2. The manufacturer has responded to the CR article:

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/...s-investigation.html

(Subscription may be needed to view.)

  1. For those interested, the original CR article is online here:

http://www.consumerreports.org/...s/overview/index.htm

(Again, subscription may be needed to view.)

  1. Testing for heavy metals involves a finger-prick blood test and usually costs less than $50. Just make an appointment with your doctor if you are worried.

-Mike

8

I returned 1 and a half box of muscle milk to Costo last week. They didn’t even ask me why I was returning it - they knew and gave me a prompt cash refund.

-Paul

9

I’ll have a class action settlement, and a year’s supply of zinc. I wondered if it was my Muscle Milk intake that made me feel funky…

Seriously, if I recall correctly (from my PhD work in toxicology), Zn binds to, and helps remove Cd from the human body.

Grains and leafy vegetables uptake Cd from the ground (where is remains for decades- after released from smelting, mining, or batteries) and, dietary intake is the largest source of Cd exposure for most people who do not receive acute/high dose exposure.

I am closely watching this development…

10

Thanks for the info but i wounder… How do all these compare to something like a can of tuna?

just a thought…

11

Thanks for the info but i wounder… How do all these compare to something like a can of tuna?

just a thought…

Tuna Heavy Metals from this study:

http://www.heavymetaldetox.net/...%20canned%20tuna.pdf

Metal Range Mean SD (ug/g)

Lead 0.0162–0.0726 0.0366 0.0184
Cadmium 0.0046–0.0720 0.0223 0.0193
Mercury 0.0430–0.253 0.0117 0.0575
Arsenic 0.0369–0.0261 0.1289 0.0818

Compare this to the results from the CR report for “3 servings” of the worst protein powder tested:

Lead 13.5 ug
Cadmium 5.6 ug
Mercury 0.7 ug
Arsenic 12.2 ug

Crunching the numbers using the mean data from the tuna test, you would need to consume the following amounts of tuna to reach the same levels as the protein powder:

Lead 368g
Cadmium 251g
Mercury 60g
Arsenic 95g

(A 4-ounce can of tuna is 113g.)

Disclaimer: these figures are the result of only the limited data sources cited. Calculations have not been verified and may be subject to error.

12

Thanks for the info but i wounder… How do all these compare to something like a can of tuna?

just a thought…

Tuna Heavy Metals from this study:

http://www.heavymetaldetox.net/...%20canned%20tuna.pdf

Metal Range Mean SD (ug/g)

Lead 0.0162–0.0726 0.0366 0.0184
Cadmium 0.0046–0.0720 0.0223 0.0193
Mercury 0.0430–0.253 0.0117 0.0575
Arsenic 0.0369–0.0261 0.1289 0.0818

Compare this to the results from the CR report for “3 servings” of the worst protein powder tested:

Lead 13.5 ug
Cadmium 5.6 ug
Mercury 0.7 ug
Arsenic 12.2 ug

Crunching the numbers using the mean data from the tuna test, you would need to consume the following amounts of tuna to reach the same levels as the protein powder:

Lead 368g
Cadmium 251g
Mercury 60g
Arsenic 95g

(A 4-ounce can of tuna is 113g.)

Do you know how much “three servings” of protein was in grams?

13

Do you know how much “three servings” of protein was in grams?

The CR article never specifies the serving size. But, according to the CytoSport website, the serving size of their Muscle Milk Chocolate Powder is 70g.

http://www.cytosport.com/...k/muscle-milk-powder

Using 210g as “three servings”, the metal concentration of the protein powder becomes (approximately):

Lead .06 ug/g (1.7 x tuna)
Cadmium .03 ug/g (1.4 x tuna)
Mercury .003 ug/g (0.3 x tuna)
Arsenic .06 ug/g (0.5 x tuna)

Disclaimer: Calculations have not been verified and may be subject to error.

14

Another article regarding heavy metal contamination and it’s link to our food chain.

http://blog.taragana.com/science/2010/06/24/unexpected-discovery-of-high-heavy-metal-contamination-of-oceans-causes-health-concerns-17087/

The levels of cadmium, aluminum, chromium, lead, silver, mercury and titanium could affect the health of both ocean life and the people who consume seafood, the scientists say.

