# Many bodybuilding supplements and protein powders are loaded with chemical sweeteners



## Guest (Sep 19, 2008)

If you take a look at the ingredients in bodybuilding supplements and protein powders at most health food stores, you'll find that they contain an array of questionable ingredients, such as aspartame, saccharin, fructose, and artificial colors. I've always found it interesting to note how unhealthy many of these bodybuilding products really are. Rather than being made with natural ingredients, and sweetened with items like stevia, they are sweetened with chemicals and made with ingredients that are certainly less than healthful. And why? Because bodybuilders continue to purchase these supplements. In other words, the supplement manufacturers are simply meeting the demands of bodybuilding consumers.

But one question remains: why are so many bodybuilders so unconcerned with their health? It's something that's been frequently observed in the bodybuilding community: people consuming any products, no matter how dangerous to their health, in order to build more lean body mass and look better for competitions and photo opportunities. This is the case, of course, with the use of illegal steroids for enhancing muscle mass. It's a dangerous trend -- not only in terms of steroids, but also with protein supplements that contain toxic ingredients such as aspartame.

Let's take a closer look at the problem with aspartame, and see how it affects the human body. In my opinion, aspartame should have been banned a long time ago due to its toxicity and potential for nerve damage. When aspartame is consumed, it breaks down into two chemical compounds in the human body: formic acid and formaldehyde. Formic acid is an irritant -- the same chemical produced by fire ants -- and doesn't belong in the bloodstream. But the bigger problem here is formaldehyde. Formaldehyde, as you may remember from high school biology class, is a preservative. Now, this doesn't mean that by consuming aspartame you are going to stop aging. Rather, it means that you are going to suffer the side effects from ingesting this preservative chemical.

Formaldehyde is listed as an environmental toxin by the EPA, and when ingested in the human body, it causes widespread nerve damage: damage to the optic nerve, brain cells, and the nerve cells that control body movement. That's why aspartame has been so strongly linked to migraine headaches, muscle tremors, vision problems, and mental confusion. These are characteristics that most bodybuilders should hope to avoid. After all, how can you appear healthy if your nervous system is being destroyed by a toxic ingredient you are consuming on a regular basis?

The only sweetening ingredient that I recommend in a bodybuilding supplement is stevia. Stevia is derived from an herb -- the sweetleaf herb -- that's native to Central and South America. Stevia does not affect blood sugar levels, it has virtually no calories, and there are absolutely no toxicities associated with its use. It has been used safely around the world for literally thousands of years, and is, in fact the alternative sweetener of choice in diet soft drinks in countries such as Japan. However, in the United States, stevia has been oppressed by the FDA, which has denied its use in food and beverage products, most likely to protect the profits of aspartame manufacturers. Because, after all, if stevia were legalized, aspartame sales would plummet, and as we know, the FDA is far more interested in protecting the profits of private industry rather than public health.

However, it is perfectly legal to use stevia in nutritional supplements and whey protein powders, and this is the sweetener that I strongly recommend. Look for whey protein powders that are made with stevia and have no other sweeteners at all. The best protein powder I've found that meets these guidelines is Jay Robb's Whey Protein Powder, which comes in a variety of flavors: chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. I've written up a separate review of Jay Robb's Protein Powders, but the short version is that these are absolutely the best whey protein products I've found yet, and I highly recommend them, not only to bodybuilders, but to anyone who wants a source of high-quality protein for their diet.

In the meantime, I urge bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts to start reading the labels of the foods, drinks, and energy bars they purchase, and check for chemical sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose, and saccharin. These chemical sweeteners should be avoided at all costs, and only products sweetened with natural sweeteners such as stevia should be consumed by any person concerned about


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## Halfman halfbiscuit (Apr 4, 2008)

You have touched upon some very good points there


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## bodyworks (Oct 17, 2007)

except if you are going to cut out all sugars and artificial sweetners from your diet permanently, you are very quickly gunna tire of eating your foods. look on labels and see just how widespread their use is. and water is about all you'll ever drink too. that article does raise a valid point, but it's one that's impractical to follow to the letter.


