A few years ago, I watched a video that briefly mentioned a study proving that there were dangerous amounts of lead and BPA in protein powder. At the time, I did not consume protein powder and didn’t think much of it.
A few months later, I found a tub of Vital Proteins chocolate protein powder my dad had bought on a whim. I took to reading the label. I was astonished to find a little box towards the bottom that read along the lines of “this product may contain lead.” I was shocked to see they would admit this in broad daylight on their product and still have people buy it.
I believe the pressure to buy products like protein powder is helped greatly by the many “health experts” you find on the internet. No matter where you go, you will find someone telling you, “Take this vitamin!” or “Try this protein powder!” There is always some new influencer-backed supplement that will solve all your problems. Many people are taking these statements to heart.
According to Statista, the dietary supplement market was valued at approximately $43 billion in the U.S. alone. It is predicted to grow to $70 billion by 2031. Millions of Americans are buying these vitamins, herbal remedies and protein products without knowing what’s at stake.
Despite the millions of lives at risk, the Food and Drug Administration is not as strict with the dietary supplement industry as you would hope. According to the National Institutes of Health, dietary supplements are regulated by the FDA but are regulated differently from other foods and drugs. Supplement ingredients sold before October 15, 1994, are not required to be reviewed by the FDA. Since they have been in circulation for so long, it is just assumed that they are safe.
Dietary supplements also do not have to prove to the FDA they are safe or actually work. The FDA works under an “innocent until proven guilty model,” where once a product is marketed, the FDA can only seek to prove it is unsafe to remove it from the market.
According to an article from Harvard Health Publishing titled, “The hidden dangers of protein powders,” the FDA allows manufacturers to make their own standards for safety and labeling. This means that companies can make their own tests that make poor-quality products appear to be high-quality. There is no way for the consumer to know if what the label says is really true.
In 2018, the Clean Label Project did a study that tested 134 popular protein powder products and found alarming levels of lead, cadmium and BPA. Seventy percent of powders contained detectable levels of lead. Seventy-four percent of powders contained detectable levels of cadmium. Fifty-five percent of powders contained detectable levels of BPA.
BPA is known to cause cancer, birth defects and other developmental disorders. If you are interested in finding out what protein powders are safer to consume, go to cleanlabelproject.org for more information.
It is embarrassing how little the FDA regulates a multi-million-dollar industry, especially considering how millions of people’s lives are on the line. We deserve the right to buy a product and know that it is safe to consume, regardless of whether it’s a food, drug or supplement. I encourage you to speak up, vote for regulations, and do your research before you buy into this unchecked industry.
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