When searching for a good protein supplement, you may have come across the term “complete protein”. Complete proteins are those that contain the nine essential amino acids (histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine). These amino acids are essential; our bodies can’t create them, so we need foods containing them. Each of these amino acids serves a different purpose, such as tissue growth, energy production, immune function and nutrient absorption.

It's easier to obtain complete protein from animals than it is from plants. Protein from a cow, for example, is a complete protein where vegetables, beans, and nuts lack the essential amino-acid profiles that our bodies use as building blocks to repair, build, and grow cells.

Protein powders are incredibly popular, used around the globe. In fact, the protein powder industry is worth over $20 billion! The quality and quantity of protein is critical to our health, so you need to ensure you are choosing the right one. With so many options (and ingredients), it can feel overwhelming and very confusing. I am here to shed some light on the topic and help you select the option that is best for you.

In this article, part 1, I’ll provide you with an overview of protein powders, the different protein sources, and processing methods. Later, in part 2, I’ll give you an in-depth review of the ingredients found in popular protein powder brands and share my recommendations.

Let’s start with a look at the various types of protein powders you’ll find in stores.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROTEIN POWDERS

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Many protein sources (e.g., whey, soy, pea, hemp, or rice) have been made into one of three types; concentrates, isolates and hydrolysates. The following information is an extract from Cyndi’s blog post - Protein Powders - Not Another Supplement Story - this extract explains what protein isolates, protein concentrates and protein hydrolysates are in a very easy-to-understand way.

PROTEIN CONCENTRATES - from plant foods (soy, hemp, rice, pea) have had the least processing of the three and have less protein than an isolate or hydrolysate. A concentrate goes through a series of steps which strips the food of other components, fats and carbohydrates. There are different ways to extract these components. Solvents, acids and alcohols can be used to extract the fat and carbohydrates respectively, this also removes many of the isoflavones of the food. A less toxic way is using a cold press for oils and a water extraction for sugars, removing less isoflavones – but of course this is a more expensive way of extraction. A protein concentrate from animal sources, such as milk, also called a milk protein concentrate (MPC) (whey), are created by putting heated milk through an ultra-filtration process that removes all of the liquid and smaller molecules, including the minerals that are essential for good nutrition. What is left following the filtration is a dry substance that is very high in protein. Because MPCs’ are generally produced as a dry powder, exporters can ship the product long-distances very cheaply, and much of the milk protein concentrates used in the United States and Australia are imported from New Zealand and China. It must be 40% protein by weight to be called a concentrate.
PROTEIN ISOLATES - are almost pure proteins, about 90-95% by weight value, much of the nutrients and other components have been stripped from the natural food, whether it be whey, soy, rice, hemp or pea. An isolate has been subjected to a more rigorous refinement process than a concentrate. Due to the refinement process and the high protein count, the isolates are more expensive. Some protein powders can have a mix of isolates and concentrates to reduce the cost.
PROTEIN HYDROLYSATE - is very expensive as it is pure protein. It is the product of hydrolysis, which means the cleavage of chemical bonds by the addition of water. Hydrolysis, otherwise known as saccharification, is generally a step in the degradation of a substance. It’s a chemical process in which a molecule of water is added to a substance. Sometimes this addition causes both the substance and water molecule to split into two parts. In such reactions, one fragment of the target molecule (or parent molecule) gains a hydrogen ion. Protein Hydrolysate is often known as a pre-digested whey protein. Protein hydrolysate has special application in sports medicine because of its “so called” consumption allows amino acids to be absorbed by the body more rapidly than intact proteins, thus maximising nutrient delivery to muscle tissues, but these words may be just clever marketing. The body knows how to use a protein in a form that has other nutrients and macronutrients supporting it. Without these supports isolated and hydrolysated protein may not be a healthy option.

COMMON TYPES OF PROTEIN POWDERS
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WHEY PROTEIN (UNDENATURED)

You know the liquid floating on top of a new tub of yoghurt? That’s whey. Whey protein is easy to digest, contains all nine essential amino acids and a good dose of BCAAs. Undenatured whey protein also gives your liver what it needs to produce glutathione, your body’s master antioxidant. However, it’s not dairy-free, so keep that in mind if you’re intolerant.

To get whey protein, enzymes are added to the liquid, separating the whey and casein. It is then further processed and filtered to remove fat and carbohydrates. The liquid whey is spray-dried with hot and cold air, which turns it into a powder. Although whey protein has health benefits, you should avoid whey protein isolate. This protein form requires heating and a refinement process that denatures the protein, destroying nutrients and rendering the protein useless to your liver for glutathione production. Plus, there are small amounts of fat found in whey and when processed into isolate, it oxidises the fat, contributing to inflammation.

COLLAGEN POWDER

Collagen is not a complete protein, but it’s incredibly high in glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline, the three primary amino acids that your body uses to make connective tissue. Collagen also provides your body with the building blocks for smoother and more elastic skin, connective tissue repair, strong bones, and more resilient joints and ligaments. Your gut bacteria also turns collagen peptides into butyric acid, which is good for digestion. The one downside to collagen is that it’s processed, more so than gelatin. That said, so are the majority of protein powders, so it depends on what you’re most comfortable with.

