Recent weeks saw major headlines regarding high levels of lead in popular protein powders and premade shakes, as reported by Consumer Reports, an advocacy organization. This revelation caused significant alarm among consumers, prompting questions about the safety of their post-workout supplements. However, experts in the field suggest that the report may not be a cause for immediate concern, highlighting that there is more to understand about lead in protein supplements.

Sana Mujahid, PhD, manager of Food Safety Research and Testing at Consumer Reports, Andrea Love, PhD, a biomedical scientist, and Leslie Bonci, RD, MPH, a dietician, provided insights into the matter. Consumer Reports detailed their investigation into 23 protein powder and ready-made shakes from brands like Naked Nutrition, Momentous, Optimum Nutrition, Orgain, Quest, and Ensure. Products were tested for various metals, including lead, cadmium, and arsenic. The findings indicated that only one product had no detectable lead, while two showed levels so high that Consumer Reports advised against their consumption. Six products received a daily consumption approval. Notably, plant-based protein supplements were found to contain nine times more lead than dairy-based products.

The motivation behind Consumer Reports' investigation stems from similar findings 15 years ago and a concern for chronic exposure to lead, especially since many individuals consume these supplements regularly. Dr. Mujahid noted that lead exposure “can lead to adverse health outcomes over time,” including decreased kidney function, heart conditions, nerve disorders, and mood changes, according to the National Institutes of Health. The organization also found that lead levels in tested protein powders have risen since their 2010 research, which Mujahid described as “concerning.”

Based on their findings, Consumer Reports issued specific recommendations for various products. They advised avoiding Naked Nutrition Vegan Mass Gainer (Vanilla) and Huel Black Edition (Chocolate). Products recommended for once-per-week consumption included Garden of Life Sport Organic Plant-Based Protein (Vanilla) and Momentous 100% Plant Protein (Chocolate Flavor, now discontinued). A larger list of products, including MuscleMeds Carnivor Mass, Optimum Nutrition Serious Mass, Jocko Fuel Molk Protein Shake, Vega Premium Sport Plant-Based Protein, Quest Protein Shake, Orgain Organic Plant-Based Protein Powder, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Protein Shake, Equip Foods Prime Protein, PlantFusion Complete Protein, Ensure Plant-Based Protein Nutrition Shake, Muscle Milk Pro Advanced Nutrition Protein Shake, and KOS Organic Superfood Plant Protein, were deemed acceptable a few times per week. Finally, Owyn Pro Elite High Protein Shake, Transparent Labs Mass Gainer, Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard 100% Whey, BSN Syntha-6 Protein Powder, Momentous Whey Protein Isolate (now discontinued), and Dymatize Supper Mass Gainer were recommended for daily consumption. Muscle Tech 100% Mass Gainer (Vanilla) was the only product found with no detectable lead levels.

Despite these findings, experts like Dr. Love and Leslie Bonci expressed skepticism about the alarmist takeaways. Their primary critique is that Consumer Reports' “level of concern” for lead is based on California’s Proposition 65, which is not rooted in scientific criteria. Dr. Love explained that Prop 65’s maximum allowable dose levels (MADL) are often significantly higher than those accepted elsewhere. Bonci added that Prop 65 standards are often unrealistic or unattainable for most places, arguing that it creates “undue alarm for something that you can't remove from food.”

To illustrate the disparity, Prop 65 sets the maximum allowable lead at 0.5 micrograms per day. In contrast, the FDA’s Interim Reference Levels recommend less than 8.8 micrograms per day for reproductive age females and 12.5 micrograms per day for general adults—levels 17.6 and 25 times higher than Prop 65’s limits, respectively. These FDA numbers are derived from CDC data and further lowered tenfold for added safety. European regulatory thresholds for lead are even higher, 123 times greater than Prop 65’s MADL, according to Dr. Love.

Dr. Love emphasized that the FDA’s limit is already sufficiently conservative. Exposure to 8.8 micrograms of lead daily would cause only a minuscule increase in blood lead levels (less than half a microgram per deciliter), whereas harmful effects typically don’t manifest until blood levels reach 5 to 10 micrograms per deciliter. Furthermore, experts raised concerns about the scientific robustness of Consumer Reports’ methodology, noting that their research was not peer-reviewed, used a small sample size, and lacked reproducibility across multiple commercial shelves, geographies, product lots, and technical replicates over a longer time period.

It is important to understand that lead is a natural element present in the earth, making its complete avoidance impossible. It can be found in air, soil, and water, which explains its trace presence in food and supplements. Bonci noted that “there's trace amounts of lead in a lot of things that we eat” and that “you can’t get it out.” Plant-based protein supplements tend to have higher levels due to how plants are cultivated and exposed to lead in their environment, but animal-based sources can also contain it. Dr. Mujahid acknowledged that in everyday life and product testing, “trace amounts of lead are unavoidable.”

The adage “there’s no safe amount of lead,” while technically true, is often overly alarmist. Dr. Love stated, “Nobody is saying that lead exposure is good for you, but the issue is that minuscule lead exposure is inevitable.” Consequently, experts are largely unconcerned about the lead levels reported in protein powders. Bonci voiced apprehension not about the lead itself, but about the report fostering food avoidance and unnecessary fear, drawing parallels to the “Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen” lists that deterred people from eating fruits and vegetables. She stressed that creating fear is detrimental to both physical and mental health.

Therefore, experts affirm that consumers can continue using protein powders, even those on Consumer Reports’ list. For added reassurance, options that are third-party tested or NSF certified for sport can be considered, though this does not guarantee the absence of metals but ensures adherence to specific industry standards. Other research also supports this stance: a 2020 systematic analysis in Toxicology Reports found that small levels of metals in protein powders do not pose an increased health risk, and a 2025 cross-sectional study in the Journal of Nutritional Science indicated low or undetectable heavy metal levels in protein powders based on European standards. Even Consumer Reports advises prioritizing protein from whole food sources but concedes, “There’s no need to panic,” as “there’s no immediate harm from the levels of lead that we found.”