If you’ve been a steady gym-goer for a while, you’re probably familiar with the threat of heavy metal-contaminated protein powders. At one point, the vast majority of popular protein powders were reported to have significant traces of lead present.
It’s worth noting here: most protein powders contain some traces of heavy metals. Some contain a safe amount, while others do not.
Luckily, we can help you steer clear of products containing high heavy metal levels, by presenting you with this list of the 7 excellent protein powders to consider when seeking less heavy metal content.
The best protein powder with limited heavy metals is the Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate by Transparent Labs. Transparent Labs has an impressive commitment to, well, transparency that gave us the confidence for this recommendation.
If you're looking for a high quality, clean protein powder, Transparent Labs' 100% Grass Fed Whey Isolate is an excellent choice.
With a slew of delicious flavors and a totally transparent, clean label, this is a premium product.
Discount code:
LV10 = 10% off at Transparent Labs
Our budget pick goes to Myprotein’s Impact Whey Isolate. It’s available in a wide variety of delicious flavors and was certified by LabDoor to be well within the recommended limits of heavy metals.
Whey Protein Isolate from Myprotein is one of the best values you'll find for whey isolate. If you want to avoid excessive lactose consumption, I'd go with this.
Discount codes:
MYPLIFTVAULT = 35% off + free US shipping
Not a fan of whey isolate? No problem. We also have vegan, egg white, and collagen options listed below.
Related:
Table of Contents
- 1 The 8 Best Protein Powders Without Heavy Metals
- 1.1 Best Overall: 100% Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate – Transparent Labs
- 1.2 Budget Pick: Impact Whey Isolate – Myprotein
- 1.3 Best Pea Protein: Essential Protein – Ritual
- 1.4 Best Vegan Protein Powder: Vegan Protein Powder – Promix
- 1.5 Best for Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA): Grass-fed Collagen Peptides – Promix
- 1.6 Best Single-Ingredient Protein Powder: Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder – Naked Nutrition
- 1.7 Best Egg-White Protein Powder: Naked Egg – Naked Nutrition
- 1.8 Honorable Mention: Pasture Raised Whey Protein Powder – Puori
- 2 How We Chose Protein Powders for This List
- 3 The Reality of Heavy Metals in Protein Powder
- 4 Reasons Heavy Metals are in Protein Powder
- 5 Types of Protein Powder with Less Heavy Metals
- 6 Types of Protein Powder with More Heavy Metals
- 7 Heavy Metal Daily Exposure Guidelines
- 8 FAQs
The 8 Best Protein Powders Without Heavy Metals
- 100% Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate – Transparent Labs
- Impact Whey Isolate – Myprotein
- Essential Protein – Ritual
- Vegan Protein Powder – Promix
- Grass-fed Collagen Peptides – Promix
- Grass-fed Whey Protein Powder – Naked Nutrition
- Naked Egg Protein Powder – Naked Nutrition
- Pasture Raised Whey Protein Powder – Puori
Best Overall: 100% Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate – Transparent Labs
If you're looking for a high quality, clean protein powder, Transparent Labs' 100% Grass Fed Whey Isolate is an excellent choice.
With a slew of delicious flavors and a totally transparent, clean label, this is a premium product.
Discount code:
LV10 = 10% off at Transparent Labs
This Transparent Labs product is our top choice because it strikes the perfect balance between low heavy metals and high protein levels. Thie 100% Grass Fed Whey Protein contains an impressive 28 grams of protein per scoop – that equates to 82% protein per serving!
It publishes certificates of analysis for all of its products, including this one. In fact, we counted at least 40 COAs uploaded for this product alone! While it contains traces of lead, mercury, cadmium, and arsenic, none exceeds the “No Significant Risk Level” limit.
Grass-fed protein is always the more nutritional option over grain-fed protein, as it comes packed with more immune-supporting nutrients – plus, healthy CLA and omega fats.
100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein Isolate has also been recognized as one of the best whey protein isolate powders and one of the best protein powders for teens.
