A study found lead in popular protein powders. Here's why you shouldn't panic

A new report detected lead in popular protein powders and shakes — but urges moderation, not panic. Tatiana/Getty Images/iStockphoto hide caption

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Tatiana/Getty Images/iStockphoto

A Consumer Reports (CR) investigation has found what it calls "concerning" levels of lead in roughly two dozen popular protein powder brands — but says that's not necessarily cause for tossing them.

The nonprofit organization tested multiple samples of 23 protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes from a range of stores and online retailers over a three-month period beginning last November.

Their results, published on Tuesday, show that more than two-thirds of the products contain more lead in a single serving than CR's experts say is safe to consume in an entire day.

"Some of the products had more than 10 times the level that our experts say is safe," Consumer Reports reporter Paris Martineau told NPR on Wednesday.

CR says lead levels were especially high across plant-based protein powders — on average, nine times higher than those made with dairy proteins and twice as great as those of beef-based powders.

"When it came to the protein powders and shakes made with whey or dairy-based proteins, those generally had the lowest amounts of lead," Martineau said. "But still, half the products we tested had high enough levels of contamination that our experts advise against taking them daily."

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), a trade group representing the dietary supplement industry, released a statement on Wednesday urging caution in interpreting the study's results. It says that modern testing methods are sensitive enough to identify trace amounts of naturally occurring heavy metals, and that alone does not equate to a health hazard.

"A finding that a product exceeds CR's self-imposed threshold is not the same as exceeding a government safety limit, nor is it evidence of any safety risk to consumers," the trade group added.

CR's report adds to a growing body of research into heavy metals in a variety of everyday products, from cinnamon to tampons. And it's not the first to examine protein powders: The nonprofit Clean Label Project tested 160 products from 70 brands earlier this year and found that 47% of them exceeded California Proposition 65 safety thresholds for toxic metals.

The findings come at a time when many Americans are making part of their regular routines amidst the country's protein craze.

There is no known safe level of exposure to lead, which is present in many of the environments in which food is grown, raised and processed. But experts say the greatest risk of adverse health effects — like reproductive problems, kidney damage and cognitive impairment — comes from repeated exposure at high doses.

While CR advises against downing a protein shake every day, it says the bulk of the products it tested are fine to have occasionally. Even the ones with the highest lead levels are "far below the concentration needed to cause immediate harm," Martineau says.

"The real risk with lead is even if you are exposed to kind of low levels consistently over time, that lead could kind of build up in the body and eventually cause problems farther down the line," Martineau adds. "So I'd say the advice is more, scrutinize your protein shakes and take a look at what you're using to make an informed decision, rather than immediately freak out."

What constitutes a concerning level?

CR sorts the 23 tested powders into categories based on its "level of concern" for lead, which it defines as 0.5 micrograms per day. That's based on the California Proposition 65 maximum allowable dose level for lead.

Accordingly, CR recommends seven products as "better choices for daily consumption" and another 12 as "okay to eat occasionally." It advises limiting consumption of two of the powders to once a week, and avoiding another two altogether.

Those are Naked Nutrition's Mass Gainer powder, which contains 7.7 micrograms of lead per serving, and Huel's Black Edition powder, which contains 6.3 micrograms of lead.

Huel, a British company that makes plant-based meal replacement products, published a lengthy FAQ rebutting CR's report. The FAQ explains where trace minerals like lead come from, how it tests its products and how those results meet international standards.

It criticizes CR for basing its comparison on Prop 65, which it says sets an "exceptionally conservative threshold," and asserts that "scientific evidence and real-world data show that Huel's trace mineral levels are safe for daily consumption."

CRN, the dietary supplement trade group, similarly questioned the usefulness — and potential harmfulness — of CR's "level of concern" metric.

"Without harmonization to established federal benchmarks, or even actual safety risk, such proprietary thresholds can overstate risk and cause unnecessary alarm," it said in its statement.

However, as CR explains in its report, there are no federal limits on the amount of heavy metals in supplements.

How are protein powders regulated? 

In guidance issued earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) set "interim reference levels" of 2.2 micrograms of lead per day for children and 8.8 micrograms per day for women of childbearing age. But those are action levels for industry groups, not requirements.

The FDA regulates dietary supplements under a set of regulations that are separate from other food and drug products: They are not tested, nor are their ingredients verified, before they are sold, though the FDA can take action against "adulterated or misbranded" supplements once they are on the market.

It's up to individual manufacturers to test for contaminants, which CRN says its members do.

"When products are manufactured and tested in accordance with FDA requirements, levels of naturally occurring elements are expected to remain well within safe ranges," it said.

Consumer Reports is calling on the FDA to establish enforceable lead limits in food and supplements to better protect consumers.

"The FDA can take action if it finds unsafe lead levels, but the lack of enforceable standards means it doesn't happen nearly enough," Brian Ronholm, CR's director of food policy, said in the report. "The FDA's lack of funding and staff makes the problem worse."

So what should consumers do? 

CR recommends avoiding all powders or shakes that have Prop 65 warnings, which are easy to spot with their all-caps "warning" labels and bright yellow triangles.

It encourages shoppers to use its recommendations when deciding between protein powders, and to consider dairy-based options over plant-based ones when possible.

CR and other nutrition experts say there's no need to rely on protein powders to meet your goals. The macronutrient can be found in plenty of whole foods, like Greek yogurt, nuts, legumes and meat.

And, as nutritionists have told NPR, snack makers and social media have convinced many people that they need much more protein than they actually do. While everyone is different, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's daily nutrient recommendation calculator is a good place to start.