You’ve probably heard messaging that you need more protein in your life. And one of the most popular ways to cram more of the macronutrient into your day is with protein powder. Now, a new Consumer Reports study is raising a lot of questions about just how safe that approach is.
The study detected elevated levels of lead in a range of protein powders, with some exceeding up to 10 times more lead than Consumer Report’s food safety experts say is safe to have in a day. That alone is enough to freak anyone out, especially if you’re a regular protein powder user. But toxicologists and food safety experts say the reality of the findings is a little more nuanced than it seems at first.
So, are you good to keep on enjoying your favorite protein powder, or is it best to limit its use in the future? Here’s what the study found, plus what experts want you to keep in mind.
What did the study find?
For the study, Consumer Reports tested 23 popular protein powders and shakes that are made from dairy, beef, and plant-based protein. The researchers discovered that about 70% of the protein powders they tested contained more than 120% of their “level of concern” (the threshold for the amount of lead that they consider safe to have in a day), which is 0.5 micrograms per day. Worth noting: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a much higher limit for this, recommending that children have no more than 2.2 milligrams a day of lead from food and that women of childbearing age ingest no more than 8.8 milligrams a day of the heavy metal.
As a whole, the researchers found that the lead levels in plant-based products were about nine times the amount found in those made with dairy-based proteins like whey and twice as high as those made from beef. Dairy-based protein powders and shakes usually had the lowest amounts of lead, but half of the products that were tested still had high-enough levels of contamination that the researchers don’t recommend having them on a daily basis.
The researchers discovered that two plant-based protein powders had so much lead that they recommend avoiding them: Naked Nutrition’s Mass Gainer powder contained 7.7 micrograms of lead per serving (or 1,570% of Consumer Report’s level of concern for lead), while Huel’s Black Edition powder contained 6.3 micrograms of lead (about 1,290% of Consumer Report’s daily lead limit).
Researchers flagged two other plant-based protein powders as containing between 400% and 600% of Consumer Report’s level of concern: Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein and Momentous’ 100% Plant Protein.
It’s important to point out that lead isn’t great for health for a few different reasons. In children, lead exposure is linked to damage to the brain and nervous system, slowed growth and development, learning and behavior issues, and hearing and speech problems, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In adults, lead exposure can raise the risk of high blood pressure and brain, kidney, and reproductive health issues.
But this is a little more complicated than it seems.
The Consumer Reports threshold for lead in protein powders was based on California’s Proposition 65 Maximum Allowable Dose Level for lead and not on actual human toxicity data, Kelly Johnson-Arbor, MD, a toxicologist at MedStar Health, tells SELF. “Plant-based protein powder consumption is not proven to cause lead poisoning or significant human harm, and the authors of the CR study acknowledged this in their article, noting that none of the lead amounts present in their tested samples were high enough to cause immediate harm,” she says.
What’s up with the plant-based protein powders containing more lead? It mostly comes down to what’s in the soil that the plants are grown in, Darin Detwiler, LPD., a professor at Northeastern University and author of the book Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions, tells SELF.
“Lead is a naturally-occurring heavy metal, but decades of industrial pollution, mining, pesticide use, and contaminated irrigation water have increased its presence in soil globally,” he says. “Plants used in protein powders—especially rice, peas, and hemp—are particularly prone to absorbing lead and other heavy metals from soil as they grow.” (Dairy-based products are “filtered” through the animal beforehand, which can explain why they may contain less lead, Detwiler says.)
But lead can also get into protein powder during processing, when the seeds are extracted and turned into pea flour and pea protein concentrate, Dr. Johnson-Arbor says. “The processing methods involved in the production of pea protein, [can include] the use of lead-containing milling machinery used to grind the peas into flour, and may also introduce lead into the final protein concentrate product,” she continues. “Due to these aspects of growth and processing, plant-based protein powders are more likely to contain lead than their dairy-based counterparts that undergo different extraction and processing methods.”
It’s worth noting that fruits and vegetables can also contain trace amounts of lead since they’re grown in soil—it’s just not likely to be as much. “While some produce may contain trace levels of lead, whole foods are generally less concentrated than protein powders, which are processed to increase nutritional density—and with that, potentially concentrating contaminants as well,” Detwiler says.
So, what’s the takeaway?
Here’s the big question: Are you OK to keep enjoying your favorite protein powder or not?
If you have protein powder here and there, Dr. Johnson-Arbor says lead is unlikely to be an issue for you. But it’s not great to consume it often, Ellen Shumaker, PhD, food safety expert and director of outreach for the Safe Plates program at North Carolina State University, tells SELF. “My level of concern ties to how much of these products a person actually consumes over a long period of time and whether they are part of a vulnerable population—children and pregnant women,” she says.
For everyone else, Detwiler recommends looking for products certified by independent bodies like NSF, USP, or Informed-Choice, which test for heavy metals. But it’s also a good idea to be mindful of how much protein powder you’re taking in on a regular basis, Jamie Alan, PhD, an associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology at Michigan State University, tells SELF. “If you are an occasional user, you are likely fine. If you drink these daily, you may want to re-evaluate your choice,” she says.
If you’re concerned about lead exposure, Dr. Johnson-Arbor recommends talking to a healthcare provider about getting a blood lead test. But, again, she stresses that lead in protein powders have not been linked to serious health issues.
Ultimately, experts agree that you probably shouldn’t be tossing back protein powder daily. “Protein shakes are not essential,” Dr. Alan says.
Related:
- What Is Clear Protein? And Is It a Good Source of the Macro?
- Here’s Exactly How Much Protein to Eat If You’re on a GLP-1
- How to Turn a Can of Tuna Into a High-Protein Meal
Get more of SELF’s great service journalism delivered right to your inbox.
