Protein Shakes or Protein Fakes?

Seems the high-protein diet is all the rage nowadays. I'm no slouch in that area either as I try my best to take in at least 200 grams a day. However, it's not always practical to get all the protein that you need through the food you eat.

So like many of you, I supplement my protein needs with healthy protein powders and protein shakes. I absolutely love the convenience of the shake and average about one a day.

Until recently, I was drinking an Aldi's brand (I'm a big fan of the store) called Elevation. The Elevation brand tastes great and advertises 30 grams of Milk Protein and 24 vitamins and minerals.

I was blissfully happy with the low-cost and very convenient source of protein until I tried to drink one AFTER it had frozen. (I had left a pack of them in my car during the latest round of winter weather.) However, after trying to drink one upon thawing out, I was immediately disgusted by the texture "the liquid" had coalesced to.

The expiration date was labeled12/2026, and while it smelled good, and had no discoloring with the vanilla flavor, something was way off as it poured out as a pasty pile of mush.

Then I took a closer look at the ingredient list and was SHOCKED by how many were used in it's making. By my count, close to 60 ingredients are packed into every one of those little 11 oz bottles with many of them very hard to pronounce.

Among the MANY ingredients listed were;

• Sucralose, an artificial sweetener linked to gut microbiome disruption with possible links to cravings/insulin effects in some studies.

• Acesulfame Potassium, another artificial sweetener with long-term safety with potential metabolic and cancer concerns.

• Carrageenan, a seaweed-derived thickener/texture stabilizer that has been linked to gut inflammation and potential IBS aggravation which is especially bad for sensitive stomachs.

• Mono- and diglycerides (emulsifiers; sometimes from partially hydrogenated sources, though usually not in modern formulations; can be concerning for ultra-processed food concerns).

• Cellulose gum and cellulose gel (thickeners; plant-derived but highly processed; generally safe but add to the "ultra-processed" score on apps like Open Food Facts, which marks this as highly processed).

• Sunflower oil (small amount; some prefer avoiding seed oils due to omega-6 content, but negligible here).

• Mono- and diglycerides (emulsifiers; sometimes from partially hydrogenated sources, though usually not in modern formulations; can be concerning for ultra-processed food concerns).

I think the fact that it poured out as a paste after thawing was a big red flag. However, after inspecting the VERY LONG list of ingredients with many of them on the naughty list for short-term and long-term health risks, I conclude this isn't real food. Whatever positive effects one might receive from the protein content in the bottle are vastly overshadowed by the risks associated by the aforementioned list of sketchy ingredients. This is a PROTEIN FAKE, not a PROTEIN SHAKE!

Unfortunately, the Elevation brand of protein shakes is not the only one producing this type unhealthy and risky at best list of ingredients.

Muscle Milk might be an even worse offender with nearly 60 ingredients total and come with concerns about Potential Heavy Metal Contamination (not an "added" ingredient, but a processing concern) Some consumer reports from 2010 found low levels of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury in some Muscle Milk powders. More recent 2025 Consumer Reports testing on Muscle Milk's Pro Advanced Nutrition Shake had detectable lead but at levels considered okay for occasional use.

With that being said, there are some healthier alternatives out there such as Shamrock Farm's Rockin' Protein Builder Max which boasts 50 grams of lactose-free, highly absorbable Milk Protein and Fairlife's Core Power available in both 26 and 42 grams of protein varieties. While these also have some undesirable ingredients such as carrageenan and sucralose. These two protein shakes only have around 12-15 ingredients making them much less risky.

Personally, I'm looking at labels a lot more closely than I used to. As a result, I'm feeling a lot better than I used to as well.

Let me know your thoughts on the Protein Fake issue.

-Jeremy Kappell

ISSA Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

Longtime Fitness Advocate & Enthusiast