By Morgan Moravec
Protein, protein, protein. Whether or not you’re an athlete, it’s all you’ll hear in the fitness community.
Protein is the new buzzword, and it’s being infused in everything. Protein cereal, protein coffees, protein candy, the options are endless. Whey Protein Isolate is the ingredient used in these processed snacks, and it comes in straight powder. It’s a great way to hit your macros, and there are thousands of brands and flavors to choose from. Powders are also expensive, ranging from $30-150 for a can.
Is it really worth using? A recent study done by Consumer Reports of 23 protein powders found that heavy metal contamination has become more common than in their previous 2010 study. Brands and flavors were selected based on popularity and availability at time of purchase. Per single serving, over ⅔ of the products analyzed contained more lead than what’s considered safe to consume in a day. They also found fewer products with undetectable amounts compared to the previous study.
Consumer Reports states “Naked Nutrition’s Vegan Mass Gainer powder, the product with the highest lead levels, had nearly twice as much lead per serving as the worst product we analyzed in 2010.” The lead levels in plant-based powders on average were nine times the amount found in dairy powders. A single serving of these plant-based powders contained 1,200-1,600% of Consumer Report’s level of concern. Two others contained 400% and 600%.
To expand, the level of concern scale is based on the California Prop 65 maximum allowable dose level (MADL) of 0.5 micrograms per day. Compared to other scales, this may seem low, but both the Food and Drug Administration and World Health Organization state that there is no known safe level of exposure to lead. “While no amount of lead is technically safe, the greatest danger comes from repeated or continuous exposure, particularly at high doses”, says Rose Goldman, MD, an associate professor of medicine and physician at Cambridge Health Alliance. Lead lingers in your bloodstream, so small amounts can add up over time. These products were also found to contain cadmium, inorganic arsenic, and other heavy metals.
Products to Avoid:
- Naked Nutrition Vegan Mass Gainer Vanilla- 1,572% DV
- Huel Black Edition Chocolate- 1,288% DV
Limit to Once a Week:
- Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein Vanilla- 564% DV
- Momentous 100% Plant Protein Chocolate- 476% DV
Consume Occasionally:
- MuscleMeds Carnivor Mass Chocolate Peanut Butter- 247% DV
- Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass Vanilla- 202% DV
- Jocko Fuel Mӧlk Protein Shake Chocolate- 199% DV
- Vega Premium Sport Plant-Based Protein Chocolate- 185% DV
- Quest Protein Shake Chocolate- 161% DV
- Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Vanilla- 143% DV
- Ensure Plant-Based Protein Chocolate- 132% DV
- MuscleMilk Pro Advanced Nutrition Protein Shake Chocolate-128% DV
Best for Daily Consumption:
- Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey Chocolate- 56% DV
- Dymatize Super Mass Gainer Gourmet Vanilla- 25% DV
- Muscle Tech 100% Mass Gainer Vanilla Milkshake- None Detected
**DV% measured per serving
This study has shown that plant proteins are statistically higher in contamination than dairy or beef-based powders. Due to lack of staffing, funding, and enforceable laws, these highly-contaminated products are on shelves available for purchase everywhere. Protein powders are marketed as a daily-use supplement or even complete meal replacements. In essence, they should be used sparingly, if at all. While they may be helpful to hit your protein goals, it’s not worth the side effects that result from heavy metal consumption. You should have Black Sabbath in your ears, but not lead in your blood!
