New research shows that products praised for health and wellness benefits may contain more dangerous ingredients than what is on the label.
In 15 years, protein powder has gone from a gym junkie's secret to a multibillion-dollar wellness phenomenon, according to an article from Consumer Reports. For Brock Imbernon, a junior studying electrical engineering, he has been using protein powder on and off for about five years, having about a scoop a day.
An investigation conducted by Consumer Reports showed that some protein powders carry troubling levels of toxic heavy metals, including lead.
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Typically, Imbernon said he researches protein supplements to compare brands but does not look too deeply into the testing done on the products.
"I'll look on Reddit and Instagram and see what people online say about them," Imbernon said.
The Food and Drug Administration monitors and regulates lead levels in foods, but there is no known safe level of exposure to the metal. While it is not possible to eliminate lead contamination in the food supply, there are ways to reduce its levels, according to the FDA.
In a test by Consumer Reports on 23 protein powders and shakes, more than two-thirds contained more lead than what the organization deems safe to consume in a day, some by more than 10 times.
Imbernon uses protein supplements from Gold Standard, a brand that is OK for occasional or daily use, according to the Consumer Reports report. He said even with the brand's rating, the levels of lead still worry him.
"The company should definitely address the lead levels and maybe say what they're doing to try to lower the lead level," Imbernon said.
Consumer Reports also reported that the average level of lead is higher than it was over a decade ago. The study found there are fewer products with undetectable amounts of lead in them.
Manufacturers in the U.S. that want FDA approval must follow the Current Good Manufacturing Practices to ensure the safety of their products.
"Even when following the proper GMP, using an ingredient with a high lead content will lead to elevated lead levels in the end product," Floris Wardenaar, associate professor at the College of Health Solutions, wrote in a statement.
Before they are sold to consumers, the FDA does not test or pre-approve dietary supplements, nor do they approve labeling itself.
Ingredients marketed before Oct. 15, 1994, are generally considered safe and manufacturers are allowed to use them without notifying the FDA, Wardenaar wrote. If a product contains an ingredient not marketed before this date the company has to submit a New Dietary Ingredient notification to the FDA at least 75 days before marketing the product.
Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, manufacturers of supplements are prohibited from marketing products that are misbranded. In situations when this occurs, the FDA has the authority to take action against the product.
Testing for Consumer Reports research is based on the California Proposition 65 maximum allowable dose level, which is 0.5 micrograms per day.
"In most cases, the manufacturers of products with elevated lead content do not know that the ingredients they use have elevated lead levels," Wardenaar stated.
Consumer Reports' research showed plant-based protein products generally tested higher for lead than meat or dairy-sourced protein.
Plants readily uptake heavy metals through the air, water and soil, and these heavy metals may remain in the end product, according to a 2020 study by the National Library of Medicine.
"Unfortunately, those natural supplements are naturally high in lead because we poison the environment," James Adams, a president's professor in the School of Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, said. "Almost all the lead poisoning is due to terrible engineering by humans, really bad decisions made 50 to 100 years ago."
Adams said it's best to lessen exposure by choosing products that are organic, which tend to have lower levels of lead and pesticides.
Many of the products Consumer Reports tested are fine to use occasionally, the report said. Even products with the highest level of lead are not concentrated enough to cause immediate harm to consumers, according to Consumer Reports.
"Obviously, (you will get) more exposure if you use it regularly," Adams said. "But there's lead in all the food we eat (and) the water we drink. You have exposure from many sources, so trying to limit exposure is a good thing."
Imbernon said that powder isn't the only way to get your daily protein in. He suggested more natural sources, such as meat.
"At the end of the day, protein powder isn't a super necessary thing," Imbernon said. "It's kind of like a luxury item."
Edited by Natalia Rodriguez, Senna James and Ellis Preston.
Reach the reporter at dbell39@asu.edu and follow @dhemibell on X.
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Dhemi Bell is a reporter on the Community and Culture desk at The State Press. She is a second-year at Arizona State University. This is her first semester with The State Press.
