Your protein shake may contain lead, report finds

Your post-workout protein shake may contain some hidden dangerous ingredients. A new report finds that a significant number of over-the-counter protein powders contain potentially dangerous levels of lead and other toxic metals.

Researchers from the nonprofit organization Clean Labels Project conducted studywhich tests dozens of consumer protein powder brands. Of the 160 products tested, 47 percent had levels of lead, cadmium and other toxic metals that exceeded the safety threshold established by Proposition 65, a 1986 law passed in California that regulates exposure to more than 900 substances in the state . Organic, plant-based and chocolate-based protein powders are significantly more likely to contain these metals than other brands, according to the report.

Although lead exposure has generally decreased significantly since the 1970s. since then (thanks in large part to the phase-out of leaded gasoline), there are still certain consumer products that are known to have a higher risk of contamination. A studied last summerfor example, found that almost half of all cocoa products, especially dark chocolate, may contain dangerous levels of lead. The Clean Labels Project researchers decided to test a wide variety of protein supplements for lead, cadmium and other metals.

The researchers purchased and tested 160 protein powder products across 70 different top-selling brands, which reportedly account for 83% of the market. In addition to the 47% of products that exceeded Prop 65 levels of lead and other metals, 21% were found to have lead levels twice the Prop 65 limit. About 65% of chocolate-containing powders have high levels of lead; 77% of plant-based powders have high levels of lead; and 79% of organic dusts have high levels of lead, including 41% of products that have lead levels twice the Prop 65 limit. These types of products are also more likely to contain cadmium than other brands.

“The study findings highlight that despite the growing health market, many products may contain elevated levels of contaminants that are not reflected on traditional nutrition labels,” the report’s authors wrote. The report declined to list the specific brands found to have lead and other metals, although it noted that whey and collagen-based powders were significantly less likely to be contaminated with them.

The safety thresholds for lead and other substances established by Prop 65 are much stricter than those used by other organizations, including the Food and Drug Administration. Other studies have also suggested that average exposure to heavy metals from consuming protein powder supplements is unlikely to cause adverse health effects in humans, such as a higher risk of cancer. At the same time, there is no really safe level of lead exposure, and exposure to lead at an early age is known to increase the risk of developmental problems. The authors say their report is intended to serve as a “wake-up call for consumers, manufacturers, retailers and regulators alike.”

There was at least one silver lining in the findings. The levels of bisphenols—hormone-disrupting chemicals believed to negatively affect human health—in protein powders have decreased significantly over the years. Only about 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.