Key Specs:
- Serving size: 1 scoop (32.96 g)
- Servings: 30 servings per container
- Calories: 120
- Protein: 28 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fat: 0.0 g
- Protein source(s): Whey isolate
Key Ingredients:
- Grass-fed whey protein
- Cocoa
- Natural flavor
- Sodium chloride
Available Flavors: Mocha, Milk Chocolate, French Vanilla, Peanut Butter, Dark Chocolate, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie, Unflavored, Vanilla Peanut Butter, and Cinnamon French Toast.
Budget Pick: Impact Whey Isolate – Myprotein
Whey Protein Isolate from Myprotein is one of the best values you'll find for whey isolate. If you want to avoid excessive lactose consumption, I'd go with this.
Discount codes:
MYPLIFTVAULT = 35% off + free US shipping
If you’re looking to save a few bucks without compromising on quality, then Myprotein’s Impact Whey Isolate is worth checking out.
Impact Whey Isolate was certified by LabDoor to be almost entirely free of all heavy metals as of 2022.
Here’s a screenshot of the certificate:

Not only is it a clean protein powder, but it’s also one of the lowest-calorie protein powders. In fact, 89% of its calories come from protein, which is one of the highest ratios we’ve found in the protein powder market.
In other words: you’re actually consuming protein, not a bunch of other junk.
That’s why we’re such big fans of Myprotein and have acknowledged them on our lists of the best cheap protein powders, the best tasting vanilla protein powders, and the best unflavored protein powder.
Key Specs:
- Serving Size: 1 scoop (25 g)
- Servings: 25 to 125
- Calories: 90
- Protein: 22 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Fat: 0 g
- Protein source(s): whey protein isolate
Key Ingredients:
- Whey protein isolate
- Cellulose gum
- Sucralose
Available Flavors: chocolate brownie, chocolate mint, chocolate smooth, cookies and cream, mocha, pistachio, salted caramel, strawberry cream, unflavored, vanilla
Best Pea Protein: Essential Protein – Ritual
Never forget to stock up on protein powder again with Essential Protein from Ritual! After subscribing, you'll receive your monthly supply of protein powder so you're always hitting your nutrition goals. Recognized as one of the best protein powders without artificial sweeteners.
If you like your organic protein powder sugar-free, made of peas, and low in heavy metals, then look no further than Essential Protein’s Ritual. Although plant-based protein powder has a bad rep with regard to heavy metals, Ritual products go through a rigorous testing process to ensure their products’ heavy metal levels are kept to a safe minimum.
The product provides you with 20 g of protein per serving, which is impressive for organic pea protein powder.
This organic protein powder is completely vegan and free from artificial sweeteners, soy, and gluten. It also tastes great, thanks to the real Madagascan vanilla beans used to provide flavor.
Key Specs:
- Serving Size: 1 scoop (30 g)
- Servings: 15
- Calories: 115
- Protein: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fat: 2 g
- Protein source(s): Organic pea protein
Key Ingredients:
- Organic pea protein
- Natural flavor
- Organic coconut medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil
- Xanthan gum
- Salt, Sunflower lecithin**
- Reb-M (from fermented sugarcane)
- Mixed tocopherols
- Organic monk fruit (Luo han guo) extract
Available Flavors: Vanilla
Best Vegan Protein Powder: Vegan Protein Powder – Promix
Squeaky clean vegan protein powder made from organic Canadian yellow peas.
Contains no hormones, GMOs, fillers, glyphosate, gums, glutes, soy, antibiotics, etc.
This clean vegan protein powder makes our list because each individual Promix protein powder is tested for heavy metals. When you receive the product, you can look up your Lot Number to check the results of your product. If you’re not totally satisfied with your product’s test results, you have a generous 90 days to return it.
Put simply: if you’re looking a clean protein powder, Promix deserves serious attention.
Another huge plus point of this product is the flavor and consistency: the rich Raw Chocolate and French Vanilla flavors can make a smooth addition to your smoothie.
