I guess I got mostly soy because I didn't buy any drinks or puddings. But holy smokes! Aspartame? Which ones (so I can make sure to avoid those)?

I may have misread that. Now that I put on my reading glasses I see "acefultame potassium, a non-nutritive sweetener," so my brain probably saw "aspartame" when I looked at "acefultame." My bad, and I'm sorry if I panicked you!

My coach actually gave me a printout of the Nutrition Facts label from each product when I started; unfortunately, the print is so small that even with my reading glasses, I can't decipher them, and I don't see a link on their website for that document.

I'm curious about the soy v. whey debate - What are the pros and cons of each of those?

I can't say anything about the IP products. I would actually prefer if they used organic ingredients. However, I once googled the protein shakes that some use as alternatives and found some contain heavy metals (was published in consumer reports). I cannot post links, but below is a quote from said report:

"We purchased 15 protein powders and drinks mainly in the New York metro area or online and tested multiple samples of each for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. The results showed a considerable range, but levels in three products were of particular concern because consuming three servings a day could result in daily exposure to arsenic, cadmium, or lead exceeding the limits proposed by USP.

We found that three daily servings of the ready-to-drink liquid EAS Myoplex Original Rich Dark Chocolate Shake provides an average of 16.9 micrograms (µg) of arsenic, exceeding the proposed USP limit of 15 µg per day, and an average of 5.1 µg of cadmium, which is just above the USP limit of 5 µg per day. Concentrations in most products were relatively low, but when taking into account the large serving size suggested, the number of micrograms per day for a few of the products was high compared with most others tested.

The samples of Muscle Milk Chocolate powder we tested contained all four heavy metals, and levels of three metals in the product were among the highest of all in our tests. Average cadmium levels of 5.6 µg in three daily servings slightly exceeded the USP limit of 5 µg per day, and the average lead level of 13.5 µg also topped the USP limit of 10 µg per day. The average arsenic level of 12.2 µg was approaching the USP limit of 15 µg per day, and the average for mercury was 0.7 µg, well below the USP's 15 µg-per-day limit. Three daily servings of Muscle Milk Vanilla Crème contained 12.2 µg of lead, exceeding lead limits, and 11.2 µg of arsenic. A fourth product, Muscle Milk Nutritional Shake Chocolate (liquid), provided an average of 14.3 µg of arsenic per day from three servings, approaching the proposed USP limit.

Cadmium raises special concern because it accumulates in and can damage the kidneys, the same organs that can be damaged by excessive protein consumption. And it can take 20 years for the body to eliminate even half the cadmium absorbed today.

"This is a highly toxic metal, and while there are some cases where decisions have to be weighed against relative risks, accepting that you have to be exposed to any cadmium at all in your protein drink after your workout is definitely not one of them," says Michael Harbut, M.D., director of the Environmental Cancer Initiative at the Karmanos Cancer Institute in Royal Oak, Mich.

"When these toxic heavy metals are combined in a product that is marketed for daily use, that raises serious public health concerns, especially for pregnant women, children, and young adults," says Burns, who has been a toxicology consultant to state and federal government agencies. "


So, it seems, caution is needed when using a lot of these products. I would appreciate if IP would test their soy and whey, as well. It seems to me they are expensive enough to warrant such information.

I still do not understand how you know the IP products are non GMO and unpolluted and the alternatives may be. Your ongoing posts have not clarified this for me further.

I would really like to see where the Billings clinic got the proof that the IP products are GMO free.

This is disturbing. I agree...if IP is actually "better" (as IP tries to claim) then they should do the testing to prove so and label them as such. I was thinking about this whole debate more last night and I am fairly certain that non-gmo products are certified and then labeled as such.

I totally understand. As stated in my other posts here: 1. I did read this on line but cannot find it any longer. 2. I have e-mailed the company with specific questions and will post the reply when I get it.

In trying to find the non GMO post, all I could find is the statement that what makes the IP protein ideal is that it is complete and has 21 amino acids (13 essential) and that it is readily available for the body to absorb.

I think this whole thread proves the point that you need to check into the products you consume (including IP ones) and ask pertinent questions.

Lolo70's post above is quite interesting in this respect.

Thanks for clarifying (though acefultame also has some not so great rep in some places).

As far as the whey vs soy, it's just that JohnP made the completely untrue and unsubstantiated claim that the main ingredient in IP products is whey and that there is no such thing as organic, hormone free, antibiotics free, etc. whey. Both statements are false as anyone can easily verify by looking up the ingredients of ALL IP products and by googling for organic whey (which is produced from New Zealand cows, for one).

Clearly I think there is no such thing as organic whey. This is why I said the following ...

The point isn't that organic whey is imaginary. The point is I highly doubt IP uses organic whey.

As for soy vs whey ... I said ...

Hopefully we're on the same page now.

This is what you actually said - in part - in your first response.

I actually said both things didn't I?

I'll admit I slightly overstated the case - I'm sure organic whey is made somewhere in North America. My point is that I very seriously doubt IP uses organic whey for a number of reasons the primary one being the cost.

Have you been drinking IP kool-aid? Soy is one of the most genetically modified crops. Just because a product lists soy as the first ingredient doesn't make it GMO free, in fact it's probably the opposite if you are so concerned with GMOs.

"Soybeans are one of the "biotech food" crops that have been genetically modified, and genetically modified soybeans are being used in an increasing number of products. In 1995, Monsanto Company introduced Roundup Ready (RR) soybeans that have been genetically modified to be resistant to Monsanto's herbicide Roundup through substitution of the Agrobacterium sp. (strain CP4) gene EPSP (5-enolpyruvyl shikimic acid-3-phosphate) synthase. The substituted version is not sensitive to glyphosate.[58]

In 1997, about 8% of all soybeans cultivated for the commercial market in the United States were genetically modified. In 2010, the figure was 93%.[59] As with other "Roundup Ready" crops, concern is expressed over damage to biodiversity.[60] A 2003 study[61] concluded the RR gene had been bred into so many different soybean cultivars, there had been little decline in genetic diversity, but "diversity was limited among elite lines from some companies".

Maybe you also don't know that some IP (wonder products) and alternative (awful, tainted products) are EXACTLY the same. There's a thread on here about it.

Wow - You guys really impress me with your research! I'm beginning to mourn for my blissful ignorance, though . Although, as a woman who grew up around farming in the 1960's, I suspect I've already ingested enough nasty chemicals that a few weird protein products aren't going to change the course of my life. Still, I'm starting to feel like throwing away everything in my pantry and fridge and restocking at Natural Grocers!

LOL - me too GlacierGirl. Growing up we had unhomogenized milk from our family milk cow, used margarine for years (still not sure if that was good or bad - didn't taste good anyway), and ate apples right off the tree or carrots from the garden with a rub on the pants leg to clean them. As my 84 y/o mother says, "we aren't dead yet" and she's still planting and working a huge garden every year.

Ugh, Glacier and Half again I agree that no one guaranteed us, or at least me, products that I thought were unblemished. In fact i checked one of my soups. The first ingredient is soy and the second is artificial flavor. I wonder what that was made with huh?
Hold on to your seats, I drank from a water hose when I was young!!!! The cure for my acne back then? sitting under a sun lamp in the dr office!!!
I'm doomed!