There’s no denying that protein has become a major industry nowadays. A glance at the aisles of your neighborhood grocery store reveals numerous products highlighting their protein content, whether they originate from natural sources like meat and dairy or from processed items such as breakfast cereals and pasta.

Additionally, protein powders are available for those wishing to enhance their protein intake or source protein from non-animal origins, including fitness enthusiasts and vegans.

However, a concerning new report discloses that some of these powders contain another substance alongside protein: lead. Given this revelation, how concerned should you be about protein powder?

Lead Levels

Consumer Reports, an independent nonprofit organization in the United States that assesses the quality of consumer products, evaluated 23 different protein powder and shake formulations.

Their findings, revealed in October, were alarming. More than two-thirds of the products contained lead levels per serving that exceeded what Consumer Reports’ food safety experts deem safe for daily consumption.

Worryingly, certain products contained amounts that were 10 times the Dietary Intake Restrictions outlined by Consumer Reports.

At first glance, the levels of lead found in items meant for human consumption might appear dangerously high. However, it’s important to remember that Consumer Reports sets a relatively low daily dietary limit of 0.5 micrograms (μg) per day, whereas the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has a limit of 12.5 μg per day.

Why is there such a significant difference between these recommendations? “My assumption is that Consumer Reports employs much lower benchmark levels than the FDA to address regulatory gaps,” says Dr. Kathryn Schilling, Assistant Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University, USA.

This regulatory gap exists because supplements like protein powders do not fall under the categories of food or drugs in the United States. They are classified as dietary supplements and regulated by different FDA guidelines under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA).

“There are no federal restrictions on heavy metals in supplements in the United States, and manufacturers aren’t required to demonstrate their products’ safety prior to market entry,” Schilling points out. “Given that research shows there is no safe threshold for lead, Consumer Reports may have established its own targets purely for health protection.”

In the UK and Europe, however, protein powders are considered food rather than dietary supplements, which mandates adherence to standard food safety regulations, including regular contaminant testing. But does this guarantee that UK protein powders are free of lead?

“No,” Schilling asserts. “Even with stricter supervision, trace levels can still emerge.”

The Danger

As Schilling emphasizes, no level of lead is safe. This is echoed by both the World Health Organization (WHO) and environmental health research in which Schilling was involved.

Toxic heavy metal exposure can have severe consequences on vital organs, including the brain, heart, liver, and kidneys; the documented harm is well-established.

For instance, a significant study by a major U.S. company published in The Lancet Public Health tracked blood lead levels in 14,000 adults over a 20-year period. Researchers discovered that individuals with elevated blood lead levels were 37% more likely to die from any cause and 70% more likely to succumb to heart disease compared to those with lower lead levels.

Similarly, the WHO estimated in 2019 that excessive lead exposure led to over 300,000 deaths from strokes worldwide. Lead can harm blood vessel linings, resulting in inflammation, plaque accumulation, and high blood pressure. This is why the American Heart Association lists lead as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases.

One of lead’s most insidious characteristics, apart from the damage it inflicts, is its tendency to persist in the body over extended periods.

“When lead enters the body, it accumulates in bones, teeth, and other tissues,” Schilling explains. “It can remain trapped in the skeleton for 10 to 30 years, gradually re-entering the bloodstream.”

Unfortunately, this coincides with the fact that even minimal lead consumption can result in bodily harm. Even microgram amounts of lead ingested daily are associated with increased risks of heart disease, kidney issues, and high blood pressure.

As noted earlier, the body eliminates lead at a sluggish pace. Therefore, consistent small amounts can accumulate more rapidly than they can be reduced.

Metal Detection

Consumer Reports’ analysis also revealed that the two protein powders containing the highest lead concentrations (up to 6.3 μg and 7.7 μg per serving) were plant-based products.

“There’s a scientific explanation for why some plant-based protein powders exhibited elevated metal levels,” Schilling states.

“Plants like peas, soybeans, and hemp have a tendency to absorb metals from the soil. If lead is present in even small amounts in the soil or irrigation water, the plants will take it up during growth.

“When these plants undergo processing, the metals from the original plants become concentrated in the final protein powder. Thus, the findings by Consumer Reports are plausible. However, their study examined only 23 products, leaving us unaware of the cultivation locations or manufacturing processes of the powders.”

Humans absorb lead from the environment in a manner similar to plants; unfortunately, industrial lead has been incorporated into paints, fuels, pipes, and other products for decades. Residuals persist and continue to infiltrate our food, water, and air today.

“Lead is persistent in soil, dust, and outdated infrastructure,” Schilling notes. “It can still intrude into our homes, water supplies, and food; its prevalence in the environment makes it nearly impossible to eliminate all exposure.”

In fact, a 2019 FDA study estimated that the average American adult is exposed to as much as 5.3 micrograms of lead daily through dietary sources alone. If you inadvertently include a scoop of high-lead protein powder in this total, you could easily surpass FDA limits without even being aware of it.

Even more troubling, Schilling warns that high lead levels in protein powders have long been recognized in the U.S. “We’ve encountered reports like this repeatedly, and little has changed,” she states. “It’s not merely an issue with a single brand or batch; it represents a systemic contamination and oversight problem.”

So, given all this information, how concerned should you be about lead in your protein shakes and powders?

“Protein powder is just one aspect of the bigger picture,” Schilling concludes. “The essential message is not to panic after just one shake, but to acknowledge that even small amounts of lead from various sources can accumulate, highlighting the necessity for enhanced monitoring to remove lead from the products people regularly use.”

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