Is Muscle Milk Bad For You?
Short answer
Muscle Milk is terrible for you in several ways. Yes, it provides you with proteins and a boost of energy - but those are things you can get without putting toxic chemicals into your body.
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
Before getting into why muscle milk is not good for you, let's start with the fact that the company which makes Muscle Milk, CytoSport, Inc. agreed in 2013 to pay $5.3 million for using the word "healthy" to describe the product in marketing advertisements. So, why is it unhealthy? First, it is misleading/confusing from the get-go. Muscle Milk "contains no milk" as is stated on the bottle. Besides the oddness of something parading itself as "milk" containing no milk, the FDA sent them a warning for this claim, noting that its whey and casein proteins, both of which are derived from milk, could trigger allergic reactions in some people with milk allergies.
Muscle Milk, a product that is supposed to be for helping people lose fat and build muscle mass, has a rather large amount of saturated fat, with 15% of the daily value. It also has over 20 vitamins and minerals - most of which, oddly enough, provide 17% of the daily value. Of course, this isn't a coincidence as all the vitamins and minerals have been made in a laboratory and added to the product. Disturbingly, not listed anywhere are four metals for which Muscle Milk tested positive for - and in levels near or exceeding what is deemed acceptable - cadmium, arsenic, lead, and mercury. Different flavors have different combinations and amounts, but all have at least one of these four metals.
Soy lecithin may be a cause of concern for people with allergies to soy and soy products. Also found in Muscle Milk are the sugar substitutes sucralose and acesulfame potassium (Ace-K) - both of which come with their own laundry list of side effects. The fiber comes not from anything natural, but rather from cellulose gum and carrageenan, a seaweed extract that has been proven to be linked to intestinal lacerations and tumors.
The closest to something natural you get are its "natural flavors," which differ from artificial flavors only in that the sources from which the flavoring chemicals were extracted fall under a different FDA definition.
Okay, but it has a lot of protein, right? A 10 oz serving of Muscle Milk will give you 14 grams of protein, while the same size glass of milk will give you slightly less at 10. Add a banana, an egg, or almost any real food and you'll get as much protein as you would have had you wasted $1.25 on eight ounces of Muscle Milk.
Possible short-term side effects
- vitamin toxicity
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gas
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diarrhea
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nausea
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dizziness
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stomach cramping
Possible long-term side effects
- weight gain
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kidney damage
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cancer
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tumors
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intestinal lacerations
Ingredients to be aware of
Organic alternatives
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