Payne said whales absorb the contaminants and pass them on to the next generation when a female nurses her calf.

“What she’s actually doing is dumping her lifetime accumulation of that fat-soluble stuff into her baby,” he said, and each generation passes on more to the next.

The consequences could be horrific for both whale and man, he said.

“I don’t see any future for whale species except extinction. This not on anybody’s radar, no government’s radar anywhere, and I think it should be,” he said.

15

I think the Consumer Reports analysis is interesting but…does anybody actually drink THREE servings of this stuff a day? I’ll drink a Muscle Milk shake for recovery after a hard workout but that’s a couple of times a week. I’m not sure I’ve ever even had two in the same day, much less three.

So while I think it’s a valuable discussion to have, I’ve not yet heard anything that will change my usage of Muscle Milk in training.

16

Neal,

Consumer Reports is notorious for playing with data/numbers and being less than accurate and objective in the conduct/protocol of their studies.

Consumer Reports has lost lawsuits and has been forced to issue retractions on everything from their ‘reviews’ of SUV’s, dog food, champagne, infant car-seats, etc etc. Their testing protocol often lacks any real quality control.

Not long ago consumer reports tested infant car seats. They tested 6 as I recall. They failed only one, giving it a failing/unsafe rating. Nearly put this company out of business. It was later learned that the failing car seat was subjected to a 70MPH side impact collision, when the other 5 were at 35MPH, consistent with NHTSB standards…. consumer reports finally issued a retraction…

Interpretation: If it bleeds it leads (not unlike this thread) and if consumer reports cant find a reason to scare you they will invent one.

If you are cool with reckless, shakedown trial lawyer style journalism, keep on reading and believing consumer reports……the bulletin board for class action lawsuits….

In the meantime I would suggest that this thread has devolved into trial by internet and by being a sticky instead of fading into oblivion (where it belongs) this thread is rather unfriendly to a company that has been a good friend/sponsor to Triathlon.

And no, I do not work for Cytosport.

17

Hello Mojozenmaster and All,

Please post some data on the Consumer Report lawsuits that have been lost and the faulty testing protocols you cite.

“Consumer Reports has lost lawsuits and has been forced to issue retractions on everything from their ‘reviews’ of SUV’s, dog food, champagne, infant car-seats, etc etc. Their testing protocol often lacks any real quality control.”

I found this reference:

===================================================

The settlement agreement reached by Suzuki and CU in July 2004 makes it clear that Suzuki continues to dispute the validity of CU’s short-course test, and CU stands by its test protocol and findings. CU will pay no money to Suzuki.

**“The testing and reporting done by our staff were exemplary,” said R. David Pittle, CU’s senior vice president for technical policy. “This settlement continues our 68-year history of never having lost a lawsuit challenging our published research, and never settling such lawsuits by paying money or retracting our findings.” **

Said Cam Smith Arnold, Suzuki’s vice president of communications, “We’re happy to wipe the slate clean and put this behind us and move forward.”

================================================================

We should have more information when other agencies weigh in on the protein heavy metal poison issue after they have time to evaluate my correspondence.

Might I suggest that at this early point in the proceedings you may be shooting the messenger (Consumer Reports) because you do not like the message?

Cheers,

Neal

18

Neal,

If consumer reports had the most pristine reputation for excellence in consumer advocacy and protection literature, I never would have said a word.

Knowing the opposite is true, I had to say something. I recalled a report on NPR from a few years ago about the car seat issues and NPR blasted CR for their bullshit false article. I also recalled the Isuzu Trooper Judgment in favor of Isuzu against Consumer Reports.

With that it in mind, I am not in the mood to make your job of proving me wrong any easier.

You have access to Google, so get to work and tell me I am full of shit……

Might I suggest at this early point in the proceedings, you refrain from being the judge, jury and executioner of Cytosport because of an article you read from a source that is notoriously untrustworthy?

