America continues to be obsessed with protein—but a new report cautions against many of the supplements people use to hit their goals.
Nonprofit group Consumer Reports (CR) shared findings Tuesday from a new investigation into toxic heavy metals found in protein powders. After testing 23 powders and ready-to-drink shakes from popular brands, the group found that more than two-thirds contained more lead per serving than CR considers safe to consume in a day.
As a result, CR advises “against daily use for most protein powders, since many have high levels of heavy metals and none are necessary to hit your protein goals,” Tunde Akinleye, a chemist and Consumer Reports food safety researcher, said in the report.
But which protein powders were the worst offenders—and how concerned should you be if any are part of your daily routine? Here’s what you need to know.
Consumer Reports tested a range of bestselling dairy, beef, and plant-based protein supplements (protein powders and ready-to-drink protein shakes) over a three-month period.
Samples of the supplements were tested for arsenic, cadmium, lead, and other elements, as well as amount of protein per serving.
Protein content wasn’t an issue here; all products met or exceeded the amount of protein advertised in each serving on the label. But the amount of lead in the products raised red flags for experts—about 70% of products had more than 120% of CR’s “level of concern” for lead content, which was 0.5 micrograms per day.
That standard was based on the California Prop 65 maximum allowable dose for lead—a stricter threshold than those used by most other health authorities. The Food and Drug Administration, for example, considers more than 2.2 micrograms a day potentially harmful for children, and 8.8 micrograms per day in women of childbearing age.
While there is no known safe level of lead consumption, these thresholds appear to demonstrate how difficult it is to eliminate exposure entirely.
In addition to lead, the report also identified three products that had concerningly high levels of cadmium and inorganic arsenic–two other toxic heavy metals.
Of the 23 total products tested, two plant-based proteins contained the highest amounts of lead: Naked Nutrition’s Mass Gainer powder, which had 7.7 micrograms of lead per serving, and Huel’s Black Edition powder, which contained 6.3 micrograms—1,570% and 1,290% higher than CR’s daily lead limits, respectively.
Due to the high lead levels in those protein powders, CR experts advised against consuming them, the report said. In statements to The New York Times, both Naked Nutrition and Huel said that the heavy metals in their products neither “exceeded FDA reference intake levels” nor “internationally recognized safety limits.”
The remaining protein powders had varying levels of lead, which resulted in CR suggesting how often people should consume them.
For some products with higher levels—like Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein and Momentous’ 100% Plant Protein—CR recommends limiting servings to once per week. For others with lower levels—including Ensure’s Plant-Based Protein Nutrition Shake and Muscle Milk’s Pro Advanced Nutrition Protein Shake—CR says five servings a week is fine.
The nonprofit also said there are seven options that are better for daily consumption. Those include:
- Owyn’s Pro Elite High Protein Shake
- Transparent Labs’ Mass Gainer
- Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100% Whey
- BSN’s Syntha-6 Protein Powder
- Momentous’ Whey Protein Isolate
- Dymatize’s Super Mass Gainer
- Muscle Tech’s 100% Mass Gainer
It’s alarming to hear about high levels of lead and other toxic heavy metals in protein powders, but CR said there’s no reason to panic.
“Many of these powders are fine to have occasionally, and even those with the highest lead levels are far below the concentration needed to cause immediate harm,” the report stated.
In interviews with The New York Times, outside experts not involved with CR’s testing said they found the results “troubling” and “worrisome”—but added that the report shouldn’t be used “as a purchasing guide.”
Instead, people interested in taking protein powders or supplements regularly should purchase those made by companies that use third-party quality certification programs like USP or NSF. Previous reporting by Health also suggested “choosing brands that prioritize rigorous testing for heavy metals.”
It’s also worth noting that most people don’t actually need protein supplements. Rather, experts generally suggest getting protein from whole foods like lean meats, eggs, and legumes.
“When you fortify [your] diet with supplements you’re putting yourself at greater risk,” Nicholas Burd, PhD, a professor of health and kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told CR. “You can 100 percent meet your protein demands by eating whole foods.”
