A report by Consumer Reports finds the toxic metal lead in several popular protein powders. The internet reacts to the budding safety concern with jokes and memes.
Is there lead in protein powder?
In an X post, the report's author, Paris Martineau, shares that over 60 lab tests of "leading protein supplements" contained more lead than what experts consider safe.
Lead exposure is linked to brain damage and developmental delays, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The report notes that there is no "safe" amount of lead exposure, and it should be kept as low as possible, despite federal regulations.
Two popular protein powders in the report—Huel's Black Edition meal replacement powder and Naked Nutrition's vegan mass gainer—had such high levels when tested that experts suggested avoiding them entirely.
"For context: taking just one serving of one of these powders would expose you to 45% more lead than the average American gets from everything they eat/drink in a day COMBINED," Martineau writes in a post.
She notes that supplements, such as protein powder, fall in a "regulatory grey area." This means they may not be as highly scrutinized for dangerous contaminants.
Martineau also points to the protein-maxxing trend, in which gym-goers attempt to incorporate as much muscle-building protein as possible into their diets. However, studies show that people don't need as much protein as the chronically online would suggest.
However, one TikToker and food scientist, Hydroxide, suggests that the results may not be as alarming as they appear. They note that the report uses Prop 65 guidelines, which are stricter than federal limits. These guidelines reflect a level even lower than a "non-harmful" level of lead.
"If protein powders were tested in this study and showed heavy metal results that exceeded Prop 65, that could still mean they are well within their limits because the dosage is still so low," Hydroxide explains.
How did the internet react to the report?
Other X users react to the report, some joking about the safety of the protein powders. Others question whether the lead in protein powder is the root of bad behavior they've observed at the gym.
"New potential explanation for 'what’s happening in America in 2025,'" one posts, with a picture of the report.
"Ahh, ok, is that why gym guys act like that?" one writes.
"'Protein powder has lead' explains A LOT," a third jokes.
"The lead in protein powder is explaining a lot to me about the average man," said another.
"This explains everything about the manosphere podcast orbit," left-wing Twitch streamer (and gym bro) Hasan Piker tweeted.
Meanwhile, others are responding as the internet usually does: with memes.
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