Choosing a Protein Powder
Protein powders are very popular for good reasons. They are:
• More convenient than high-protein foods like meats, fish, eggs
and dairy
• Either fat and cholesterol-free or contain only a small
fraction of the fat and cholesterol found in high-protein foods
• Money-savers when compared to high-protein foods like meats
and fish
• Beneficial in ways beyond merely supplying extra
protein
• Great-tasting and can be used by the whole family
Protein
powders : also happen to be a very large
product category with many choices. Many have difficulty sorting through all
the options and choosing the right one. This article will help acquaint you
with the different types of protein powder, what the key differences are among
them and will help you zero in on the specific product that’s right for you.
Nutrition Express carries over a hundred protein powders. All of
them are good products and all of them work in the sense that they will do a
good job of supplementing protein to your diet. So there’s really no wrong one
to choose. It’s not unusual—and not a bad idea either—for people to try a few
different types over the course of a few months before finding the one they
like best.
The most common concerns people raise after looking at protein
powders and reading labels are allergies to protein components such as lactose,
soy, casein or eggs. Another common concern relates to artificial ingredients,
which some wish to avoid. In both cases, there are plenty of alternatives from
which to choose.
Despite the wide variety of protein powders available, the differences
boil down to a few characteristics:
• The type(s) of protein used;
• The types of flavors and sweeteners used;
• Cost per serving or per gram of protein;
• Additional ingredients used to enhance the product’s benefits.
1. Type(s) of Protein
The types of protein used in protein powders can be divided into
two categories: animal source proteins and vegetable source proteins. Animal
source proteins include milk protein derivatives like whey and casein, beef and
egg white protein. Vegetable source proteins include soy, rice, pea, hemp and
sprouted grain proteins.
Nutritionally and taste-wise, animal proteins are superior to
vegetable proteins and far more popular. Of the animal protein types, the most
popular is whey protein. Of the vegetable protein types, soy, rice and pea
protein are the most popular. Most people using vegetable protein powders
do so as part of a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, although many people use soy
protein primarily for its heart-health and/or hormone-balancing benefits.
Tip: You can
browse protein
powders at the Nutrition Express website by the type of
protein used.
Whey
Protein
Whey protein is derived from milk. The protein portion of whole
milk consists of 20% whey protein and 80% casein protein. Whey is by far the
most popular type of protein used in protein powders. For most people, it’s the
best all-around choice in terms of taste (it’s one of the best-tasting),
quality (it’s the highest) and cost (it’s the most economical). Another unique
benefit of whey protein, and one that is often overlooked, is that it enhances
the immune system in several ways.
Whey protein comes in two varieties, whey concentrate and whey
isolate. The advantages of each are:
Whey
Concentrate : Whey
concentrate is more economical per gram of protein. It has a low lactose level
that is well tolerated by most lactose-sensitive people. It has trivial amounts
of fat and carbs relative to your overall nutrient intake. Whey concentrate is
typically the best-selling category of whey.
Whey
Isolate: Whey isolate
is virtually fat-free for those wishing to eliminate as much fat from their
diet as possible. It is typically lactose free for those few individuals who
are very sensitive to the low-lactose levels found in whey concentrate. Whey
isolate tends to taste slightly better than whey concentrate too, yet its
consistency is a little thinner, without the fat.
Whey protein products can be made from whey concentrate, whey
isolate or a blend of both. Other types of protein are sometimes combined with
whey proteins in products and are known as protein blends.
Fitness Labs WheyFit Protein , WheyFit
Isolate or Lindberg Whey Protein are
all good choices and best sellers among the whey proteins.
Tip: The name of
a particular protein powder may or may not indicate what specific types of
protein are used in the product. You can check the label information or Quick
Facts section on a product page to find out exactly what protein types it
contains.
Like whey protein, casein protein is another milk protein
derivative. Since most of the protein (80%) in milk is casein, the terms “milk
protein” and “casein protein” are used interchangeably. The key difference
between whey and casein is that whey is absorbed in the digestive system
quickly, whereas casein is absorbed slowly and steadily. Taste-wise they are
similar. Both are more or less tasteless in their unflavoured and unsweetened
state.
