Lead In Your Protein Powder. Should You Be Worried?

Quick take: Recent reports from Consumer Reports and the Clean Label Project found measurable heavy metals in some protein powders, especially plant based options. Detection is not the same as danger. When you compare those numbers with science based risk thresholds and peer reviewed risk assessments, typical use at 1 to 2 servings per day looks very unlikely to pose a meaningful health risk for healthy adults. If you are pregnant or buying for kids, choose carefully and stick to third party tested products.

The Internet Freakout, Explained

You may have seen scary headlines that your favorite protein powder is "loaded" with lead. The two most cited sources are the Clean Label Project and Consumer Reports. They detected trace amounts of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury in a variety of powders, with higher findings in some plant proteins and chocolate flavors. That sounds dramatic. Here is the nuance: laboratory instruments can find parts per billion. Presence is not the same as risk.

What The Reports Actually Found

• Consumer Reports (2025): Tested 23 protein products and flagged many for more than 0.5 micrograms of lead per serving. That benchmark comes from California Proposition 65 reproductive risk guidance, which is a warning label trigger, not a national toxicity line.
• Clean Label Project (2024 to 2025): Tested 160 popular powders and reported detectable heavy metals in many products. Plant based and chocolate flavors were more likely to contain trace metals because plants draw minerals from soil, and cocoa can carry trace minerals naturally.

Risk, Not Just Detection

A 2020 peer reviewed risk assessment combined available testing data and modeled real world intake at 1 to 3 servings per day. The results were straightforward:

• Hazard quotients for lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury were below 1 in typical use, which indicates low concern for non cancer risk.
• Estimated adult blood lead levels stayed well below public health concern thresholds in typical and even higher use scenarios.
• Cadmium approached conservative limits only in high intake scenarios, mainly with heavy reliance on certain plant protein sources.

Translation: the numbers that make headlines usually do not translate into meaningful health risk for normal use.

Why The Limits Look Different

Different organizations use different reference points. That is why headlines and labels can feel inconsistent. Here is a simple comparison:

It is possible for a protein powder to exceed the Prop 65 warning threshold and still sit well below toxicology based limits used by FDA and USP. That is why a "violation" of Prop 65 often means a label warning is required, not that the product is unsafe.

How To Shop Smart

• Choose third party tested products. Look for NSF Certified for Sport, Informed Choice, or USP verified seals. These programs set limits for elemental impurities and test lots before sale.
• Use sane servings. For most goals, one or two servings per day is enough. More is not automatically better.
• Vary protein sources. Mix powders with whole food protein. If you want the lowest possible trace metals, consider whey, egg, or beef based powders in rotation with plant proteins. Chocolate flavors can trend higher because cocoa carries natural minerals, so rotate flavors if this is a key concern.
• Special populations. If you are pregnant, may become pregnant, or buying for kids, choose third party certified products and limit reliance on a single source.

Should You Be Worried?

If you use a high quality, transparently tested protein powder, the best available evidence suggests you do not need to worry. Trace detection is expected in many foods and ingredients. Real world exposure from normal intake is low, and risk assessments do not show meaningful harm.

Our Approach At Simply Good Supplements

We keep formulas simple and evidence based. We use clinical dosing, we avoid fairy dusting, and we test batches to verify purity and potency. What you see on the label is what you get in the tub, without hype and without games.

FAQ

Why do plant proteins show higher readings? Plants can accumulate minerals from soil. Processing steps and ingredients like cocoa can add variation. This is normal in agriculture and does not equal danger at trace levels.

Do the reports prove harm? No. The reports show presence. Harm requires exposure high enough to move blood or tissue levels into ranges linked with adverse effects. Peer reviewed modeling does not show that at normal intake.

What if I drink three shakes every day? More servings increase total intake. The risk assessment still looked low overall, but cadmium can creep up in high intake scenarios with some plant blends. Use whole foods, rotate sources, and keep servings reasonable.

The Bottom Line

• Yes, heavy metals can be detected in some protein powders, especially plant based options.
• No, detection does not automatically equal danger, especially at normal serving sizes.
• Choose third party tested products, use sensible servings, and keep perspective. Panic is not a performance enhancer.

References:

• Consumer Reports (2025): “Protein powders and shakes contain high levels of lead.” Consumer Reports
• Clean Label Project (2024–25): “Protein Study 2.0 / Category Whitepaper.” Clean Label Project+1
• Bandara et al., 2020 (Peer-reviewed risk assessment): A human health risk assessment of heavy metal ingestion among consumers of protein powder supplements. Nutrients. (Open-access). PMC
• FDA: Lead in Food & Foodwares; Closer to Zero (IRLs and policy context). U.S. Food and Drug Administration+1
• OEHHA (Prop 65): Lead safe harbor levels—MADL 0.5 µg/day; NSRL 15 µg/day. OEHHA
• USP <2232>: Elemental contaminants PDEs for dietary supplements (lead ~10 µg/day). USPNF