Protein powder is a must for anyone getting serious about building muscle or maintaining muscle as the amino acids provided by protein powder are crucial

Protein powders may contain high levels of lead and cadmium, with chocolate-flavored and plant-based products testing at the highest levels, a new report said.

A study conducted by the Clean Label Project found that cadmium and lead were found in many types of protein powders — with organic, plant-based and chocolate-flavored protein powders containing the highest levels of heavy metals.

Lead and cadmium were found in a majority of the protein powders that were tested. There is no safe level of lead, which has been linked to developmental disorders and high blood pressure.

Chocolate protein powders contained up to 110 times more cadmium than vanilla-flavored powders, according to the Clean Label Project report from Jan. 9. Photo: Christopher Polk/ Nearly half of some of the most popular protein powders have levels of heavy metals like lead that exceed government food safety regulations,

A new report from the Clean Label Project says some popular protein powders may actually be poisonous. The report found “disturbing” levels of lead and cadmium in over-the-counter protein powers, with the highest amounts of the heavy metals being found in plant-based,