Question #: What Other Ingredients Are In The Protein Powder
While sweeteners, flavoring, and thickeners are common in protein powders, some contain more than others.
There are exceptions, but you generally want to look for protein powders with fewer ingredients. That said, guidelines like look for foods with fewer than five ingredients dont necessarily apply to protein powders.
Heres a look at the most common ingredients in protein powders, plus how to make sense of them.
How Much Protein Do You Need A Day
What is the right amount of protein is a constant source of debate among professionals but the consensus at the moment states that you’ll need to take anything between 1.8-2.2 grams of protein per body kilogram per day if you do rigorous training.
The British Heart Foundation says “Most adults need around 0.75g of protein per kilo of body weight per day .” This is for people who don’t exercise regularly, only ‘exist’. Once you start exercising, you will need to up your protein intake, depending on how vigorous said exercising is, all the way to the aforementioned 1.8-2.2 grams per body kilo per day.
That said, most active adults should be able to get away with taking 1.2-1.5 grams of protein per body kilogram per day.
If you follow a rigorous bodybuilding regime, as well as taking enough protein, you should also make sure you include ample amount of healthy carbs in your diet.
Organic Protein Company Whey Protein
No nasties here
The Organic Protein Company Whey Protein is a good example of why organic supplements have more benefits than just being healthier than their regular counterparts. Sure, the protein used in the Organic Protein Company Whey Protein is derived from grass-fed cows and contains no additives. Still, it also delivers on texture, micronutrients and most importantly protein content.
Each 25-gram serving of the Organic Protein Company Whey Protein contains just under 20 grams of protein and only 0.6/1.3 grams of sugar and fat, respectively. This powder also mixes well and can be used with either milk or water, or you can go crazy and use it with porridge or even savoury stuff .
Talking about flavour, the Organic Protein Company just came out with a brand new flavour to accompany the more traditional vanilla and chocolate varieties: strawberry, elderberry and beetroot. The new flavour is hopefully the first of many upcoming exciting varieties. If you excuse me, I must go now to have my third serving of strawberry, elderberry and beetroot protein today.
The Organic Protein Company Whey Protein contains all the essential and branched-chain amino acids you need for muscle building and repair, and it is also hormone-free, gluten-free, soy-free and GMO-free.
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Summary: What Should You Do Now
Overall, our approach to choosing the best protein powder glosses over some of the less important considerations like the kind of whey youre using and the different brands and claims being made. This is totally intentional: protein powders are usually more similar than they are different, and there are so many on the market that you could search forever.
Protein powders arent magical muscle-building elixirs and some brands contain worrying chemicals that neednt be included at all. What we recommend is to find a simple, no-frills supplement company that aims to provide you with exactly the basics high-protein, low-sugar, and hopefully fortification with vitamins and minerals. If you can find a protein powder that does all of this with a decent price tag and compliance with good manufacturing practices, then youve found the best protein powder.
Enjoy The Taste Of Your Shake
Protein powders, often mixed with water in the ever-popular shaker bottle, are not typically renowned for their great taste. And those that pack a sweet punch are likely loaded with sugar, artificial sweeteners and other additives. Read the labels carefullysupplements designed to help you gain weight are loaded with calories from sugar.
It’s possible to avoid these unhealthy fillers, without having to choke down a bland and gritty shake. It’s all about what you blend it with.
Add a scoop of healthy protein powder into one of your favorite smoothie recipes, like banana and almond butter, and blend away.
Other sweet, satisfying and good-for-you shake recipes:
- Berries, almond milk and banana
- Banana, spinach and water
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Keep An Eye On The Ingredients
Like any packaged food, there’s potential for protein powder to be loaded with additives. Companies add fillers to protein powders for a number of reasonscost, flavor, a longer shelf lifeso reading the ingredients before making your purchase is important.
Cohen warns: “There are manufacturers that will add bulking agents, so they can charge you more money.” Your body often has a hard time digesting these fillers.
As a customer, you should look for:
- A powder that’s made of primarily just protein
- A product with ingredients you can pronounce
- A supplement free of added sugar sor artificial sweeteners
Now Sports Egg White Protein
Price: $$
NOW Sports Egg White Protein Powder is free of dairy, making it a good choice if youre lactose intolerant. Its also paleo-friendly and free of fillers, additives, and sweeteners.
Additionally, this product is certified by Informed Sport, a third-party organization that tests supplements to ensure that theyre free of banned substances.