Key Specs (Unflavored):
- Serving size: 2 scoops (29 g)
- Servings: 38
- Calories: 115
- Protein: 25 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fat: 0 g
- Protein source(s): Canadian yellow peas
Key Ingredients:
- Yellow peas
- Vitamin B12 (Methylcobalamin)
- Raw cocoa (only in the Raw Chocolate flavor)
- Organic Vanilla Extractives (only in the French Vanilla)
- Monk fruit (only in the French Vanilla)
Available Flavors: Unflavored, Raw Chocolate, French Vanilla
Best for Branched-Chain Amino Acids (BCAA): Grass-fed Collagen Peptides – Promix
You can opt to get this product with branched-chain amino acids (BCAA), which will help you with muscle growth and muscle repair – it can even improve liver health! This product also features collagen peptides, which makes it even better for bone, joint, and skin health.
Like other Promix products on this list, you can check the individual test results of your protein powder by submitting the Lot Number on the website. If you think your product contains too many heavy metals, you can easily return it.
This is also a great product if you’re looking for an organic protein powder that’ll last with an impressive 106 servings.
Key Specs:
- Serving size: 2 scoops (21.4g)
- Servings: 106
- Calories: 80
- Protein: 20 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Fat: 0 g
- Protein source(s): Collagen
Key Ingredients: Grass-fed hydrolyzed Brazilian collagen peptides
Available Flavors: Unflavored, Chocolate, Vanilla
Best Single-Ingredient Protein Powder: Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder – Naked Nutrition
This product only contains one ingredient – whey protein. This simple ingredient list doesn’t reduce the nutritional value in any way; this Naked Nutrition product is protein and omega-3 fatty acid rich. Plus, it’s low in heavy metals, typically containing < 0.3 mcg of arsenic and <0.15 mcg of lead per serving according to its product page.
Naked Nutrition complies fully with the Informed Choice testing program, which further ensures that this Grass Fed Whey Protein Powder is free from nasty ingredients.
As with all whey products, Naked Nutrition’s Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder should not be consumed by those who are lactose intolerant.
Naked’s Grass-Fed Whey Protein Powder is also recognized as one of the best unflavored protein powders and one of the best grass-fed protein powders.
Key Specs:
- Serving Size: 2 scoops (30 grams)
- Servings: 76
- Calories: 120
- Protein: 25 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fat: 2 g
- Protein source(s): whey protein
Key Ingredients: Only contains grass-fed whey protein
Available Flavors: Unflavored, Chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry
Best Egg-White Protein Powder: Naked Egg – Naked Nutrition
Egg White Protein from Naked Nutrition is a top-shelf pick for anyone seeking a clean, lactose-free protein powder.
Egg-white protein powder generally has lower heavy metal levels, which is why we’ve included Naked Egg from Naked Nutrition on this list. It’s great for people who prefer whole food protein powders with minimal processing.
Naked Nutrition makes the results from their heavy metal testing available right on the product page. This shows that the product typically has less than 0.310 mcg of arsenic and less than 0.155 mcg of cadmium, lead, and mercury.
While this protein powder doesn’t come with any flavor options, it pairs well with milkshakes and can even be added to tasty baked treats.
Naked Egg is also recognized as one of the best egg white protein powders!
Key Specs:
- Serving size: 2 scoops (31 g)
- Servings: 44
- Calories: 110
- Protein: 25 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fat: 0 g
- Protein source(s): Egg-whites
Key Ingredients:
- Egg-white protein
- Sunflower lecithin
Available Flavors: No flavor
Honorable Mention: Pasture Raised Whey Protein Powder – Puori
This is a totally natural milk protein powder that has a nice sweet kick, thanks to the addition of coconut sugar.
Not only a great option for those with a sweet tooth, this product is also great for those looking to avoid heavy metals. Puori regularly posts COAs via the Clean Label Project, many of which show that the product has minimal traces of heavy metals (and in some cases, no heavy metals at all!).
However, this may not be the best protein powder option for you if you’re watching your fat and carb intake. With 2 grams of fat and 5 grams of carbs, it has the most out of all the protein powders on this list.
Key Specs:
- Serving size: 1 scoop (30 g)
- Servings: 30
- Calories: 120
- Protein: 21 g
- Carbohydrates: 5 g
- Fat: 2g
- Protein source(s): Whey protein
Key Ingredients:
- Whey concentrate
- Organic cocoa powder
- Organic coconut sugar
- Natural flavors
Available Flavors: Dark Chocolate, Bourbon Vanilla
How We Chose Protein Powders for This List
When researching for this article, we tested protein powders across the board – from plant-based protein powders to whey protein concentrate protein powders. While analyzing each product, our main goal was obviously to seek out quality products that offered the lowest amount of heavy metals.
