Nearly half of protein powders on the market contain dangerous levels of toxic heavy metals linked to cancer and autism, tests show.
Researchers found lead, arsenic and cadmium, metals linked to cancer, brain damage and autism, in the most popular supplements sold in the US.
In an experiment testing 160 products, the Clean Label Project found that the plant-based and all-natural nutritional supplements the worst offenderswith more than three-quarters of them testing positive for high lead levels.
“This study serves as a wake-up call for consumers, manufacturers, retailers and regulators alike,” Clean Label Project said.
“With the lack of comprehensive federal regulations that specifically address heavy metals in dietary supplements, it is critical that the industry independently takes proactive measures.”
In addition to testing for lead, exposure to which can also cause organ damage, high blood pressure and anemia, researchers tested for heavy metals such as cadmium and arsenic, and bisphenols, which have been linked to cancers of the skin, lungs, prostate, kidneys, bladder, liver, breasts, ovaries, testicles and uterus.
No amount of lead exposure is safe. But because it occurs naturally in the Earth’s crust and has been used in modern industry for centuries, it is impossible to completely eliminate it from life and the environment.
Organic products were found to contain higher levels of heavy metal contamination, on average three times as much lead and twice as much cadmium, compared to the non-organic options tested.
Protein powders are a popular way to refuel after exercise or as a quick meal replacement. The powders have been found to contain troublesome contaminants, including heavy metals such as lead and arsenic
Organic products were found to contain higher levels of heavy metal contamination, on average three times as much lead and twice as much cadmium.
Plant-based protein powders were especially problematic because they also contained three times more lead than whey-based powders.
Additionally, chocolate-flavored powders contain about four times more lead than vanilla varieties.
The reason plant products contain higher levels of metals is because plants naturally absorb heavy metals from soil contaminated by mining, industrial waste and some pesticides and fertilizers.
Likewise, cocoa beans can absorb lead from the soil or air during the fermentation and drying process, which would explain why the chocolate flavor was particularly problematic.
Lead poisoning has been linked to reduced IQ and developmental delays in children, as well as kidney and brain damage, heart disease, infertility, thyroid dysfunction, memory loss and Alzheimer’s disease in adults.
California’s Proposition 65 sets a maximum safety level for lead exposure at 0.5 micrograms per day to prevent reproductive harm.
This standard is stricter than federal limits and applies specifically to warning requirements for products sold in the state.
The Clean Label Project used Prop 65 as a marker.
A recent study in JAMA found that breast cancer rates are rising fastest among women under 40, with metastatic breast cancer cases among women between 20 and 39 increasing by nearly 3% between 2004 and 2021, compared with an increase of 1.4% in women over 70. Exposure to BPA has been linked to breast cancer
More than 79 percent of organic powders exceeded the Prop 65 lead level, and 41 percent had levels twice the legal maximum.
Seventy-seven percent of plant-based powders tested higher for lead than recommended, compared to 28 percent of whey powders and 26 percent of collagen powders.
The report states: ‘Plant-based protein powders were the most contaminated and contained five times more cadmium than their whey-based counterparts.
Even the taste of protein powder played a major role in contamination levels. For example, chocolate protein powders were found to contain as much as 110 times more cadmium than vanilla-flavored varieties.
Sixty-five percent of chocolate powders tested above the maximum safety level for lead.
A previous Clean Label Project study found similarly troubling results regarding troublesome contaminants.
In that report, more than half of the protein powders tested contained high levels of BPA, or bisphenol A. BPA is a chemical commonly used in plastics that disrupts hormones in the body, causing fertility problems, problems with sexual development and other problems arise.
Exposure to BPA has been increasing at an increasing rate linked to breast cancer research. BPA is an endocrine disruptor that mimics the hormone estrogen, leading to changes in hormone levels that can lead to the growth and spread of cancer cells.
At the same time, 74 percent of them contained unsafe levels of cadmium, which can damage the kidneys and soften bones. The organic variants contain more than twice as much heavy metals as arsenic, lead and cadmium.
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Harmful chemicals easily leach into plant material, which explains why the plant powders were the most contaminated. Plants such as cacao that are used to make protein powder taste like chocolate absorb heavy metals from the soil as they grow.
Human behavior – pollution, mining and the use of leaded gasoline years ago – has caused these pollutants to become abundant in the environment, where they can enter the food supply.
Organic fertilizers may also contain some of these heavy metals that feed the plants used to make powders and other consumer items. And organic products retain more of their natural components than other types.