Heavy Metals in Fruits and Vegetables, and AG1’s approach to Testing

Seemingly every day there’s a new piece of information on heavy metals in our environment, in our food, and in supplement products (especially micro- and phytonutrient-rich products that come from whole foods). And it’s often without the necessary context, making us wonder how to make the best decisions for our health. It’s important to have the facts.

The truth is, heavy metals are present in food and fruits and vegetables can naturally contain heavy metals like lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury. But how does that happen? And what should you look for when choosing a supplement to feel confident it’s the right choice?

How do Fruits and Vegetables Become Exposed to Heavy Metals?

Heavy metals are present in soil due to both natural and human-caused sources. Naturally, they can come from the weathering of rocks and volcanic activity. However, industrial activities, mining, agricultural practices (like using fertilizers and pesticides), and improper waste disposal, have resulted in heavy metal contamination in our soil and in our water.

Crops are naturally exposed to heavy metals as they grow, absorbing nutrients from soil, air, and water. This means that eating fruits and vegetables, or consuming whole food sourced ingredients, can expose us to trace amounts of heavy metals.

• Leafy greens absorb metals through both roots and direct deposition from air or water.
• Root vegetables are in constant contact with soil, where most heavy metals are concentrated.
• Hyperaccumulators (like spinach and mustard greens) are biologically more efficient at uptaking and storing heavy metals—even from relatively clean soil.

Formulating AG1

We believe there is no better source for nutrients than fruits and vegetables. That's why AG1 is formulated with more than 75 high quality ingredients, many of which are from whole food sources. We are meticulous about our ingredients—working with high-quality suppliers, and rigorously testing each ingredient for purity, potency and safety before it makes its way into AG1.

We Test Every Batch of AG1 for Heavy Metals

Because we use whole food sourced ingredients, it’s inevitable that some heavy metals will be present, so it’s of the utmost importance that we test every batch of AG1.

Here’s what we do:

• We follow the guidelines set by the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) and NSF International, two independent, third-party organizations that set rigorous standards for safety, quality, and compliance.
• We partner with suppliers whose heavy metal specifications on the ingredients they provide meet (or are better than) our strict targets to ensure that our finished product is below levels set by USP and NSF.
• We conduct in-house AND third-party testing on each batch to ensure the levels are below limits set by US Pharmacopeia (USP) and NSF International. AG1 consistently tests significantly lower than both the USP and NSF guidelines for lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury.
• We disclose our product testing protocol and certificate of analysis (COA) sample on our website for transparency.

Testing For Other Contaminants

We are committed to safety and quality and as part of that commitment, we rigorously test AG1 for hundreds of contaminants. This includes over 500 pesticides and herbicides including glyphosate and its metabolites, and more than 75 additional chemicals and toxins.

AG1 is NSF Certified for Sport®, an independent third-party program that certifies dietary supplements are free from substances banned by major sporting organizations. NSF certifies that AG1 is free of over 280 banned substances, including stimulants, narcotics, diuretics, and masking agents.

Bringing Trust to the Supplement Aisle

Since 2010, AG1 has been guided by the latest advancements in research. We believe it's important to provide comprehensive, high quality, third-party tested ingredients that bring trust to the supplement aisle. This is the peace of mind you deserve—knowing that you’re giving your body the nutrition it needs every day, and that you can feel confident that what you’re consuming each morning is safe and effective. We prioritize transparency, strict standards, and third-party certifications every step of the way.

In addition to our Heavy Metals testing, we have industry-leading rigorous clinical studies (multiple randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trials) that demonstrate health benefits of the full formula. Those human trials have validated the impact of this incredible blend of whole-food sourced ingredients, so we know they have a positive impact by providing key nutrients and supporting gut health.

We drink AG1 every day as do our families. All of this work and the product isn’t just a business, it's a mission and a point of pride for us who work so hard on these standards to give our customers the best and keep making it better.