A number of popular protein supplements contain levels of lead that could pose health concerns, according to a report published by a nonprofit group on Tuesday.
The group, Consumer Reports, tested samples of 23 protein powders and shakes and found that more than two-thirds of them had more lead in a serving than it regards as safe for daily consumption.
Sana Mujahid, the manager of food safety research and testing at Consumer Reports, said there was “no risk of immediate harm from these products, especially if they’re being consumed by a healthy adult.”
But extended use may be unsafe, Dr. Mujahid added, especially because people are exposed to lead through other foods, too.
Consumer Reports flagged protein supplements that contained more than 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving, which it based off California’s strict standard for daily lead consumption. Some health authorities have set higher thresholds: Since 2022, the Food and Drug Administration has said that more than 2.2 micrograms of lead per day in children, and 8.8 micrograms per day in women of childbearing age, may cause health concerns.
But there is no known safe level of lead consumption. Lead is highly toxic and can accumulate in the body over time. Even small exposures can lead to long-term health problems, so official thresholds are best seen as acknowledgments that it is impossible to eliminate all exposure.
Experts who were not involved with the testing expressed concern about its findings. Dr. Stephen Luby, a professor of medicine at Stanford University, said the results were “very troubling.” Dr. Pieter Cohen, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School, called them worrisome as well, though he cautioned against using the report “as a purchasing guide.”
Rather, Dr. Cohen said, “This is a reminder that we have a bigger problem in the supplement industry, that lead and other heavy metals can end up getting into these products that we’re taking for health reasons.”
Supplements are not regulated in the United States in the same way that food and drugs are. Dr. Cohen recommended that people choose supplements made by companies that participate in third-party quality certification programs like USP or NSF.
Consumer Reports found that the product with the highest lead level, Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer protein powder, had 7.7 micrograms per serving, and the second highest, Huel’s Black Edition powder, had 6.3 micrograms. Other products that exceeded the 0.5-microgram standard had fewer than three micrograms of lead per serving.
Naked Nutrition told Consumer Reports that it had commissioned an independent test in response to the findings, but did not respond to a request for comment from The New York Times. Rebecca Williams, the head of nutrition at Huel, said that the lead content was “well within internationally recognized safety limits” and that the company’s products were “completely safe.”
Consumer Reports agreed that the levels it found were “far below the concentration needed to cause immediate harm.” And there is no guarantee that the lead levels found in the tested samples are representative of the levels in other servings of the same products.
But Dr. Luby said he was “appalled” that companies hadn’t monitored their supply chains well enough to avoid the levels that the testing found.
Heavy metals like lead can enter the food supply in various ways, including through contaminated soil and groundwater as well as manufacturing processes. Consumer Reports found that plant-based supplements contained more lead than those derived from dairy and meat, which suggests that contaminated crops could be part of the problem — though Dr. Luby said some of the levels in the report seemed too high for the typical lead contents of soil to be the only issue.
Once lead is in the body, it can be stored in bones and is excreted very slowly, Dr. Cohen said. So long-term exposure can be dangerous, leading to neurological and other symptoms. Children are at high risk of lead poisoning and may experience developmental delays, learning difficulties and seizures.
Jenna Forsyth, the director of Project Unleaded at Stanford University, a research program that works to reduce lead poisoning, said the findings made her particularly concerned for pregnant women, given that they are often advised to increase their protein consumption during pregnancy.
Dr. Forsyth said that she would advise women who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant to avoid products with the highest levels of lead, and that people in lower-risk groups should probably not have them every day and should seek out other options if possible.
Dr. Luby said consumers should weigh the risks of using protein supplements at all, given their light regulation and the fact that people can get protein elsewhere.
“We should be asking ourselves, is this exposure to protein powder creating more risks than it is benefits?” Dr. Luby said.
Lead has been found in popular foods before. In 2023, millions of cinnamon-flavored applesauce pouches were recalled because they were contaminated with extremely high levels of lead. Last year, another Consumer Reports study found elevated levels in a dozen cinnamon products.
Maggie Astor covers the intersection of health and politics for The Times.
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