Some protein powders contain toxic amounts of lead—report
A Consumer Reports investigation has found alarming levels of toxic metals, including lead, in some protein powders and shakes from popular brands.
CR’s food safety experts tested 23 protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes, and discovered that over two-thirds of the products contained heavy metals. In some, a single serving carried more than 10 times the average amount of lead detected in products the company tested 15 years ago.
Almost all the plant-based products CR analyzed contained elevated toxic levels of lead, much more than those made with dairy (nine times more) and the beef-based powders (twice as great).
Two of the products—Naked Nutrition’s Mass Gainer powder and Huel’s Black Edition—went way over CR’s recommended daily lead limit, which is 0.5 micrograms. This is based on California’s standard for daily lead consumption in food and drinks. One serving of Mass Gainer powder went 1,570% over CR’s limit, while a single serving of Black Edition powder contained 6.3 micrograms of lead, or about 1,290% over the standard.
Although the dairy-based powders tested had the lowest levels of lead, about half of them still contained enough lead for CR’s experts to discourage daily use.
Other powders that produced concerning levels of metals are Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein, Momentous’ 100% Plant Protein, MuscleMeds’ Carnivor Mass powder, Vega’s Premium Sport powder, and Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass whey protein powder.
“It’s concerning that these results are even worse than the last time we tested,” said Tunde Akinleye, the lead researcher of the project. In the 2010 testing, CR’s researchers found more products with undetectable amounts of lead, and fewer that had lead amounts in toxic levels.
For Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein, and Momentous’ 100% Plant Protein, CR recommends limiting intake to once a week.
On the other hand, CR has given the go-signal to eat the following occasionally: MuscleMeds’ Carnivor Mass, Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass2, Jocko Fuel’s Mölk Protein Shake, Vega’s Premium Sport Plant-Based Protein3, Quest’s Protein Shake, Orgain’s Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder, Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard Protein Shake, Equip Foods’ Prime Protein, PlantFusion’s Complete Protein, Ensure’s Plant-Based Protein Nutrition Shake, Muscle Milk’s Pro Advanced Nutrition Protein Shake, and KOS’ Organic Superfood Plant Protein.
Among the 23 products tested, CR says daily consumption of the following six is safe as these products’ lead content falls within CR’s daily limit per serving: Owyn’s Pro Elite High Protein Shake, Transparent Labs’ Mass Gainer, Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100% Whey, BSN’ Syntha-6 Protein Powder, Momentous’ Whey Protein Isolate1, Dymatize’s Super Mass Gainer, and Muscle Tech’s 100% Mass Gainer.
Many of these brands, including Naked Nutrition and Huel, are available in the Philippines through online resellers.