The powder is smooth and unflavored, making it a great addition to shakes, smoothies, and baked goods.
Still, some reviews note that it can be somewhat hard to mix, which may not be suitable for all types of recipes.
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Targeted Health And Wellness Goals
Most protein powders are formulated with a health and wellness goal in mind. For example, some are keto shakes, designed to lower carbs while maximizing fat. Some target weight loss while others serve as meal replacement options. This ranking considered products with the right ingredients to achieve their marketed goals.
Matching A Powder To Your Needs
Here are some general guidelines, based on the outcomesyoure looking for:
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Whole Foods Vs Protein Powder
You can meet your bodys daily protein requirements whether you drink shakes or eat only whole foods. However, they dont offer equal nutrition.
What you may find surprising is that shakes generally contain fewer nutrients than whole foods. For that reason, shakes may help you lose weight, but whole foods can offer a bigger nutritional punch.
Nutiva Organic Hemp Protein Powder
Protein source: Hemp
We love the post-workout highno, not that kind of hemp highwe get with this hemp-based, organic protein powder. Hemp protein is derived from the less-fun parts of the hemp plant, offering a substantial amount of fiber that’s easy to digest, making it a great pre-workout powder to keep you from cramping up at the gym. On top of 15 grams of complete protein per serving, hemp also boasts heart-healthy doses of anti-inflammatory omega-3s. This option is an ideal mix-in for oatmeal or smoothies the fiber will make you feel fuller longer, and it contains eight essential amino acids to build muscle.
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John’s Killer Protein Nighttime Blend
Protein source: Grass-fed, minimally-processed milk protein concentrate from U.S. dairy farms
If you’re looking to repair and regrow muscle overnight, the best protein powder to take before bed is JKP’s Nighttime Blend. The majority of the protein in this blend comes from casein. As opposed to whey, casein digests more slowly and stays in the system longer to nourish muscles.
This makes it a good option if you need a nighttime snack on workout days: It’ll help kick-start recovery and build fat-burning muscle. A small study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that active men who consumed either casein or whey protein at night increased their next-morning metabolism by over 5 percent compared to a placebo.
Studies have shown that casein protein also contains various bioactive peptides, which have various health benefits that range from acting as an antimicrobial to providing immune support.
However, because researchers found that whey provides a better rate of protein synthesis than micellar protein alone in both young and older men, we opted for this blend of casein and whey rather than a 100% casein blend. We also picked it because JKP is extremely transparent about their protein quality, and has released their heavy metals testing so you can feel confident in purchasing their products.
What Makes Each One So Beneficial
Listing each type of protein powder would take us all day, so instead well take a brief look at some of the more popular and beneficial powders on our list. Whey isolate for example, is considered superior to whey concentrate because whey isolate is made up of around 95% pure protein, as opposed to whey concentrates 85%. Vegan proteins are great because they are derived from plant based protein sources, making them 100% vegan friendly. Time release protein works by releasing a steady stream of energy and nutrients into the body over a prolonged period of time, which can prevent the body from entering a catabolic state. Whey blends provide a combination of different whey proteins, allowing users to get the best of all worlds.
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Best Protein Powder For Weight Loss
17. Truefit
| cinnamon churro, chocolate, unflavored, and vanilla | |
| How to take it | Put it in your favorite beverage for a post-workout shake or even an on-the-go meal. |
Not only does Truefit provide 25 grams of protein per serving, it also contains 12 non-GMO fruits and vegetables. The addition of these fruits and veggies along with 1 billion live probiotics means its packed with fiber, which can help you feel full longer. This powders balance of protein, fats, and carbs allows for an easy meal on the go!
Considerations: If youre lactose intolerant, youll need to skip this powder. It still contains milk, which will get that tummy rumbling . If youre following a low carb diet, the carbs per serving may push you over your daily limit.
Price: $$$
Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Raw Protein Powder
Protein source: Pea, hemp, cranberry protein, brown rice and more
A great raw protein option, this GMO-free powder derives its muscle-building power from raw organic pea, cranberry, and hemp seed proteinit’s even tasty enough to take on its own! What’s more, there are no sugars, gluten, or artificial sweeteners to cause a metabolism-confusing midday crash. If you drink some pre-workout, the branched-chain amino acids can give your gym session a boost by helping to target energy directly to your muscles.
And if you’ve heard about heavy metals in your protein powder, note that Sunwarrior’s Warrior Blend is one of three plant-based protein powders to get a “pass” from independent testing company Labdoor.
