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Proudly made in the United States
Proudly made in the United States
You deserve to know the full story behind what's in your supplements. And today, we need to talk about something that's rarely mentioned, but incredibly important:
Heavy metal contamination in dietary supplements and health foods.
We’re not talking about beneficial trace minerals like magnesium or zinc. We’re talking about lead, cadmium, mercury, and arsenic. These are harmful metals that have no place in your daily wellness routine and that can quietly accumulate in the body over time.
At Abundant Earth Labs, we take this so seriously that we triple test every single batch of our products for these contaminants, and are ready to share those results with anyone who asks.
Unfortunately, not every brand holds itself to the same standard. Many do not disclose their testing methods, and some do not employ independent, third party testing at all.
Depending on the ingredients used, some supplements are more vulnerable than others.
Heavy metals enter the food and supplement supply chain through soil and water. That’s why plant-based and earth-sourced products tend to be most affected, especially when quality control is lacking.
Here’s a look at the categories that consistently test higher in lead, cadmium, or arsenic when not properly sourced or tested:
| Category | Common Risk Ingredients |
| Greens and Superfood Powders | Wheatgrass, barley grass, spirulina, chlorella |
| Plant-Based Protein Powders | Rice, hemp, and pea proteins |
| Whole Herb Supplements | Turmeric, ashwagandha, ginger, valerian, triphala |
| Ayurvedic Formulas | Traditional Indian or Chinese herbal blends |
| Seaweed-Based and Fish Products | Kelp, bladderwrack, sea moss (arsenic risk), fish oil (mercury and arsenic risk) |
| Cocoa and Cacao Products | Especially those sourced from South America (cadmium exposure) |
| Beetroot Powders | Often grown in heavy-metal-exposed soil |
| Rice-Based Products | Brown rice syrup or bran used as fillers |
If a brand doesn’t mention where its ingredients come from or how they are tested, that’s your first red flag.
Heavy metals don’t always cause immediate symptoms. Instead, they build up slowly in tissues and organs and over time can contribute to:
This is especially important for pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children, who are more vulnerable to even low-level exposure.
Our supplements, including the Whole Food Multivitamin and Minding Down Sleep Support, are designed to nourish without compromise.
Our quality assurance process includes:
Our goal is to remove the burden of worry from your supplement routine so you can focus on feeling your best.
(Above, Abundant Earth CEO, Tiffany Gieser, and husband, Steve, visiting our NSF GMP certified lab during a production round of our Whole Food Multis in Aug 2024).
It can surprise people to learn that even the cleanest organic plant-based supplements like those we make at Abundant Earth may contain trace amounts of naturally occurring heavy metals like lead and arsenic when lab tested. This does not mean the product is unsafe.
The trace amounts reflect the simple fact that plants naturally absorb minerals and elements from the soil they grow in. Because heavy metals are naturally present in the earth’s crust (soil), tiny traces can be found in everything that grows from it: spinach, kale, turmeric, mushrooms, and berries, etc.
The key difference lies in how much. Responsible supplement makers such as Abundant Earth rigorously test every ingredient and final formulas to ensure that any trace amounts remain well below California Proposition 65 and FDA safety thresholds.
In other words, a high-quality, whole food supplement will always show extremely low readings that are measured in parts per billion (ppb) or micrograms per gram (µg/g). These levels are far beneath what is considered harmful. These trace readings are simply evidence that the product truly comes from the earth, not that its contaminated.
When reviewing a supplement’s heavy metal test, focus on both the transparency of the brand and the actual numbers.
Trustworthy brands openly share Certificates of Analysis (COA’s) or third-party laboratory results listing exact levels of lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury.
Look for results measured in parts per million (ppm), parts per billion (ppb), or micrograms per gram (µg/g). Each of these represents a microscopic quantity.
We're going to give you an example here of a recent COA for a batch of our Whole Food Multivitamins, 3rd Party tested by Harken Research Labs (in partnership with Daane Labs):
In the above example, the results for arsenic, cadmium, and mercury were all <LOD or <LOQ, which means too small to detect. You can also see that the trace amounts of lead results were = 0.095 µg/g (micrograms per gram). To put this in perspective, California’s Prop 65 safety threshold for lead in dietary supplements is 0.5 µg per daily serving, and the FDA’s established safety level for adults is 10 µg per day.
This means our lead content is about 35% below the already-very-strict California Prop 65 safety threshold, and 96% lower than the FDA’s upper safety guideline. In short, we definitely PASS the 3rd Party Heavy Metal Test.
However, scientific Certificates of Analysis rarely give a PASS or FAIL seal on the results. They simply provide the data and results. This is why it is crucial to know how to read a Heavy Metal reports for yourself.
High-quality supplements will test far below regulatory limits and often hundreds of times lower than what is considered unsafe. If results show “non-detectable” or only trace levels well under Proposition 65 or FDA thresholds, it’s a sign of excellent quality control and clean sourcing.
Trace readings are not a cause for concern. They are simply evidence of ingredients derived from the living earth.
Every tablet and capsule should be pure. Every batch should be tested, then 3rd-Party tested. Every ingredient should be traceable. You should never have to wonder or guess.
You deserve a company that tells you the truth and backs it with proof.
At Abundant Earth Labs, that is our promise to you. Always.
Shop our best-selling clean, third-party-tested supplements here:
All -in-One, Whole Food Multivitamin Elite
Melatonin-Free Minding Down Sleep Support
