Your protein shake may be laced with lead, report finds

A post-workout protein shake can come with some hidden dangerous ingredients. A new report finds that a significant portion of over-the-counter protein powders contain potentially dangerous lead and other toxic metals.

The clean labels project was carried out by researchers at a non-profit organization to learntested dozens of consumer protein powder brands. Of the 160 products tested, levels of lead, cadmium and other toxic metals in 47% exceeded safety limits set by California Act 65 of 1986, which regulates exposure to more than 900 substances across the state. Organic, plant-based and chocolate-based protein powders were more likely to contain these metals than other brands, according to the report.

Although overall lead exposure has decreased significantly since the 1970s (largely due to the phase-out of leaded gasoline), there are still some consumer products that are known to carry a higher risk of contamination. A read last summerfor example, found that nearly half of all cocoa products, especially dark chocolate, may contain dangerous levels of lead. Researchers from the Clean Labels Project decided to test multiple protein supplement products for lead, cadmium, and other metals.

Researchers bought and tested 160 protein powder products from 70 different top-selling brands, representing 83% of the market. In addition to the 47% of lead and other metals exceeding the Prop 65 level, 21% were found to have lead levels twice the Prop 65 limit. About 65% of chocolate-containing powders had high levels of lead; 77% of plant dusts had high levels of lead; and 79% of organic dusts had elevated lead levels, including 41% of products with lead levels twice the Prop 65 limit. These types of products were more likely to contain cadmium than other brands.

“The results of the study highlight that despite the growth of the health-conscious market, many products may contain high levels of contaminants that are not reflected on traditional nutrition labels,” the report’s authors said. The report declines to list the specific brands found to contain lead and other metals, although it notes that serum and collagen-based powders are significantly less likely to be contaminated with them.

The safety limits for lead and other substances established by Prop 65 are much stricter than those used by other agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration. There are other studies also suggested Moderate heavy metal exposure from consuming protein powder supplements is unlikely to cause adverse health effects in humans, such as a higher cancer risk. At the same time, there is no really safe level Lead is known to increase the risk of exposure development issues. The authors say their report is intended to serve as a “wake-up call for consumers, manufacturers, retailers and regulators.”

There was at least one silver lining to the findings. Levels of bisphenols—hormone-disrupting chemicals—chemicals thought to adversely affect human health in protein powders have decreased significantly over the years. Only 2% of products (3 out of 160) tested positive for these chemicals in this latest report, compared to 55% of products the organization tested as part of a similar report in 2018.