NPR's Elissa Nadworny talks with investigative reporter Paris Martino about a new analysis from Consumer Reports that shows protein powders may contain toxic heavy metals, especially lead.
ELISA NADWORNY, HOST:
Americans are obsessed with protein. What was once more of a niche interest has become mainstream. Just check your local grocery store for beef jerky, protein-fortified milk and yogurts, and soon protein pies and Doritos. And of course, there are tons of protein powders. They are usually made from whey derived from milk or from pea protein. And according to a Consumer Reports analysis, they likely contain something else—toxic heavy metals, especially lead. Investigative reporter Paris Martino joins us to share what they learned. Welcome.
PARIS MARTINAUD: Thank you so much for having me.
NADWORNY: Okay, first of all, I have to confess that I'm one of those Americans who is obsessed with protein. I had some protein powder in my smoothie this morning. So it's personal. Should I throw away my protein powder? Like, how worried should consumers be?
MARTINO: Yes, no one has any reason to panic. Essentially, we found that we tested 23 popular protein powders and shakes and found that more than two-thirds of the products we analyzed contained more lead per serving than our food safety experts say is safe to consume per day. Some products contain levels that are more than 10 times what our experts believe are safe.
NADWORNY: That sounds bad.
MARTINO: I mean, it's not good. I'll say it. With that in mind, some of the products we tested can be consumed occasionally, and even those with the highest levels of lead are well below the concentration needed to cause immediate harm. The real risk associated with lead is that even if you are constantly exposed to low levels, that lead can accumulate in the body and eventually cause problems later on. So I would encourage you to take a closer look at your protein shakes and take a look at what you're using so you can make an informed decision rather than worrying right away.
NADWORNY: Or maybe it sounds like quitting. I mean, like, don't eat it every day or don't eat it three times a day.
MARTINO: One of the things that surprised me personally in telling this story is that I, like you and like many Americans, was very worried that I wasn't getting enough protein. I…
NADWORNY: Yes.
MARTINO: …Completely succumbed to protein mania. But in talking with nutrition experts and protein researchers, I've heard over and over again that the average person can very easily get all the protein they need by eating whole foods, and there's little point in turning to protein supplements.
NADWORNY: So you said you tested 23 powders and pre-made shakes. How did you decide to test these products?
MARTINO: Yeah, so we worked with the market research team at Consumer Reports to identify some of the best-selling protein powders and shakes available from various brands from places like Amazon or Walmart. But in addition, we also purchased some shakes in person from health food stores or supermarkets. And then we took them, made sure we had a couple different samples of each product that represented at least two – I think two to three different batches of the product, and then sent them off to the lab for analysis.
NADWORNY: So people can go and check your reports to see if their products have been tested, but in general, are there certain types of protein products that are more likely to contain lead and other toxic metals?
MARTINO: Yes. So, in general, plant-based protein products have become a concern. For example, almost all the plant-based foods we tested had elevated levels of lead. The levels of lead we found in plant-based protein products were on average nine times higher than levels found in products made from dairy proteins such as whey, for example, and twice as high as in beef proteins. I believe that when it came to protein powders and shakes made with whey or milk proteins, they tended to contain the least amount of lead.
NADWORNY: Okay.
MARTINO: Still, half of the products we tested had high enough levels of contamination that our experts advise against taking them every day.
NADWORNY: Paris Martino, investigative reporter at Consumer Reports, thank you so much.
MARTINO: Thank you very much.
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