Protein powder is an effective way to ensure you're getting enough protein in your diet. However, a new report from the Clean Label Project found that about half of the popular protein powders they tested contain unsafe levels of lead and cadmium.

On January 9, the Clean Label Project, a consumer safety nonprofit, published research it conducted on 160 protein powder products from the top 70 brands. Researchers tested the products for 258 chemicals and heavy metals. Of the protein powders tested, 47 percent exceeded California Proposition 65 safety thresholds for toxic metals.

Here's a closer look at what the Clean Label Project found during its research.

Definition

California Proposition 65 is a law that requires businesses to provide warnings about significant exposures to chemicals that cause cancer, birth defects, or other reproductive harm.

Protein powders tested by the Clean Label Project had positive results for levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. Per the report, these heavy metals enter the environment through natural processes (volcanic explosions, soil erosion, etc.), causing them to accumulate in the air, water, and soil. The concentration of these metals can increase due to human activities like mining, leading to higher exposure risks in food products.

Consuming too much lead can potentially disrupt the functions of the digestive system, nervous system, respiratory system, and reproductive system, and too much of it in the body can cause toxicity, according to the .

Exposure to cadmium can cause stomach irritation, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Exposure to cadmium through inhalation can cause flu-like symptoms and lead to a host of serious health complications, per the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The report states that 77 percent of plant-based protein powders, 79 percent of organic protein powders, and 65 percent of chocolate-flavored protein powders tested exceeded California Proposition 65 safety thresholds for toxic metals.

According to the findings, plant-based protein powders contain triple the amount of lead compared to whey protein powders. What's more, the Clean Label Project found that chocolate-flavored protein powders contain four times more lead and up to 110 times more cadmium than vanilla-flavored varieties. Overall, whey-based protein powders showed lower levels of contaminants.

The findings of this study may be concerning if protein powder is a regular part of your diet. If you want to cut back on your protein powder consumption while maintaining a protein-dense diet, consider working some of these foods into your meals:

Chicken

Fish

Peanut butter