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Factor #: Intolerances And Sensitivities
If you have a known food intolerance or sensitivity, youll want to avoid protein powders containing those ingredients. For example, if youre intolerant to eggs and dairy, youll likely be better off with a plant-based protein powder.
If youre prone to digestive issues, more processed options, such as isolates and hydrolysates, are usually easier on the stomach.
Its also not uncommon to experience digestive upset after using a new protein powder. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Use the below checklist to get to the bottom of it.
Designer Whey Natural 100% Whey Protein Powder In French Vanilla
Protein Source: Whey full spectrum peptides, whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate
Like a good pair of designer shoes, Designer Whey lives up to its name. The blend is made up of natural GMO-free whey protein concentrate and GMO-free whey protein isolate. All of the whey from milk is made free of artificial growth hormones and antibiotics. Unlike most animal-based protein powders, this option also provides 3 grams of prebiotic veggie fiber, which is beneficial to help suppress any hunger between meals. Although these ingredients are great for you, Designer Whey adds in taurinean amino acid commonly found in the brain and used in many chemical-crammed energy drinks. According to research by Neil Harrison, PhD, a professor of pharmacology, the additive may operate more like a sedative than a stimulant.
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What Aisle Is Protein Powder In
Protein powder can be found in the Health and wellness aisle.
Its where supplements and other products for healthy living are kept.
Its important to note that most grocery stores have different layouts. So its best if you ask any of the store employees for proper direction.
But you read our guide on the different sections of a grocery store to get a better sense of how grocery store aisles are arranged.
Purity And Quality: How To Know If A Protein Powder Is Clean And Safe
In laboratory tests, some protein powders have been shown to be contaminated with heavy metals. With this information in mind, its natural to wonder, are protein powders safe?
Depending on where you live, supplements may or may not be a regulated industry. So its important to understand the supplement regulations in your country or region.
For example, while regulations are much more stringent in Canada and Europe, in the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration doesnt test the effectiveness, safety, or purity of nutritional supplements.
This means its possible whats on the ingredient label doesnt match up with whats in the supplement.
Most supplement companies arent selling bogus supplements on purpose . The main concern is that supplements could be contaminated with other substances like heavy metals or harmful chemicals, and in many cases, no one would knownot even the companies producing them.
Its also important for competing athletes to know exactly whats in their supplements, including protein powder, on the off-chance it might contain a banned substance. No protein supplement is worth a disqualification after months of training.
Because of the varying levels of regulation, its a good idea to choose third-party tested supplements when possibleparticularly if you live somewhere with less pre-market testing.
USP is also a reputable third-party tester.
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Sunwarrior Protein Warrior Blend Natural
If you’re looking to bulk up and lean down, this blend is a great pick. A protein blend of organic pea protein, organic hemp protein, and organic goji berry come together with organic whole ground coconut for Sunwarrior’s powerful raw plant-based blend. “Pea protein has been shown to build muscle just as well as popular dairy-based protein powders,” share the Nutrition Twins. “Additionally, it’s a good source of the branched chain amino acids which are important for muscle building,” they conclude.
They Help To Build Muscle
The main reason why so many various different protein powders are now available is that they have been proven to help promote the growth and repair of muscle tissue. Bodybuilders, strength athletes, and people generally looking to build muscle mass will purchase protein powders for that very reason. When we exercise we break down and destroy muscle tissue, it is when we rest that we grow, providing our bodies have the necessary nutrients required to help them synthesise new muscle tissue. Protein supplements help provide the body with the tools and nutrients required for adequate post-workout growth and repair when it comes to lean muscle mass.
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Huge Nutrition Huge Whey
Made by Huge Nutrition, Huge Whey is a whey protein powder that contains 23g of protein and 120 calories per serving. Besides, it comes in unique flavors such as Cookies, Cream, and Chocolate Peanut Butter. Huge Whey also delivers 5g of BCAAs in each serving, which allows the body to maximize the value of the protein delivered.
At $40 for a one-month supply, the manufacturer uses whey protein isolate and whey protein concentrate to develop the protein blend. It also contains cocoa powder, natural and artificial flavors. Each 30.8g scoop delivers 2g of fat, making it leaner than other high-powered protein powders on this list.
More importantly, Huge Nutrition is a relatively new entrant on the supplements market. The product was launched in 2019. However, it has gained much traction. The company aims to separate itself from the competition by delivering high-quality and well-formulated bodybuilding formulas that pass through extensive testing and research before their launch.
