You know that tub of protein powder sitting on your kitchen counter right now? The one you mix into your post-workout shake because you're trying to be healthy? Yeah, it might be loaded with lead, cadmium, and inorganic arsenic. Sleep tight, gym bros.

But don't worry — the FDA has been all over this. Just kidding. They've done basically nothing.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on June 8 that he's launching an industry-wide investigation into protein powder manufacturers, and the details are enough to make you toss your shaker bottle in the trash, as reported by Conservative Review. Two separate studies have confirmed what the federal government apparently couldn't be bothered to address: popular protein powders and ready-to-drink shakes are contaminated with heavy metals that have no business being anywhere near your body.

Consumer Reports tested 23 products and found that lead levels in plant-based protein powders were, on average, nine times higher than those made with dairy proteins like whey, and twice as high as beef-based products. Three of those products exceeded concern levels for cadmium and inorganic arsenic.

Nine times higher. Let that sink in.

The Clean Label Project went even bigger, testing 160 protein powder products. Their findings? A jaw-dropping 47 percent exceeded California Proposition 65 limits for toxic heavy metals in a single serving. That's nearly half the products on the market failing a basic safety threshold.

The FDA's own position is that there is no safe level of lead exposure. None. Zero. And yet here we are, with millions of Americans scooping this stuff into their smoothies every morning while the federal regulators who are supposed to protect them take a long nap.

Chronic lead exposure has been linked to immune suppression, reproductive problems, kidney damage, and elevated blood pressure in adults. Children, pregnant women, and older adults are especially vulnerable. But sure, keep telling us the government has our best interests at heart.

Paxton's investigation will examine whether these companies violated the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by engaging in false marketing, misrepresenting the safety of their products, and failing to disclose heavy metal contamination. In other words — did they know this stuff was poison and sell it to you anyway?

Paxton put it bluntly: "Protein is a vital macronutrient for human health, and Texans deserve clean protein powders without having to worry whether the products contain heavy metals or other harmful chemicals. Far too many corporations have snuck harmful ingredients in their products, and I am committed to doing everything I can to help Make America Healthy Again."

Say what you want about Paxton — and plenty of people have — but the man is actually doing something here. While the FDA sits on its hands and Congress holds hearings about nothing, a state AG is stepping up and holding corporations accountable for putting lead in your gains shake.

This is personal for a lot of people. Protein powder isn't some niche product. It's in every gym bag, every pantry, every college dorm room in America. Millions of people buy this stuff specifically because they're trying to be healthier. And now we find out that nearly half the products on the shelf might be slowly poisoning them.

If your protein powder company can't keep lead out of a jar of powder, maybe they shouldn't be in business. And if the FDA can't be bothered to catch it, thank God someone in Texas will.