Consumer Reports Finds High Levels of Lead in Protein Powders

For many individuals, protein powder is a staple of their kitchen pantry due to its accessibility and flexibility. However, not all protein dietary supplements are created equal, as Consumer Reports’ (CR) newest investigation revealed this week, discovering that many protein powders and shakes comprise alarmingly excessive ranges of lead.

The report discovered that over two-thirds of the 23 protein powders and shakes reviewed by the nonprofit contained a single serving with extra lead than what Consumer Reports’ meals security consultants deemed protected to devour in a day — in some circumstances, greater than 10 occasions the restrict.

This could sound alarming, particularly for those who religiously crush a protein shake day by day, however there’s no must 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 harm,” the report mentioned. Instead, the purpose is to lift consciousness about precisely what you’re consuming so you possibly can take the correct steps to decrease your heavy steel publicity in the long run.

Here’s a more in-depth have a look at the report’s outcomes, together with tips about find out how to mitigate your threat of heavy steel publicity.

What did Consumer Reports’ investigation on protein powders discover?

Protein dietary supplements similar to powders and ready-to-drink shakes are marketed as fast and straightforward methods to fulfill your dietary targets, however that doesn’t imply they’re free from environmental air pollution, well being considerations, or contamination.

According to the report, greater than two-thirds of the examined protein merchandise contained a single serving with extra lead than CR meals security consultants deem protected for day by day consumption — and a few exceeded this restrict by greater than 10 occasions. There have been some exceptions, however merchandise made with plant-based proteins usually examined larger for lead than these derived from animal sources (FYI: all plant-based merchandise relied on pea protein as the primary ingredient). Dairy-based proteins had the bottom lead ranges, however half of the dairy merchandise nonetheless had contamination ranges excessive sufficient for consultants to advise towards day by day use.

The cause for that is probably as a result of vegetation, together with peas, are recognized to soak up no matter vitamins or contaminants are naturally current within the soil, water, and air round them. The actual wrongdoer depends upon the place the plant is grown and finally processed, however heavy steel contamination can originate from pure sources just like the earth’s crust or from human exercise similar to industrial air pollution, wastewater irrigation, street mud, or pesticides utilized in farming. Animal merchandise, alternatively, sometimes comprise heavy metals that enter by contaminated feed, soil, water, and air within the animal’s surroundings.

Protein powder and lead contamination take a look at outcomes

Consumer Reports examined 23 totally different dairy, beef, and plant-based protein dietary supplements, together with powders and ready-to-drink shakes, for heavy metals similar to arsenic, cadmium, and lead. Multiple samples of every product have been bought from varied retailers over a three-month interval.

Lead was the first heavy steel that emerged within the outcomes, with about 70 p.c of examined merchandise exceeding 120 p.c of Consumer Report’s ranges of concern, which is 0.5 micrograms of lead per day. Three merchandise additionally surpassed the priority ranges for cadmium and inorganic arsenic, a poisonous heavy steel labeled as a recognized carcinogen.

These outcomes are particularly regarding as a result of ongoing lead publicity can negatively have an effect on neurological growth in infants and youngsters. Some information point out that long-term publicity can be related to hypertension, nerve harm, kidney points, and reproductive considerations in adults. At excessive ranges, arsenic and cadmium are additionally linked to an elevated threat of most cancers throughout all age teams.

Here are the merchandise Consumer Reports recommends limiting and/or avoiding completely, based mostly on the nonprofit’s findings.

Products to keep away from

• Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer
• HELL’S BLACK EDITION

Products to restrict to as soon as per week

• Garden of Life’s Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein
• Momentous’ 100% Plant Protein

Okay to eat often

• MuscleMeds’ Carnivor Mass
• Jocko Fuel’s Mölk Protein Shake
• Optimum Nutrition’s Serious Mass
• Vega’s Premium Sport Plant-Based Protein
• 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
• KOS Organic Superfood Plant Protein

Better decisions for day by day consumption

• Owyn’s Pro Elite High Protein Shake
• Transparent Labs’ Mass Gainer
• Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100% Whey
• BSN’s Synthia-6 Protein Powder
• Momentous’ Whey Protein Isolate
• Dymatize’s Super Mass Gainer
• Muscle Tech’s 100% Mass Gainer

How to mitigate threat from heavy metals in meals

No quantity of lead is taken into account protected, however there’s no must panic for those who’ve been supplementing with any of the above manufacturers. This is as a result of many of those merchandise are protected to devour often, and even these with the very best lead ranges are properly beneath the focus required to trigger fast hurt.

You need your lead publicity to be as little as potential, so based mostly on the findings, it’s price reconsidering utilizing the 2 merchandise Consumer Reports listed to keep away from (Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer and Huel’s Black Edition). Another professional tip? Avoid any product with a Prop 65 warning on the label, which serves as a disclosure that merchandise comprise chemical substances recognized by California as doubtlessly inflicting most cancers, start defects, or reproductive hurt at sure publicity ranges.

If you’re set on utilizing a protein complement, it’s greatest to decide on one of many “better choice” merchandise to cut back your potential lead publicity. If none of these enchantment to you, Consumer Reports suggests limiting your weekly consumption of protein dietary supplements.

To meet your protein wants, contemplate incorporating recent, complete meals that naturally comprise protein, similar to rooster, fish, tofu, lentils, eggs, Greek yogurt, lean beef, and beans. After all, most adults truly don’t want a protein complement to succeed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s normal suggestion of 0.36 grams of protein per pound of physique weight.

Last however not least, remember the fact that heavy steel toxicity is primarily about mitigating long-term threat, as the best hazard comes from repeated publicity, particularly at excessive doses. So, for those who often drink a protein shake, you’re probably high-quality. That mentioned, when you’ve got considerations about your dietary decisions, protein consumption, or heavy steel publicity, consulting a medical skilled is all the time a sensible transfer.