Protein powders and heavy metals exposure

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A study from the Clean Label Project reported that in testing 160 protein powders, about 47% exceeded at least one federal or state threshold for contaminants like lead or cadmium. If you use protein powder regularly, you don’t necessarily need to stop, just lower your odds of exposure by choosing products with reliable third-party testing (such as NSF, USP, or ConsumerLab), varying flavors/brands, and mixing in whole-food protein sources (like yogurt, eggs, fish, or beans) when you can to protect your health and well being.

Source

Bandara SB, Towle KM, Monnot AD. A human health risk assessment of heavy metal ingestion among consumers of protein powder supplements. Toxicol Rep. 2020 Aug 21;7:1255-1262. doi: 10.1016/j.toxrep.2020.08.001. PMID: 33005567; PMCID: PMC7509468.

Additional Reading

https://www.realsimple.com/unsafe-levels-of-lead-and-cadmium-found-in-47-of-protein-powders-tested-here-s-how-to-minimize-your-exposure-8774590

https://www.consumerreports.org/lead/protein-powders-and-shakes-contain-high-levels-of-lead-a4206364640/

https://www.npr.org/2025/10/16/nx-s1-5576294/protein-powder-lead-consumer-reports