Protein powder is not known to cause tonsil stones. These calcifications develop on your tonsils and most commonly occur in adults between 20 to 77 years old, according to a study from I. G. Medical College in India and reported in the July 2008 issue of “Cases Journal.” Some tonsil stones are asymptomatic, and you won’t even know you have a tonsil stone until it shows up on an x-ray or C.T. scan.
Protein Powder
Protein powder provides extra protein for athletes, the elderly, the infirm and anyone who wants to eat more protein. The protein in protein powder comes from different sources including whey, soy, egg and hemp. You typically blend protein powder with a liquid, such as juice or milk, to make a “protein shake.” Protein powder comes in a variety of flavors to appeal broadly to consumer tastes.
Tonsil Stones
A tonsil stone, or tonsillolith, is a white or yellow calcified stone. Adults commonly develop small tonsil stones, and they are rare in children, according to information from the same I.G. Medical College study. This condition typically presents as bad breath, the feeling of something foreign in your throat and pain while swallowing. It’s possible, but rare, to develop giant tonsilloliths. While researchers in the I.G. Medical College study say the cause of tonsil stones is unknown, researchers from Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan claim chronic tonsil inflammation causes tonsil stones.
Case Study
Although unusual, tonsil stones can obstruct your airway, according to a case study from Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan and reported in the July 2011 issue of the “Journal of the Chinese Medical Association.” While tonsil stones are typically small and only on one side, this study reports a 75-year-old man with one tonsil stone on each side. He presented with painful swallowing and progressively worse shortness of breath. He had immediate relief from symptoms after a tonsillectomy.
The Melamine Incident
While protein powder is not known to cause tonsil stones, protein powder tainted with melamine has caused kidney and bladder stones, according to information from the World Health Organization in Switzerland published in the December 2009 issue of “Environmental Health Perspectives.” This food safety event is called the Melamine Incident. Chinese manufacturers intentionally added melamine -- an industrial chemical not approved for use as a food additive -- to food products such as protein powder, milk and animal feed to boost the protein content. Gall stones were the most common reported side effect in this incident.
References
- Evergreen State College: Protein Powders
- Cases Journal; Giant Tonsillolith Causing Odynophagia in a Child: A Rare Case Report; J.S. Thakur et al.
- Environmental Health Perspectives: The Melamine Incident: Implications for International Food and Feed Safety
- Journal of the Chinese Medical Association; Upper Airway Obstruction Caused by Bilateral Giant Tonsilloliths; R.H. Lo et al.
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