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Is your protein powder safe? Report reveals high heavy metal levels (Plant protein)
Medical Xpress / HealthDay / ^ | Jan. 20, 2025 | India Edwards /

Posted on 01/25/2025 7:46:31 AM PST by ConservativeMind

It turns out, your protein powder might not be as healthy as you think.

A new report from the Clean Label Project reveals that popular protein powders—especially plant-based, organic and chocolate-flavored varieties—may contain high levels of lead and cadmium.

The report highlights an alarming finding: Nearly half (47%) of the 160 products tested exceeded California's Proposition 65 regulatory limits for lead, with 21% containing levels more than twice as high as those allowed under the law.

The investigation revealed that:

—Plant-based powders, like those made from soy, rice and peas, contained three times more lead than products based on whey, a byproduct of cheesemaking.

—Organic powders had three times more lead and twice as much cadmium compared to non-organic powders.

—Chocolate-flavored powders had four times more lead and up to 110 times more cadmium than vanilla-flavored powders.

For the report, Clean Label Project researchers purchased protein powders from 70 popular brands and ran nearly 36,000 tests for contaminants, including heavy metals and hormone disruptors like bisphenol A (BPA). Specific brands were not named.

The Council for Responsible Nutrition, which represents many supplement manufacturers, said the new study lacked transparency about how contamination thresholds were set and which products were tested.

"Modern analytical techniques can detect even trace levels of naturally occurring elements, such as heavy metals, which are present in soil, air, and water," Andrea Wong, a senior vice president for the council, told CNN.

"These trace levels are often well below established safety thresholds set by federal agencies like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)."

(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine
KEYWORDS: chocolate; metal; powder; protein
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The levels of these elements appear to have exceeded California’s limit for the heavy metals. It would appear to me that these veggie proteins are using base ingredients from foreign countries with pollution problems, in my opinion.

It figures. Even psyllium comes from India and you have to select that carefully, as well, so it has the least heavy metals.

ConsumerLab does a good job reviewing such products for these problems.

1 posted on 01/25/2025 7:46:31 AM PST by ConservativeMind
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To: Mazey; ckilmer; goodnesswins; Jane Long; jy8z; ProtectOurFreedom; matthew fuller; telescope115; ...

The “Take Charge Of Your Health” Ping List

This high volume ping list is for health articles and studies which describe something you or your doctor, when informed, may be able to immediately implement for your benefit.

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2 posted on 01/25/2025 7:47:58 AM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind

“It’s your one way ticket to midnight!”


3 posted on 01/25/2025 7:51:48 AM PST by FrankRizzo890
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To: ConservativeMind

Good to know.


4 posted on 01/25/2025 7:52:26 AM PST by bgill
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To: ConservativeMind

Whey is the most nutritionally balanced protein.

It also gives cows gainful employment.


5 posted on 01/25/2025 7:52:44 AM PST by packagingguy
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To: All

“Clean Label Project” and the “American Heart Association” should have been added to the “Source” field above.


6 posted on 01/25/2025 7:52:50 AM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind

When my wife was recovering from colon surgery, they recommended increasing her protein intake, and they said to stick with whey protein powders. The one she likes is non-GMO, has no sweeteners (and no artificial sweeteners), and no soy.


7 posted on 01/25/2025 7:54:22 AM PST by CatOwner (Don't expect anyone, even conservatives, to have your back when the SHTF in 2021 and beyond.)
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To: ConservativeMind

I rely heavily on dextrin fiber powder. Is this concern on that too ?


8 posted on 01/25/2025 7:56:51 AM PST by George from New England (escaped CT back in 2006)
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To: ConservativeMind

If the powders are manufactured in China, I wouldn’t touch them.


9 posted on 01/25/2025 8:04:12 AM PST by laplata (They want each crisis to take the greatest toll possiWe neve hear of gambling paying off $billioble.)
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To: ConservativeMind

It is an issue with dark chocolates as well and at least with cocoa powder African sourced is apparently less polluted than South American. I was tested for cadmium recently since I eat around 1 lb of Baker’s (Kraft) 100% unsweetened baking choc a month. Fortunately came out negative. Get a urine sample if you are concerned.


10 posted on 01/25/2025 8:07:09 AM PST by erlayman (E )
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To: ConservativeMind

“Clean Label Project... ran nearly 36,000 tests”

Analytical tests for trace elements are not cheap and require expensive equipment. $10/test? $100/test?

Maybe they are considering examining the results for each element a “test,” but one actual run through the instrument might have identified ten or more elements. That would mean actual test runs are far less than 36,000.

Either way, the “Clean Label Project” has access to sophisticated instrumentation and a big budget. So just who is this “Clean Label Project,” who is funding them and why should they be trusted?


11 posted on 01/25/2025 8:08:17 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom (They were the FA-est of times, they were the FO-est of times.”.)
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To: ConservativeMind

So are there names we should be concerned about?


12 posted on 01/25/2025 8:50:36 AM PST by metmom (He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon." Amen. Come, Lord Jesus)
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To: FrankRizzo890

“It’s the only way that you can travel down that road”


13 posted on 01/25/2025 8:51:51 AM PST by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
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To: metmom

They are currently kept private; however, the pea protein powders were generally safer.


14 posted on 01/25/2025 8:56:06 AM PST by ConservativeMind (Trump: Befuddling Democrats, Republicans, and the Media for the benefit of the US and all mankind.)
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To: ConservativeMind

Just for shiznits and giggles, I bought psyllium husk fiber and used it for a while. It tasted like chemicals, quite frankly, and after thinking about it I eventually stopped using it. I am convinced the stuff WAS contaminated, and it was from India.


15 posted on 01/25/2025 9:04:09 AM PST by Captainpaintball (America needs a Conservative DICTATOR if it hopes to survive. )
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To: ConservativeMind

Skip the powder, eat a burger.

Next problem?


16 posted on 01/25/2025 9:07:29 AM PST by Paal Gulli
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To: ConservativeMind
Specific brands were not named.

This makes me very suspicious. Why would they not name the brands ?

17 posted on 01/25/2025 9:49:47 AM PST by Irish Eyes
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To: Paal Gulli
I like my protein shakes to taste good:



18 posted on 01/25/2025 10:11:09 AM PST by Jeff Chandler (THE ISSUE IS NEVER THE ISSUE. THE REVOLUTION IS THE ISSUE.)
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To: ConservativeMind

“Is your protein powder safe? Report reveals high heavy metal levels (Plant protein)”

hell no! ... there’s NO white powder of any kind from china that’s safe unless it’s been tested safe by HPLC ...


19 posted on 01/25/2025 10:23:16 AM PST by catnipman ((A Vote For The Lesser Of Two Evils Still Counts As A Vote For Evil))
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To: ConservativeMind

Why does the ‘organic’ version have so much lead?
Apparently they are using pesticides and lying about being organic.
I do not trust any organic certification for anything coming from overseas.


20 posted on 01/25/2025 11:25:40 AM PST by Doctor Congo
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