Consumer Reports finds unsafe lead levels in many protein supplements
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An investigation released Tuesday by Consumer Reports sounded the alarm about lead and heavy metals in many protein supplements. (Photo Credit: Jose Luis Palma/Pixabay)
Oct. 14 (UPI) -- Many protein powders and shakes contain alarming levels of lead and other heavy metals, according to an investigation released Tuesday by a consumer watchdog group.
Consumer Reports' investigation centered on tests of 23 protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes that found that more than two-thirds had more lead in a single serving than the group's experts said was safe to consume in a day. Some products contained more than 10 times the amount of the neurotoxin Consumer Reports said was safe for daily consumption.
The nonprofit group first looked into the health risks of protein shakes 15 years ago, and updated its findings as bars, supplements and other foods packed with the nutrient have proliferated as they've been marketed as a way to build muscle and shed weight despite potential downsides. The investigation also argued that Americans don't need to be consuming all that extra protein anyway.
"We've created this health halo around protein," Hannah Cutting-Jones, a food historian and assistant professor at the University of Oregon, told Consumer Reports. "It gives us an excuse to eat a lot of things we shouldn't be eating."
Consumer Reports purchased multiple samples of each product from distinct lots and multiple retailers over the span of three months starting in November.
While Consumer Reports found that most powders did not pose an immediate hazard and were safe for occasional use, two plant-based powders had enough lead that the group's experts advised against taking them at all.
The product with the highest lead levels was Naked Nutrition's Vegan Mass Gainer powder, which contained 7.7 micrograms per serving-about 1,570% of Consumer Reports' level of concern.
The investigation also found that one serving of Huel's Black Edition plant-based protein powder contained 9.2 micrograms of cadmium, more than twice the level of the heavy metal that experts say is safe to consume in a day.
Naked Nutrition responded by telling Consumer Reports it takes consumer health seriously and ordered a third-party test of the supplement. Huel said it is "confident in the current formulation and safety of the products."
Owyn's Pro Elite High Protein Shake and Tranparent Labs' Mass Gainer were found to be the safest.
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