Customers often ask which is better, whey or casein. That’s a hard
question to answer because both have unique benefits. For a good comparison,
read Jeff Volek’s article, Whey vs. Casein .
A great product that incorporates the benefits of both whey and
casein is Fitness Labs NutraFit Meal Replacement , Lindberg Protein Blend or Fitness Labs MuscleFit
Protein . Or you can use a casein-only product
such as Optimum Nutrition 100% Casein Protein .
Tip: Casein
protein may not appear on labels as casein protein. It usually appears as
calcium caseinate.
Egg white protein was the most popular type of protein supplement
for many years before milk proteins surpassed its popularity due to their
better taste and lower cost.
Like milk proteins, egg white is also naturally very low in fat
and carbs.
Egg white protein is cholesterol-free and an excellent choice
for those who wish to avoid dairy products.
Fitness Labs EggFit Protein is a top
seller. Healthy & Fit 100% Egg Protein is
also a top seller in this category.
Among the vegetable source proteins, soy
protein , rice
protein and pea
protein are by far the most popular.
Soy and hemp protein are
unique among vegetable protein sources in that they supply all 8 essential
amino acids. Plant proteins are
ideal alternatives to whey, milk or egg white protein. They are derived from a
variety of sources, including peas, hemp, sprouts, and grains and seeds like
brown rice, quinoa, millet, spirulina, chia and more. They're rich in vitamins
and minerals, and often provide antioxidants, amino acids, fiber and more. Plant proteins are
typically suitable for vegetarian or vegan diets. They're also well tolerated
by lactose-sensitive individuals.
Soy has additional benefits, too. The isoflavones in soy provide
antioxidant benefits, heart health benefits and is often used by women
transitioning through menopause.
For all its benefits, soy protein has a characteristic taste that,
while not unpleasant, can be hard to completely mask with flavors and
sweeteners, especially when soy is the sole protein source in a product.
Fitness Labs found a way around this issue by using a proprietary
blend of flavors and sweeteners. Their SoyFit protein powder is
the best tasting soy protein I’ve ever tried and a great choice for those who
want to use soy but are particular about taste.
Nutrition Express also carries a specially-formulated soy protein
with very high isoflavone content, Fitness Labs Soy Protein Isolate Triple
Isoflavones . Note that this product is unflavored
and unsweetened. You can flavor it with frozen fruit, vanilla extract, cocoa
powder, Emergen-C
packets and sweeten it with xylitol , stevia , honey ,
agave nectar or whatever you like.
Beef
Protein :
Beef protein has become extremely popular for those looking for a
non-dairy, non-plant protein. It has been long known that bodybuilders and
athletes consume beef to help build muscle and increase strength. Beef is one
of the best natural sources of creatine. Now, you can find beef protein which is packed with natural
creatine and BCAAs, and they are defatted so it contains no fat or cholesterol.
They do not taste like beef, and come in a variety of flavors. Try Carnivor Beef
Protein or Platinum 100% Beef
Protein .
2. Types of Flavors and Sweeteners Used
Manufacturers have hundreds of options to choose from when
flavoring and sweetening their protein powder products. Your flavoring choices
fall into 3 categories:
1. No flavors or sweeteners;
2. Artificial or a combination of artificial and natural flavors
and sweeteners;
3. Only natural flavors and sweeteners.
What you decide to use is up to you. The flavors and sweeteners
have no impact whatsoever on the nutritional value of the protein; they only
affect the taste.
All of the artificial flavors and sweeteners in protein powders
have been approved for use in food products by all the relevant regulatory
agencies. Artificial flavors and sweeteners have many advantages over their
natural alternatives. They give the formulators more options, flexibility and
control over the taste of the product. They cost far less. Smaller quantities
are required. They have greater stability and suffer less degradation during
storage.