Asides from this chief aim, there are a few other criteria that we considered while reviewing each product.
Each product that made this list met at least one of the following criteria:
The Certificate of Analysis (COA) is a type of documentation that contains information about a product’s ingredients. It also provides details on analysis methods that have been applied to the product, as well as test results.
Specifically, COAs contain details on:
- Product Identification – The name of the product, the ingredients included, the Lot Number, etc.
- Physical information on the product – Details on the consistency of the protein powder, as well as information on its color, weight, etc.
- Analytical methods – Details on the laboratory testing methods implemented to test for heavy metal levels in the protein powder.
- Microbiological analysis – This section of the COA reveals the results of the analysis. This includes the amount of heavy metals (and other contaminants) detected in the product.
When a protein powder has a COA, it proves that the company is dedicated to quality control. When made public, they also prove to customers that the product has undergone rigorous testing to meet a certain quality standard.
The information provided in the COA can then be compared to the “No Significant Risk Level” limit, as well as other quality standards, such as the CA Prop 65 guidelines.
Stated commitment to testing for heavy metals
If a protein powder producer does not publically share COA, or let customers look up the lot number, we look for a stated commitment to testing for heavy metals. We need to make sure that the producers are taking some measures to check the heavy metal levels of their products.
Mechanism for looking up COA for a product’s lot number
This is a particularly good feature that’s available with certain protein powders, including Promix protein powders. Instead of just relying on general tests that look at the product more widely, you can search for your lot number. This allows you to find out the exact heavy metal level of the product you’ve bought.
To provide this kind of service, Promix tests every individual batch of protein powder that they produce. This way, they can determine the exact heavy metal amount. Not only does this ensure exceptional quality control, but it also provides maximum transparency for the customers.
The Reality of Heavy Metals in Protein Powder
The Clean Label Project released a new study in 2018 after examining 134 of the top-selling protein powders. Specifically, the Clean Label Project tested these protein powders for 130 toxins.
This research concluded that 75% of plant-based powder featured measurable signs of lead. It also found traces of arsenic, mercury, and cadmium, as well as unhealthy levels of bisphenol-A (BPA).
Consuming high quantities of heavy metals regularly over time could cause several adverse health effects. This includes the following:
- Heavy metal toxicity – If you constantly expose your internal organs to high doses of heavy metals, you could end up suffering from heavy metal toxicity. This is when heavy metals start to bind to your organs (particularly your liver and kidneys) and prevent them from functioning correctly. This could cause irreversible damage to your health.
- Cardiovascular issues – Lead and arsenic exposure is often cited as the reason for cardiovascular issues. These issues can include a disrupted heart rhythm, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
- Neurological effects – High heavy metal exposure can also lead to neurological effects such as nervous system damage, memory problems, and general damage to cognitive functions.
However, as we’ve explored in this article already, the consumption of some degree of heavy metals is sometimes unavoidable with regard to protein powder. This 2020 study was conducted to assess the link between heavy metals in protein powders and the health issues it causes.
It concluded that as long as heavy metal levels are not significant, there should be no damaging effects.
Specifically, the research paper states: “Overall, our results suggest that the typical intake of dietary supplements would not result in adverse health effects due to heavy metals.”
So, the reality of heavy metals in protein powder is that as long as there are only low traces of metal in the product, you can consume it safely. Thus, you should choose one of the products listed in this article, as these products have particularly low amounts of heavy metals.
Reasons Heavy Metals are in Protein Powder
You’re probably wondering how heavy metals end up in protein powder in the first place. While trusted protein powder manufacturers take every measure to ensure that their products remain heavy metal-free, lead and other metals can still come into contact with the powder.
Here’s how:
Processing and Manufacturing
Protein powder will be processed using heavy machinery. If this machinery is improperly cleaned, or if the water used to power it is contaminated, heavy metals can infect the protein powder during this stage.