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## LeeB (Oct 5, 2011)

agree with bodyworks... its a shame that food today contains so many additives etc. but it IS a fact of life... many bodybuilders pump artificial hormones into their bodys regularly without batting an eyelid so why would they be so concerened about additives in food??

i do think its a valid point but as bodyworks says - what are the alternatives... i was recently speaking to a girl who i work with who had asked how i can stick to such a rigid bodybuilding diet... turns out she is vegan... doesnt eat most fish because of overfishing considerations and doesnt eat anything which is GM and avoids anything farmed with pesticides etc. where possible.... turns out her diet is basically cous cous lol


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## Tall (Aug 14, 2007)

I'll be honest - I avoid Aspartame, but some of the above article is just scare mongering to be *quite* frank.

Aspartame breaks down into Phenylalanine (Amino Acid), Aspartic acid (Amino Acid) and Methanol.

Methanol of course we know for being drunk by tramps, unfreezing car windscreens in mid winter, and being found in common-or-garden fruit juice...

It's the meths which gets converted to Formaldehyde, and after the conversion to formaldehyde occurs Formic acid is formed, which then results in *acidosis*

So avoid fruit, fruit juice and diet coke. Only drink water etc etc etc.

Ah but lets backtrack. What is acidosis? It means your blood pH has gone acid (< 7.3) (rather than alkaline (>7.5)) or *neutral* (between 7.3 and 7.5)

There are many other causes of acidosis, too much protein, lack of green veg etc etc etc

But thats perhaps for another day. :becky:

@Rocky - you might want to credit the original author (Mike Adams) when copying and pasting :becky:


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## stayathomemom (Feb 4, 2009)

I found found one of the best all natural WHey Isolate powders!! Its all natural and sweetened with Stevia!! It contains Zero Carbs and Zero Fat! It has the best taste out of all of them. You can make it with milk or water and it still tastes great!! I think its the best Whey Isolate probust on the market!


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## EXTREME (Aug 5, 2005)

I think whey isolate on its own is rubbish, its absorbed way to fast, causes an insulin release and often gets converted to carbs if taken post workout with no carbs, even taken PWO much of it gets lost into your urine because it passes through the system too fast for the bloodstream to pick it all up.

Do you think Rocky is selling Stevia? Whats the point in going on about something which is not allowed? We can't use it in Britain either.


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## crazycal1 (Sep 21, 2005)

nope i think rocky is/was ali g and sells houses :becky:


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## superbird (Mar 6, 2009)

Im so glad I finally found an article this good on supplement fillers. You are so correct in your concerns. The biggest reason for manufactures using all these fillers is simple--PROFIT. Pure products cost money and this is all the industry is about. One thing I didnt see you mention was the ingredients manufactures use to "trick" the consumer into thinking they are getting something good, my favorite is magnesium [as magnesium stearate]. Magnesium stearate has been shown to be toxic causing fast collapse of the T-cell memebrane functions causing cell death slowing the imune system. One of the other many uses for magnesium stearate is to keep the manufacturing equipment from sticking during the compression of powders into solid tablets. Buyer beware.....


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## Tall (Aug 14, 2007)

superbird said:


> Im so glad I finally found an article this good on supplement fillers. You are so correct in your concerns. The biggest reason for manufactures using all these fillers is simple--PROFIT. Pure products cost money and this is all the industry is about. One thing I didnt see you mention was the ingredients manufactures use to "trick" the consumer into thinking they are getting something good, my favorite is magnesium [as magnesium stearate]. *Magnesium stearate has been shown to be toxic causing fast collapse of the T-cell memebrane functions causing cell death slowing the imune system*. One of the other many uses for magnesium stearate is to keep the manufacturing equipment from sticking during the compression of powders into solid tablets. Buyer beware.....


Can you back that up...?


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## superbird (Mar 6, 2009)

Tall said:


> Can you back that up...?


But of course. Here a just a couple of my findings: **Note*** I have no affiliations with any of the below organizations.

