Don't panic, but there might be lead in your protein powder

3 weeks ago

NPR's Elissa Nadworny talks pinch investigative newsman Paris Martineau astir a caller Consumer Reports study that shows macromolecule powders tin incorporate toxic dense metals, particularly lead.

ELISSA NADWORNY, HOST:

Americans are obsessed pinch protein. What erstwhile was much of a niche liking has gone thoroughly mainstream. Just cheque your section market shop - beef jerky, protein-boosted beverage and yogurts, moreover soon macromolecule Pop-Tarts and Doritos. And of course, location are tons of macromolecule powders. They're commonly made from whey, which is derived from milk, aliases from pea protein. And according to a Consumer Reports analysis, they apt incorporate thing other - toxic dense metals, particularly lead. Investigative newsman Paris Martineau joins america now to stock what they've learned. Welcome.

PARIS MARTINEAU: Thanks truthful overmuch for having me.

NADWORNY: OK, so, first of all, I person to confess that I americium 1 of those Americans that is obsessed pinch protein. I really had immoderate macromolecule powder successful my smoothie this morning. So this is personal. Do I request to propulsion retired my macromolecule powder? Like, really alarmed should consumers be?

MARTINEAU: Yeah, there's nary logic for anyone to panic. What we fundamentally recovered is we tested 23 celebrated macromolecule powders and shakes, and we recovered that for much than two-thirds of nan products that we analyzed, a azygous serving of them contained much lead than what our nutrient information experts opportunity is safe to devour successful a day. Some of nan products had much than 10 times nan level that our experts opportunity is safe.

NADWORNY: That sounds bad.

MARTINEAU: I mean, it's not good. I will opportunity that. Given that, immoderate of nan products we tested are good to person occasionally, and moreover nan ones pinch nan highest lead levels are acold beneath nan attraction needed to origin contiguous harm. The existent consequence pinch lead is, moreover if you are exposed to benignant of debased levels consistently complete time, that lead could benignant of build up successful nan assemblage and yet origin problems farther down nan line. So I'd opportunity nan proposal is much scrutinize your macromolecule shakes and return a look astatine what you're utilizing to make an informed determination alternatively than instantly freak out.

NADWORNY: And maybe, it sounds, laic off. I mean successful nan consciousness of, like, not having it each time aliases not having it 3 times a day.

MARTINEAU: That's 1 of nan things that amazed maine personally, reporting retired this story, is, for illustration you and for illustration galore Americans, I was, like, really worried that I wasn't getting capable protein. I...

NADWORNY: Yeah.

MARTINEAU: ...Totally bought into nan macromolecule mania. But talking to nutrition experts and researchers successful protein, nan point I heard again and again is, for nan mean person, you tin very easy get each nan macromolecule you request from eating full foods, and it's - it doesn't make overmuch consciousness to move towards macromolecule supplements.

NADWORNY: So you said you tested 23 powders and premade shakes. How did you determine to trial those products?

MARTINEAU: Yeah, truthful we worked pinch benignant of a marketplace investigation squad wrong Consumer Reports to place immoderate of nan best-selling macromolecule powders and shakes disposable astatine a assortment of different brands, from places for illustration Amazon aliases Walmart. But also, benignant of, we besides bought immoderate of nan shakes successful personification astatine wellness nutrient stores aliases supermarkets. And past we took those, made judge that we sewage a mates different samples of each merchandise that represented astatine slightest 2 - I conjecture 2 to 3 different tons of nan product, and past sent them disconnected to nan laboratory to beryllium analyzed.

NADWORNY: So group tin spell and cheque your reporting to spot if their products were tested, but broadly, are location definite types of macromolecule products that are much apt to person lead and different toxic metals successful them?

MARTINEAU: Yeah. So, mostly speaking, plant-based macromolecule products emerged arsenic a constituent of concern. Like, astir each of nan plant-based products we had - we tested had elevated lead levels. The lead levels we recovered successful plant-based macromolecule products were, connected average, 9 times nan magnitude recovered successful those made of, like, dairy proteins for illustration whey and doubly arsenic awesome arsenic beef-based proteins. When it came to, I guess, nan macromolecule powders and shakes made pinch whey aliases dairy-based proteins, those mostly had nan lowest amounts of lead.

NADWORNY: OK.

MARTINEAU: But still, half nan products we tested had precocious capable levels of contamination that our experts counsel against taking them daily.

NADWORNY: Paris Martineau, investigative newsman for Consumer Reports, convey you truthful much.

MARTINEAU: Thanks truthful much.

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