The majority of protein powders for sale in the US contain lead and other toxins
The demand for fitness, health, and wellness products have skyrocketed over the last 10 years. In fact, for protein supplements in particular, that number has doubled. Go back to 2015 data and you’ll find the protein supplement industry in the US hovered just below the $7 billion mark. Today, that number is approximately $9.69 billion and projected to grow to a staggering $21.97 billion by 2033. Industry analysts estimate the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.56%.
This growth is driven by increasing health consciousness, much of which may be attributable to social media influencers–such as celebrity kickboxer Andrew Tate, four-time Mr. Olympia winner Jay Cutler and the like–who have made a lifestyle brand of themselves; showing off six-pack abs, and the kind of guns not covered by the second amendment. They hit the gym, and suck down a thick, protein smoothie at the end of it all as the sweat glistens off every rippling muscle. TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube have put this type of physique goal in the palm of everyone’s hands…including our youth, who are buying into the idea that you can drink your way to big muscles.
Marketing tactics aside, there’s an even bigger problem. It’s lead. As a child of the 80s, when our friends did something stupid–we used to joke that their parents let them lick the walls as a baby. That was a reference to lead paint that was outlawed in 1978 due to health concerns. But that was a long time ago.
Remember the Flint water crisis in Michigan roughly 10 years ago? A whole town just an hour north of Detroit found themselves in the center of national controversy when it was revealed that they had toxic levels of lead in their water. A decade-on, children who were exposed to regular use and consumption of that water show significant impacts on their development. Speech delays, cognitive impairments, hyperactivity, and emotional issues are among some of the lasting health impacts faced by that community.
The nation was in an uproar and multiple lawsuits against the city and state followed. There was much media attention surrounding clean water as a human right but currently not so much around protein powders which–its use–is completely voluntary and an active choice. But the controversy should be here, as well.
A 2018 study conducted by The Clean Label Project looked at 130 top-selling protein powders, based on Nielsen and Amazon best-sellers, found that almost 75% of those products contained measurable levels of lead–among a host of other known toxins such as arsenic, mercury, and BPA. What’s worse, products labeled ‘certified organic’, on average, had twice the level of heavy metals as their non-organic market competitors.
To add insult to literal injury here, the FDA does not issue specific guidance on lead-levels in consumable goods, except for outlines on products intended for babies and young children. Instead, if you’re over 18, you’re on your own, buddy! This is what the FDA tells American consumers regarding lead:
“Because there is no known safe level of exposure to lead, the FDA monitors and regulates levels of lead in foods. While it is not possible to completely prevent lead from entering the food supply, for foods that contain lead, it may be possible to reduce the levels through changes to agricultural or manufacturing practices. By law, food manufacturers have a responsibility to significantly minimize or prevent chemical hazards when needed.”
If that statement by the FDA weren’t enough to make you choke on that protein shake, hang on to your dumbbells; protein powders and other supplements are not considered ‘food’, so there is little to no regulation on its production. And according to The Clean Label Project, production is how the lead and other toxins make their way into the final product. Some of it from the growing source, in the case of plant-based powders, for others it can leach its way into the product from the container used for packaging.
Now that the “gym rat”, “meathead” stereotype has been shed like holiday weight and fitness has been mainstreamed, especially as highlighted by the newly-minted Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his MAHA movement, it’s time for health officials to take action in that industry to ensure that the youth in America are not drinking down gallons of lead that will inevitably knock them down a few IQ points, or BPAs that will do harm to their reproductive systems. While BPAs, mercury, cadmium, and others are bad for all people, lead in particular, is especially harmful to younger people; the younger they are, the more harmful when exposed.
If there is specific guidance on lead by the FDA already in place for ‘babies and young children’ – we should extend that guidance to teens to protect their still developing brains. But hey, couldn’t we all stand to preserve our IQ points while we hit the gym? I’ve got another MAGA spinoff for Kennedy: Make America Smart Again. MASA. Get the lead out of our water and the stuff we eat and drink. We all want to be healthy but we also want to be smart.
Manila Chan is the founder of Slanted Media and an internationally recognized TV news anchor. Her work spans across all platforms; print, radio, television, streaming, and podcasting. She is passionate about US foreign policy and the Asian-American experience. Manila’s career has taken her around the globe, interviewing world and industry leaders, and sharing one-of-a-kind stories from the ground.
