How to Evaluate Lead Exposure From Greens Powders
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In this clip from Q&A #70, Dr. Rhonda Patrick discusses commercial testing that reported measurable lead in several greens powders. Botanical ingredients can accumulate metals from soil and processing, and an FDA and NIST analysis of 38 botanical supplement reference materials found measurable toxic elements across this product category. The results highlight why product-specific testing is useful for botanical supplements. [1]
Lead exposure matters because the metal can accumulate in bone and affect the nervous system. Pregnancy and lactation can increase bone turnover, which may release previously stored lead into circulation. A longitudinal study measured this contribution during pregnancy and breastfeeding, reinforcing the value of limiting avoidable exposure before and during these periods. [2]
A practical review should look for recent lot-specific testing, a clearly named independent laboratory, and results that report actual amounts rather than only saying a product passed. Greens powders are optional convenience products, not replacements for fruits and vegetables. People with pregnancy, occupational exposure, or other risk factors can discuss testing and supplement choices with a qualified clinician.
- ^ Fong Sam, Jennifer; Kuszak, Adam J; Gray, Patrick J; Wise, Stephen A (2024). Determination Of Toxic Elements In Botanical Dietary Supplement Ingredient Reference Materials Journal Of AOAC INTERNATIONAL 107, 6.
- ^ Manton WI; Angle CR; Stanek KL; Kuntzelman D; Reese YR; Kuehnemann TJ (2003). Release of lead from bone in pregnancy and lactation. Environ Res 92, 2.
These greens powders that a lot of people are consuming are incredibly high in lead. Take a look at my X post. I have the graph there of the different green powder extracts and the ones that have the highest versus the lowest lead. And so if essentially you're taking a green powder just because it's like your multivitamin, you're actually better off taking a multivitamin because what happens, there's a lot of heavy minerals in the soil. And so plants take these up. And it's one thing if you're just eating a salad, but these green powders are taking just kilograms and kilograms and kilograms of greens and they're concentrating them down, right? They're dehydrating them and concentrating them down.
And you're just getting a really concentrated amount of these heavy metals in some of these green powders, especially, you know, ones that are not NSF certified. So really something to be aware of if you're supplementing with a green powder. And, if you just love green powders because you love them, that's fine, just go to a third-party testing source like ConsumerLab and choose one that's legitimately been tested and you can see what levels of contaminants like heavy metals are in those because lead is something to not mess around with. Obviously, we've talked a lot about it in the context of neurodevelopment. It's very harmful for the brain, particularly in developing you know, babies and children as well. But it also— lead accumulates in our bodies and gets stored in our bones.
And, as we age and our bone breaks down or even when we become pregnant, bone remodeling happens, lead gets released into our system. And so, it can have an effect throughout the aging process as well or during pregnancy. And so, you don't want to be continually exposed. daily from your greens powder to, you know, 2 micro— 2 milligrams or micrograms of, sorry, of lead. It, it's just something that's, that I think is important for people to consider.
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