“Oh gross, I didn’t know there was protein in this powder. I was only drinking it for the lead”
On October 14, 2025, Consumer Reports stated that it had found lead in most protein powders. This finding caused many people to stop using protein powders. Some people on social media added sarcasm and humor to the bad news.
“‘they found lead in protein powder’ ahh ok is that why gym guys act like that” was posted on X/Twitter by trash jones on October 15, 2025. “the lead in my protein powder joining forces with the microplastics in my balls” was posted on X/Twitter by IB on October 15, 2025. “oh gross i didn’t know there was protein in this powder i was only drinking it for the lead” ws posted on X/Twitter by tia ✩ on October 16, 2025, and this received over 46,000 likes.
Wikipedia: Protein supplement
A protein supplement is a dietary supplement or a bodybuilding supplement, and usually comes in the form of a protein bar, protein powder, and even readily available as a protein shake. Protein supplements are usually made from whey, plant, and/or meat sources.
Protein supplements are extracts or concentrates of high protein foodstuffs, used in bodybuilding and as dietary supplements to fulfill protein intake in a lean and pure source of proteins and amino acids
(...)
Heavy metals toxicity
Consumer Reports (CR) found that protein supplements regularly carry high levels of heavy metals, which are unsafe to consume. Two-thirds of tested products from CR had lead levels exceeding safe levels from a single serving, which was defined as 0.5 micrograms/day. CR found that plant-based products had much more lead than dairy/whey protein, but those still had elevated levels of lead.
X/Twitter
paris martineau
@parismartineau
my latest investigation for @ConsumerReports is based on months of reporting and 60+ lab tests of leading protein supplements
we found that most protein powders and shakes have more lead in one serving than our experts say is safe to have in a day — some by more than 10 times !
1:39 PM · Oct 14, 2025
X/Twitter
trash jones
@jzux
“they found lead in protein powder” ahh ok is that why gym guys act like that
10:27 AM · Oct 15, 2025
X/Twitter
IB
@redacted_io
the lead in my protein powder joining forces with the microplastics in my balls
Quote
paris martineau
@parismartineau
Oct 14
my latest investigation for @ConsumerReports is based on months of reporting and 60+ lab tests of leading protein supplements
we found that most protein powders and shakes have more lead in one serving than our experts say is safe to have in a day — some by more than 10 times !
1:06 PM · Oct 15, 2025
X/Twitter
tia ✩
@tiadeeznuts
oh gross i didn’t know there was protein in this powder i was only drinking it for the lead
4:35 PM · Oct 16, 2025
Bluesky
Emey of the fog monsters
@meyerson.bsky.social
Take lead is the new euphemism for consuming copious quantities of protein powder
October 19, 2025 at 8:52 PM
X/Twitter
Bloomberg Opinion
@opinion
Your protein powder doesn’t contain extraordinary levels of lead, @lisamjarvis says. The real question is whether you need the supplement at all
From bloomberg.com
8:15 AM · Oct 23, 2025