Packaging
If the protein powder is improperly packaged, the powder itself could be exposed to heavy metals at various points in the production line. For example, if the protein powder packaging is loose, heavy metals in the storage facility could seep in and contaminate the product.
Plus, if the protein powder is stored in recycled materials, traces of heavy metals may still be present in the packaging.
Environmental Pollution
If you buy plant-based protein powder, you are more at risk of consuming high levels of heavy metals. Vegan protein powder made from pea, soy, and hemp may be contaminated with a large amount of arsenic, lead, mercury, or cadmium.
This is mainly due to environmental contamination. Mining operations, industrial plants, and even certain fertilizers and pesticides can leave behind heavy metals.
These heavy metals may infect these plants through the soil, water, or air. The plants may then absorb these metals, resulting in a high heavy metal content in the protein powder.
At the same time, environmental pollution could also impact animal-based protein powder. The foodstuffs they eat or the water they drink could similarly be environmentally contaminated.
Types of Protein Powder with Less Heavy Metals
As we’ve already explored, it’s difficult to find a protein powder that’s totally free from heavy metals. However, animal-derived protein powders tend to have fewer heavy metal traces.
Animal-derived products tend to go through more stringent quality control checks, so they’re less likely to be contaminated by heavy metals during production and packaging. However, the food the animals eat could be contaminated with heavy metals, which could result in the protein powder product also being contaminated by it.
However, protein powder types that tend to show fewer (if any) traces of heavy metals include:
- Collagen protein powder
- Whey protein powder
- Egg white protein powder
Types of Protein Powder with More Heavy Metals
As aforementioned, the Clean Label Project’s 2018 study found that plant-based protein powder had higher signs of lead and other metals than animal-based protein powders.
More specifically, this research concluded that plant-based protein powder had twice the amount of lead than animal-based protein powders. This is mainly because the vegetables used to make plant-based protein powder is grown outdoors in soil, which increases the risk of heavy metal exposure.
Plant-based protein powder types that are particularly prone to including high heavy metal quantities include:
- Pea protein powder
- Organic brown rice protein powder
- Hemp protein powder
- Soy protein powder
Heavy Metal Daily Exposure Guidelines
Plant-based protein powder can be a good source of essential amino acids, nutrients, and, most importantly, protein. While it’s safe to consume plant protein for these reasons, you do need to be cautious about the level of heavy metal exposure you’re receiving from them.
Daily limits have been set for several types of heavy metals by the likes of the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA). With regard to heavy metals, their No Significant Risk Levels (NSRLs) standards state the following:
- Arsenic – 10 mcg per day
- Cadmium – 4.1 mcg per day
- Lead – 0.5 mcg per day
However, no NSRL level has been set for the likes of mercury.
FAQs
Heavy metals are a group of metals that have high densities compared to water and can be toxic to the body even at low concentrations. When consumed, these metals can accumulate in our cells, leading to various health issues, particularly affecting the nervous system, brain, and heart. This process is known as bioaccumulation, and it can result in heavy metal poisoning.
Although, heavy metal poisoning is still considered a rare condition.
Protein powder is healthy if it is free of additives, sugar, and heavy metals. Pure protein powder can be fit into a balanced diet, and should not cause any health problems. Healthy people can eat up to 1.5 grams of protein per day without experiencing any side effects. However, there is no known safety limit as to how much a healthy person can consume.
To stay on the safe side, don’t overindulge in protein powder, and never use it as a permanent replacement for solid meals.
You should stop consuming protein shakes if you’re experiencing any form of pain in your joints or muscles. Additionally, if you’re experiencing regular constipation, digestive issues, or fatigue, protein powder could be to blame.
If you experience any of these symptoms, you should stop consuming protein powder to see if the symptoms resolve.
Whey protein isolate, egg white protein, and collagen peptides are less likely to contain elevated levels of heavy metals.
We recommend 100% Grass Fed Whey Protein Isolate by Transparent Labs, Egg White Protein Powder by Naked Nutrition, and Vegan Protein Powder by Promix for people seeking protein powders with reduced risk of heavy metal contamination.