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A new Consumer Reports study of protein powders and shakes revealed many of the products contain high, and in some cases, unsafe levels of lead. The investigation also discovered that since the organization first tested protein powders and shakes in 2010, heavy metal contamination has become even more common.
“It’s concerning that these results are even worse than the last time we tested,” said Tunde Akinleye, the CR food safety researcher who led the testing project.
According to the study, the average level of lead in protein powders and shakes is higher than what they found 15 years ago. There were also fewer products with undetectable amounts of it and the outliers were far greater than they were in 2010. For example, Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer powder, the product with the highest lead levels, had nearly twice as much lead per serving as the worst product that was analyzed in 2010.
Akinleye did add that “there’s no reason to panic” because “many of these protein powders are fine to use occasionally and none of them will cause immediate harm.” However, he did recommend that regular users of protein supplements consider reducing the amount they consume.
“We advise against daily use for most protein powders, since many have high levels of heavy metals and none are necessary to hit your protein goals,” he said.
Rose Goldman, MD, an associate professor of medicine and physician at Cambridge Health Alliance, pointed out, “No amount of lead exposure is considered safe, but the greatest danger comes from repeated or continuous exposure, particularly at high doses.”
Lead lingers in the body, so even small amounts can add up over time and contribute to health risks, Goldman says. And unlike some other foods CR has tested for heavy metals, such as chocolate and bubble tea, protein powder isn’t usually treated as an occasional indulgence. For many people, it’s part of their daily routine. Some products are even marketed as complete meal replacements, with superfans bragging in online forums about surviving on nothing but these powders for weeks or months at a time
“Protein powders and shakes have become immensely popular and are part of a daily routine for many people who are focused on consuming more protein in their diet,” said Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports. “Our tests found that toxic heavy metal contamination in protein supplements is widespread and has worsened since we first analyzed these products 15 years ago.”
The report notes that lead levels in plant-based products were, on average, nine times the amount found in products made with dairy proteins like whey, and twice as great as beef-based products. That being said, half of the dairy-based products still had high enough levels of contamination that they advised against using them daily.
The aforementioned Naked Nutrition’s Mass Gainer powder contained 7.7 micrograms of lead per serving, while Huel’s Black Edition powder contained 6.3 micrograms of lead. Those numbers are 1,570 percent and 1,290 percent more than Consumer Report’s level of concern, respectively. Huel’s also contained 9.2 micrograms of cadmium, more than double the level that public health authorities say may be harmful to consume daily. Vega’s Premium Sport powder also contained more cadmium than is healthy to ingest daily.
Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein and Momentous’ 100% Plant Protein each contained lead between 400 and 600 percent of Consumer Report’s level of concern, and Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass contained 8.5 micrograms per serving of inorganic arsenic, which is twice the safe daily limit. The full list of protein powders and shakes that were tested by Consumer Reports can be viewed here.
As a result of their study, Consumer Reports launched a petition calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take address the issue once the government shutdown is over.
“No one should have to worry that their protein shake could expose them to dangerous levels of lead,” Ronholm said. “It’s time for the FDA to protect the public and hold industry accountable by setting strong limits on lead in protein powders and shakes.”