PROTEIN POWDERS
Although I am almost vegan (...however grew up on a farm in Ireland eating meat and potato staples), anyone who knows me, knows I am a big fan of protein powders. However, not just any protein powder -- I am a big fan of "undenatured", lactose-free, artificial-sweetener free whey protein powder. What the...say that again?? Hang in there, I'll explain what I mean and why:
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One easy scoop of protein powder packs about 20g of protein (for perspective the recommended daily amount of protein for women is 50g and men 63g - although athletes can probably increase this by at least 50%) |
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However most importantly good whey protein has the highest 'biological value' (BV) of any proteins - what does that mean? The biological value of protein is the amount of protein retained in the body per gram of protein absorbed. When the measure was first introduced the egg was the king of proteins -- given a score of 100% BV - the best form of protein the body could use. All other proteins (meat, milk, egg white, chicken) were given a relative percentage below this value. However we now know that a good whey peptide blend is in the range of 110-159 BV - wow, that's almost 60% more than our perfect little egg! For comparison I have listed a table below: |
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Protein |
BV |
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Whey peptide blends |
110-159 |
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Whole egg |
100 |
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Cow Milk |
91 |
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Egg white (albumin) |
88 |
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Fish |
83 |
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Beef |
80 |
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Chicken |
79 |
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Casein |
77 |
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Soy |
74 |
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Rice |
59 |
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Wheat |
54 |
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Beans |
49 |
(Source: The Colgan Institute, San Diego)
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"Undenatured" -- you always want to buy undenatured. if you want the chemistry behind this definitely feel free to email me at mel@melanieahmore.com. |
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Lactose-free - again it should indicate this on the label or make some reference to the lactose in casein. However, a good rule of thumb is that the protein powder should not, how do I say this, increase those windy bottoms! If the protein powder increases your gas then it may contain lactose or it may be filled with cheap/artificial sugars (the next point) - in either case, unless you plan on literally smoking your competitors (ok, that wasn't funny), I'd search for another brand. |
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Sugars, sugars, sugars. Please email me if you find a protein powder without artificial sweeteners! The protein powder probably will not list "sugar" as an ingredient but it may have one or more of the following - these are unnecessary (and in some cases potentially harmful) if you are using whey protein in smoothies where the sugar content is already high (but natural) from the fruit: |
- Aspartame / NutraSweet - artificial sweetener from aspartic acid and phenylalanine, about 200 times sweeter than sugar. Although approved by the FDA it supposedly crosses our blood brain barrier and has been linked to several disorders. Do a google search to find out more. There's enough information out there - warranted or unwarranted you ask? That's your call - but I like my brain the way it is and anything which warrants this much attention has a little orange light of caution attached to it in my opinion.
- Stevia (a natural sweetener - the best of all but still unnecessary in a protein powder in my humble opinion)
- Acesulfame K - similar to aspartame, contains no calories and is not metabolized by the body but it has been linked to tumors in rats and higher cholesterol. Whoops. Approved by the FDA - but are we really supposed to consume chemicals that go right through us? You make the choice.
- Acesulfame Potassium - different name, same as above
- Sunette - different name, same as above
- Ace K - different name, same as above
- Sucralose / Splenda - this is chlorine based (yes, chlorine). Again, it's your body and your call - according to the FDA it's safe, according to the South Beach Diet it's a diet-wonder, according to my philosophy, I'd prefer a few heaps of decent old sugar rather than chlorine as a sweetener.
The powder I currently use is made by "BioChem" (Lo Carb Whey is one) - it comes in different flavours but I use the unsweetened Natural flavour. Here is a link to the BioChem website (and no, I have absolutely no connection to this company - just sharing the only brand I can find without sugars!): Ultimate Lo Carb Whey Protein Powder.
A new addition -- I believe Hammer has a protein powder with no sugars or artificial sweeteners -- click here for more details.
Also, protein needs minerals to be absorbed in the body -- this is a key point for athletes. I'll be writing an article soon on minerals - stay tuned!