Steve

19

Hello MOP_Mike and All,

Thanks for your research and further information - I have commented below:

“1) There are small amounts of bad stuff in nearly everything that we eat, drink, breathe, or touch. According to the article, you have to consume more than 3 servings per day of the product in question to exceed the NSF limits. That seems like a lot.”

From the CU article:

“Nutritionists and trainers say they commonly see people who consume three servings a day.”

I agree with most of your comments - and as you say there are small amounts (and sometimes large amounts) of bad stuff in nearly everything we come in contact with and it would seem to me a good policy to reduce the amount from each source (and protein powder is just ONE source) to reduce the daily totality of contaminants that would easily exceed established limits for good health.

From your reference below:

“In the case of cadmium, published research involving women in Sweden suggests that kidney damage can occur at cadmium blood levels much lower than previously believed to cause harm. And the risk assessments for many of these heavy metals are limited and have either not been updated in several years or do not include the full range of potential adverse health effects. A recent review of cadmium, for example, highlights the need for acceptable exposure limits to be re-evaluated given emerging evidence about harm done from chronic, low-level exposures.”

2) The manufacturer has responded to the CR article:

http://blogs.consumerreports.org/...s-investigation.html

Excerpt:
"Greg Pickett, founder of CytoSport, Inc., which produces the Muscle Milk products, issued a statement on his company’s website defending the quality of the company’s product. He said that the products are tested by “independent third party agencies” such as NSF International, a non-profit, non-governmental organization that evaluates and certifies products for safety. It developed the American National Standard for Nutritional/Dietary Supplements, known as NSF/ANSI 173. “The samples of Muscle Milk Chocolate and Muscle Milk Vanilla Crème (the two CytoSport products referenced in the article) were analyzed by NSF International and found to pass NSF/ANSI 173 standards for contaminants based on NSF’s validated test methods,” Pickett’s statement says.

As Consumer Reports’ testing indicated, there can be considerable variations in levels of heavy metals from sample to sample of the same product, so it would not be surprising if levels NSF tests detected in any given sample differ from those we found. Moreover, the maximum acceptable limits for heavy metals that NSF uses for its testing differ from the standards relied upon by Consumer Reports, which used limits proposed by the U.S. Pharmacopeia.

The NSF limit of 10 micrograms per day for arsenic (inorganic) is more stringent than the USP’s proposed limit of 15 micrograms per day, but for cadmium, lead and mercury, the NSF limits actually are more lenient. For example, the NSF standard would allow 20 micrograms per day of lead, which is double the USP’s proposed limit of 10 micrograms per day."

Note: Muscle Milk in the CU test was 12.2 micrograms per day which exceeds the NSF limit of 10 micrograms per day.

"We used the proposed USP standards as a benchmark that most closely reflects the current state of scientific knowledge regarding acceptable exposure levels for heavy metals in dietary supplements. The Food and Drug Administration has not established heavy metal limits for protein supplements and there are only a few established for foods. California legislation known as Proposition 65 has established daily safe harbor limits for toxic substances the state says pose even a low cancer or reproductive risk. And eight of the 15 protein supplements exceeded those limits for lead in just one serving. "

3) For those interested, the original CR article is online here:

http://www.consumerreports.org/...s/overview/index.htm

Note: The online article cited above is only a very brief abstract of the full 4 page article in the print CU magazine.

4) Testing for heavy metals involves a finger-prick blood test and usually costs less than $50. Just make an appointment with your doctor if you are worried.

Again - thanks for your research and further information Mike, I do plan to get tested. (Probably a data freak, I get tested for most everything)

http://www.wonderlabs.com/itemleft.php?itemnum=00810&ad=gooedtaheavyhmtesting&gclid=CLad75Dm4qICFRlVgwodYRER6A

Here is an online heavy metal test for only $20US - but doesn’t seem to include arsenic.

Oh - and I liked the tuna exercise … :slight_smile: I’ll add that into my daily metal intake on tuna sandwich days.

-Mike

Cheers,

Neal

20

In other words, if we were to believe your hysteria, it is worth about 2.5 micrograms of hysteria, correct?

The kind of hysteria I might be able to sue my neighbor over for her letting me drink out of her garden hose, correct?