Many people incorporate protein powder into their diet for muscle growth and recovery benefits. Additionally, some may utilize protein powder as a weight-loss aid. However, a new report from the Clean Label Project may make you reconsider your preferred brand and type of protein powder. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) explicitly states “lead is harmful to health.” And yet, nearly half of the tested protein powders in this new study exceeded federal or state safety laws.
RELATED: 3 Supplements I Would Never Take as a Pharmacist: “I Think You’re Going to Be Surprised.”
Protein powders can expose you to lead and other dangerous toxins.
A new report commissioned by the Clean Label Project found that many protein powders are laced with concerning amounts of toxins, such as lead and cadmium. The study, which analyzed 83 percent of protein powder brands on the market, is “urging manufacturers to prioritize ingredient purity.”
“Heavy metal contaminant is a global food safety problem,” Jaclyn Bowen, executive director of the Clean Label Project, told CNN. “These contaminants are basically everywhere, including in things that are being represented as health foods.”
Organic, plant-based, and chocolate-flavored protein powders are the most toxic.
For the report, the nonprofit procured 160 of the top-selling protein powders from 70 different brands, pulled from Nielsen and Amazon’s best-sellers lists. The samples were “rigorously” tested at an unaffiliated, analytical chemistry lab, where they underwent more than 35,862 individual tests. The lab tested for 258 different contaminants, including heavy metals (like lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury) and bisphenols (BPA, BPS).
The Clean Label Project chose not to release the list of company names “in order to maintain fairness and consistency and to avoid potential conflicts of interest,” according to Bowen. However, findings suggest that popular plant-based, organic, and chocolate-flavored protein powders can cause the most harm. Additionally, nearly half exceeded state or federal regulated rules for safety.
Their four benchmark findings include:
- 47 percent surpassed California’s Prop 65 safety thresholds for toxic metals
- Organic samples showed three times more lead and twice the amount of cadmium than non-organic protein powders
- Plant-based formulas showed three times more lead than whey-based samples
- Chocolate-flavored powders showed four times more lead than vanilla-flavored powders
On a brighter note, the Clean Label Project found lower levels of bisphenols (chemicals used in plastics) in the products compared to a similar test conducted six years prior.
“We found BPA and BPS in only three of 160 protein powders, compared to 55% of the products we tested in 2018,” Bowen told CNN.
RELATED: 2 Common Dietary Habits Are Causing Colon Cancer in Young People, Researchers Say.
Not everyone agrees with the report’s findings.
Alternatively, some experts claim Clean Label Project’s report is “misleading” and lacks “critical context.”
Andrea Wong, the senior vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the Council for Responsible Nutrition, is advocating for transparency, noting that a ban against protein powders isn’t exactly the answer.
“Modern analytical techniques can detect even trace levels of naturally occurring elements, such as heavy metals, which are present in soil, air, and water. These trace levels are often well below established safety thresholds set by federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),” Wong said in a statement.
“The report’s methodology also warrants scrutiny. CLP has not provided sufficient transparency regarding how products were selected, the criteria for contamination thresholds, or the interpretive framework for their findings,” continued Wong. “Without such clarity, consumers and industry stakeholders cannot fully evaluate the validity of the claims. CRN urges CLP to publish its findings in peer-reviewed journals and provide recommendations grounded in scientific evidence.”
The takeaway.
The purpose of this report was to raise some alarm bells—but that doesn’t mean you need to write protein powders off for good. Rather, do your research before adding a new protein powder to your diet.
“For people following a fully plant-based diet, protein powders made from peas appear to have the lowest levels of heavy metals,” said Bowen. “If you don’t have any dietary restrictions, the data suggests that whey-based or egg-based, vanilla-flavored protein powders will have the least amount.”
Moreover, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification or to speak with a brand representative if you have questions about the ingredient label.
“Ask questions, demand answers,” she continued. “The topic of heavy metals isn’t going away.”