"Check your vitamin labels. Do they contain Magnesium Stearate or Stearic Acid? Studies by the University of Texas Science Center and the East Carolina University of Medicine reveal the these toxic excipients cause rapid collapse of T-cell membrane function and cell death; there for suppressing the imune system." (Immunology, 1990, July)

"Stearic Acid inhibits T-cell dependent immune responses. Plasma membrane intergrity is significantly impaired, leading to a loss of membrane potential and ultimately cell function and viability." (Tebbey PW, Buttke TM, "Molecular Basis for The Immunosuppressive Action of Stearic Acid on the T-Cells" Immunogy, 1990 Jul; 379-86)

"When Cells were exposed to Stearic Acids and Palmitic Acids, there was a dramatic loss of cell viability after 24 hours. Cell death was induced by Stearic and Palmitic Acid." PMID: 12562519 (PubMed) Ulloth, Je, Casiano CA, De Leon M. Department of Microbiology and Immunology, East Carolina University School of Medicine.

I hope this information helps. If you need more, I will be more than happy to provide it for you.....


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## rs007 (May 28, 2007)

Couple of points here.

The formaldehyde issue. Have you any idea how much aspartame you would have to ingest to have anything remotely problematic with respect to formaldehyde poisoning? I'll give you a clue - so much you'd actually vomit it back out before it got out your stomach.

The natural argument is the biggest bag of shite ever. Some substances more toxic than anything you would ever find in an artificial food additive occur perfectly naturally - Atropa Belladona, a perfectly naturally occuring plant in the western hemisphere has atropine and scopolamine in it. Its common-or-garden name "Deadly Nightshade" tells you all you need to know about that little natural beauty.

The plant genus digitalis is another beauty, grows abundantly, almost weed like, its ingredients - digitoxins and digoxins - are fatal when ingested, causing heart attack in the victim. You will have heard of this plant under its common name "Fox Glove". They have been investigated and developed upon for chemical warfare purposes.

Several herbs yield ephedra, are perfectly natural, yet have been banned outright.

I could go on all day, and thats just plants - insect/arachnid and snake venom raises the game to a whole new level, still perfectly and unarguably natural though... natural is NOT synonymous with "good for you", regardless of what the ignorant masses think.

Rather than Stevia, why dont we use moderate amounts of dextrose? it is the preffered source of fuel for our bodies - why not just use that sensibly and in moderation, and compensate our overall carbohydrate intake to allow for it instead? 

And to say bodybuilders are not interested in health is a gross exageration. Lets make one thing perfectly clear - carrying muscle way beyond what is required for survival, can never be healthy at base level. Therefore, bodybuiding can never be a pursuit which has health at its fore - regardless of what years of Wieder tripe has everyone believing. It can be done as healthily as possible, but it can never be fully compliant with health. It is naive in the extreme and the mindset of a fantasist to think otherwise. However, most people with no underliying medical problems can cope with the margins being pushed for un-natural muscle gain - the human body being the wonderfully adaptive machine that it is.

But is this wrong? Why should everything we do, be for the goal of health? Not one of us is going to live forever no matter how healthily you live, and if I have a lifetime of ingesting aspartame in small amounts to further my bodybuilding, then so be it - just breathing the air from beside a busy road is going to be many times more damaging, i'd be willing to wager. Life is to be lived, and ultimately ended, hopefully as fulfilling and happily as you can achieve, leaving your mark on others in postive ways; life is not to be wasted cowering scared from everything which MAY - stress MAY - make it a little shorter - what would be the point of living longer, if it were living in constant fear - thats not life, not one worth having anyway.

I don't bodybuild because its healthy, I bodybuild because something I probably wont ever truly understand makes me want to do it. If I wanted to be healthy, I'd give up civilised life as we know it and go live wild somewhere, becasue every single thing in our civilised life - EVERYTHING - has an negative effect on our health somewhere along the chain.

I detest scaremongering and misinformation, and the "natural" argument is almost always based heavily on both...


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## rs007 (May 28, 2007)

superbird said:


> But of course. Here a just a couple of my findings: **Note*** I have no affiliations with any of the below organizations.
> 
> "Check your vitamin labels. Do they contain Magnesium Stearate or Stearic Acid? Studies by the University of Texas Science Center and the East Carolina University of Medicine reveal the these toxic excipients cause rapid collapse of T-cell membrane function and cell death; there for suppressing the imune system." (Immunology, 1990, July)
> 
> ...


