Powering up? Unsafe levels of lead found in top protein powder mixes, study finds

Protein powder may be good for pumping iron - but it's also apparently a way to introduce toxic metal into your body, according to a new report.

Consumer watchdog group, Consumer Reports, recently analyzed 23 protein powders and instant shake mixes and found that more than two-thirds of them contained unsafe or concerning levels of lead.

In fact, more than two-thirds of the samples contained more lead in a single serving than humans should be ingesting in an entire day, according to the report published Tuesday.

The evidence suggested to researchers that lead contamination in protein powders is getting worse.

“It’s concerning that these results are even worse than the last time we tested,” Tunde Akinleye, a Consumer Reports food safety researcher, said.

Consumer Reports has been testing for lead in food and drink products for years. In addition to finding more protein powders with unsafe levels of lead, the report also found that there are fewer products with untraceable amounts of lead in their mixes.

Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer powder had the highest lead levels — 7.7 micrograms per serving — almost twice as much per serving as the worst product Consumer Reports tested in 2010.

Virtually all of the plant-based powders and mixes tested had elevated lead levels, but two stood out.

Two of the products had such high lead levels that the watchdog group warned against using them at all. A single serving of one of the powders had between 1,200 and 1,600 percent of what Consumer Reports considered a concerning level of lead — 0.5 micrograms per day.

The report suggested skipping Naked Nutrition Vegan Mass Gainer and Huel Black Edition protein powder completely due to their high lead content.

The Independent has requested comment from Naked Nutrition and Huel.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says there is no known safe level of lead exposure.

“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,” Akinleye said in the report.

James Clark, chief marketing officer for Naked Nutrition, issued a statement to The New York Times saying the company had been aware of Consumer Report’s testing and had commissioned an independent test in response. The company said it "confirmed that no heavy metals exceeded FDA reference intake levels."

Clark also noted that because Vegan Mass Gainer is meant to help people gain weight, it also had a larger serving size than other protein powders tested by Consumer Reports.

Rebecca Williams, head of nutrition at Huel, told the Times in an email that lead content found in the protein powder was "well within internationally recognized safety limits" and insisted the products were "completely safe."

Two other powders — Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein and Momentous’ 100% Plant Protein — had between 400 and 600 percent. The report suggested that anyone using those products only take them once per week.

The Independent has requested comment from Garden of Life and Momentous.

Unlike typical food products, the FDA does not regulate or vet supplements like protein powders, including those hawked by influencers and podcasters, before they’re consumed by the public.

Dr. Pieter Cohen, an internist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, told The Washington Post that because supplement manufacturers aren't forced to test for lead, consumers can be left "in the dark about how much lead they're consuming."

Lead tends to enter the food supply either through contaminated soil and groundwater or during the manufacturing process.

Once inside the body, lead can end up stored in the bones and is excreted very slowly, according to Cohen. Long-term exposure can lead to neurological symptoms and other health issues, and children are especially at risk from lead exposure.

Taking extra protein has become a fitness fad for many Americans. Protein helps people feel full — and thus eat less — and contributes to muscle growth, and recovery.

Protein is important, but it's also found in many of the foods we eat. Some health experts have suggested that Americans do not need the supplements to consume an adequate amount of protein.

“Protein has strong tailwinds these days,” Cohen told the Post. “For the most part, this is hype, and people do not need to take protein supplements to be healthy.”

Dr. Stephen Luby, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, told the Times that he found the report "troubling" and advised consumers to consider whether or not the risk of potential heavy metal exposure was worth it to avoid getting protein from actual food.

“We should be asking ourselves, is this exposure to protein powder creating more risks than it is benefits?” the doctor said.