Manufacturers purchase artificial flavors as finished, stand-alone
ingredients from companies that specialize in such products. Since each
company’s product name for their flavor ingredient would not be recognizable to
the public, and since manufacturers need to protect their flavor recipes from
being copied by competitors, these ingredients are simply listed on the label
as artificial flavors. The same holds true for natural flavor ingredients.
While most customers use protein powders containing a combination
of natural and artificial flavors and sweeteners, some still prefer natural
flavored and naturally sweetened products. There are many excellentmore
natural protein powders including Lindberg Whey Protein , Lindberg Protein Blend ,
Fitness Labs Natural Vanilla Flavored WheyFit Protein or
Isolate and Biochem (Country Life) 100%
Whey Protein . These products contain only natural
flavors and sweetening ingredients.
You may also want to use an unflavored and unsweetened protein
powder for baking or for using your own flavors and sweeteners. Your two best
choices are Fitness Labs 100% Whey Protein Unflavored ,
Fitness Labs Soy Protein Isolate , Quest Multi-Purpose Mix .
The whey protein is the more neutral tasting of the two.
3. Cost
There aren’t huge differences in protein powders when comparing
similar products with similar ingredients. It is easy to compare prices on
protein powders that just contain one type of protein. The difficulty arises
when comparing products that are blends of protein types. Some proteins are
more expensive than others and without knowing the proportions of each type in
the mixture, a comparison is hard to make. Some companies add other nutrients
like amino acids or digestive enzymes to their protein, making price
comparisons even murkier.
In protein blends ,
manufacturers usually describe their unique mixture of protein types as a
proprietary blend. The ingredient list will show the types of protein
proportionately, from most to least, but won’t provide the exact amount of each
type.
If you are trying a protein for the first time, buy the smallest
size possible. Once you’ve found a product you like, the largest size offers
the best value and gives you substantial savings over smaller sizes. A 2-pound
tub of protein may seem like an awful lot, but will typically contain only 23-30
servings. If you use the product every day, that’s just under one month. Save
yourself time and money by buying the largest size possible once you’ve found a
product you like.
Tip: Ask if
single serving trial sizes or free samples are available for a product that
interests you, so that you can try it for free or at minimal cost.
WheyFit Protein , WheyFit Isolate, MuscleFit Protein, NutraFit Meal
Replacement, Lindberg Protein Blend and Whey Protein are
available in inexpensive trial sizes. Lindberg Protein Blend ,
LindbergWhey Protein , WheyFit Protein and Isolate are
available in money-saving 5-pound tubs.
4. Enhancements
Besides protein, flavors and sweeteners, many manufacturers add
other ingredients to enhance the product’s nutritional value or taste, or to
make it easier to use.
One very common enhancement, and one that most customers prefer,
is the addition of small amounts of lecithin granules to protein powder. Lecithin Granules are
a healthy fat from soy. It’s added to improve the mix-ability of the powder and
reduce clumping. Unlike other soy foods, lecithin does not have any
phytoestrogen compounds and makes a great addition to a protein shake. Many
customers actually addlecithin granules to
shakes for memory enhancing and cardiovascular benefits.
Other protein powders are enhanced with digestive enzymes to help
improve the absorption of large servings of protein. Added lactase and Aminogen
digestive enzymes in Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard is
one example.
Another way to enhance a protein powder is by adding amino acids
to improve its nutritional value. Although whey protein contains all the
necessary amino acids, it doesn’t provide them in equal amounts. By adding
amino acids like glutamine, BCAAs and arginine, the nutritional benefits of
that protein are extended and enhanced. The amino blend in the MuscleFit family of
products is an example of this type of enhancement.
Other types of enhancements include the addition of carbohydrates
and nutritional fats to the protein and/or the addition of vitamins and
minerals. However, when these types of ingredients are added, the products can
no longer be accurately called protein powders. Such products are known as Meal
Replacements or Gainers with Carbs .
I hope this article has been helpful to you. If you have still
have questions about protein powders, you can email comment here, i will
get back to you anytime.
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