Thats all good and well, I will dig out those studies myself for interest sake... but answer me this.

Bodybuilders and athletes will have been exposed to stearic acid et al for generations now - literally generations - yet they thrive. They dont just thrive, they excel.

These studies - what organism/species were they conducted on. Did that species/organism train in anyway, or have a supportive diet? Were anabolic substances used along side? Were peptides used? Is this in any way at all in context or applicable with a modern day bodybuilder? Might not the daily activities of the bodybuilder act to counter the effect, by bolstering the system?

How many hospitalisations/deaths/health problems are there per annum, where Magnesium Stearate is even considered as a mitigating factor?

Context ladies and gentleman, CONTEXT. Without it, you could have all the lab studies in the world, youd be as well wiping your arse with them, because without context thats all they are useful for...


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## superbird (Mar 6, 2009)

RS2007 said:


> Thats all good and well, I will dig out those studies myself for interest sake... but answer me this.
> 
> Bodybuilders and athletes will have been exposed to stearic acid et al for generations now - literally generations - yet they thrive. They dont just thrive, they excel.
> 
> ...


You are absolutely justified in your questions for more detailed information. The limited lab/research studies I have given you has CONTEXT to their findings along with much of the stats you are requesting. I will start digging out my files and get your request to you.


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## rs007 (May 28, 2007)

superbird said:


> You are absolutely justified in your questions for more detailed information. The limited lab/research studies I have given you has CONTEXT to their findings along with much of the stats you are requesting. I will start digging out my files and get your request to you.


Cheers superbird - just read back my post and it might seem as if I were attacking you, please be assured I am not! Its just that science is no different from religion - all comes down to blind faith - faith that the people doing the studies arent working to an alternative agenda, faith that the people conducting the experiments are competant, faith that they are honest - it goes on and on.


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## superbird (Mar 6, 2009)

RS2007 said:


> Cheers superbird - just read back my post and it might seem as if I were attacking you, please be assured I am not! Its just that science is no different from religion - all comes down to blind faith - faith that the people doing the studies arent working to an alternative agenda, faith that the people conducting the experiments are competant, faith that they are honest - it goes on and on.


No offense taken at all my friend !! You gave me one hell of a challenge to back up my findings and I respect that. I have done a lot more research not only done in the U.S. but worldwide and its all consistant with my original statements. The only question you had that Im still waiting on is your request for the demagraphics of the study subjects. Let me share with you what I had accessable on file:

Yes, bodybuilders and others have thrived regardless of the use of the Stearic Acid substance. Every report and study no matter where it came from all agree on the findings of the T-cell collapse weakening the immune system....not one report stated otherwise.

There are no documented deaths or hospitalizations noted for normal doses--- 2,500 mg or lower---otherwise the substance would have been banned years ago. Kinda like the same thing Ive been reading about sugar supplements, some claimed not to be the best for you but its still marketed.

As for the study subjects I have been able to document mice and chickens along with human cells though I am still waiting on more pertinent details on human subjects such as physical fitness, ages, genders and diets [ I have left a message with an immunologist that I have contacted in the past in hopes of finding these studies for you]. I also looked into your request regarding peptides---all catagories of peptides---and there seems to be no relation in all of the peptide catagories with magnesium stearate.

Yesterday I was trying to cram all my findings into a synopsis that would fit on this page but there is just too many important findings and facts along with some International copyright issues that I did want to cross. If you have some spare time please look up these sites [some I think I already gave you] and I will continue to look for more defined human subject matters.

Immunalolgy, 1990 70 379-384

grande.nal.usda.gov/idids

www.discoverarticles.com/articles

Radical Health, Vegan, Raw Food Diet

www.qnlabs.com

Buttke T.M. &Cuchens M.A (1984) Toxicity of stearic acid towards PHA activated cells. Immunology, 53, 507

Tired Superbird !! :smash:


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