I’m not going to go into too much more detail on collagen as the very clever and talented Elza Bevilacqua has written a VERY extensive blog post on it, which I highly recommend you read HERE.

COLOSTRUM POWDER

Colostrum is the “immune-boosting milk” produced by all mammals for only the first few hours before and after birth. It has a complete amino acid profile, is highly bioavailable, contains naturally occurring immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, and has over 20 different antibodies that support the immune system and gut.

Look for colostrum that is low-temperature spray-dried and contains no fillers or additives - just 100% colostrum from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows or goats. Please note that colostrum has small amounts of lactose and casein, which may trigger reactions if you’re sensitive, and it can be pretty expensive compared to other protein sources. Furthermore, taking bovine colostrum supplements raises some ethical issues - namely, its consumption deprives the newborn calf of the essential nutrition it needs to grow. If colostrum is something you want to add into your diet, try sourcing a brand that harvests only after the newborn calves get their share.

PLANT BASED PROTEIN POWDERS

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Plant-based protein powders like hemp, pea, rice, etc., are not typically complete protein sources. Therefore, many manufacturers will combine plant proteins from different sources to make full use of the proteins. This is why you often see 2 - 4 different types of plant-based proteins used in one protein powder. Many plant proteins also contain anti-nutritional factors such as phytic acid, lectins, and trypsin inhibitors. These act as defence mechanisms in the plant but reduce protein digestibility and may impair other nutrients' absorption.

PEA PROTEIN

Pea seeds are a rich source of minerals and vitamins, including calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, zinc and copper. Pea protein isn’t a complete protein; however, many manufacturers combine it with other plant-based protein sources to get all essential amino acids.

One downside of pea protein is that peas contain anti-nutritional factors (phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, lectins, and saponins), leading to overall decreased nutritional quality and making the food harder to digest. Peas, along with nuts, seeds and other legumes, contain phytic acid, a substance that blocks the absorption of iron, zinc, calcium, manganese and other nutrients. They also contain tannins that inhibit the absorption of iron. Lectins can cause digestive troubles for some and cause inflammation and autoimmune responses in those with sensitivities.

These anti-nutrients can be neutralised by methods such as;

Soaking - may reduce phytate, lectins and tannins.
Sprouting - reduces phytate in legumes and may slightly degrade lectins.
Fermenting - leads to a significant reduction in phytate and lectins.
Heating/ Cooking - breaks down the protein structure and stops the lectins in their tracks.

Out of all the protein powder brands I reviewed (in Part 2), the only brand I came across that uses these methods was Amazonia Raw who uses organic sprouted and fermented pea protein. This, however, is not typical for pea protein manufacturing.

The manufacturing process for both pea protein concentrates and isolates consists of a cleaning process and splitting process. This is when the pea is split and “dehulled” before being processed into starch, protein, or flour. After this, the manufacturing process is different for isolates and concentrates.

Pea protein isolates are manufactured through wet fractionation, which has the highest protein concentration and requires the most processing. The manufacturing process of pea protein concentrate is done through dry fractionation, which lowers the protein concentration. The diagram below outlines the exact process for concentrates and isolates.

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Image source from HERE

SOY PROTEIN CONCENTRATE OR ISOLATE

Soy protein isolate production is a high-tech, chemical process. The basic process begins with a defatted soybean meal, which is boiled with an alkaline solution to remove the fibre. It is then washed in an acid solution to precipitate the protein out. Following this, the protein curds are dipped into another alkaline solution and finally spray-dried at extremely high temperatures.

Over 90% of soy produced is GMO and contaminated with Roundup herbicide. To make matters worse, when soy is isolated to its protein state, it becomes severely denatured. It can cause hormonal disruptions because of the excessive amount of estrogen in it, impacting your thyroid. Further, since soy is a legume, you run into the same phytic acid and lectin issues as pea protein. Soy contains an abundance of phytic acid, which leaches calcium and other vital minerals from your body. This is not the healthiest form of plant-based proteins; fortunately, there are other alternatives which you’ll also see in part 2.

BROWN RICE PROTEIN

You’ll find brown rice in many plant-based protein powders. Although it is higher in the amino acid methionine, it lacks threonine, leucine, and histidine. Rice protein isolates don’t dissolve well in water and have a grainy texture. Brown rice (including organic) is also often contaminated with arsenic, a highly toxic substance classified as “Carcinogenic to Humans” by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. If choosing brown rice protein, be very careful about the source. Make sure it’s been tested for purity and does not contain heavy metals or other contaminants.

HEMP PROTEIN

Hemp protein powder is considered a complete protein. It’s rich in dietary fibre, antioxidants, magnesium, iron, potassium and calcium and is very low in lectins. Given hemp’s excellent protein profile, try sourcing gently processed hemp protein powder as high heat processing can affect its digestibility.

Hemp protein powder is typically a great plant based protein powder option, but be mindful of its high fibre content. If you haven't been eating a lot of fibre, even a single serving could cause digestive distress as your body isn't used to it. This could result in bloating, cramping, gas and constipation. Further, those suffering from autoimmune conditions may find hemp seed products too stimulating on the immune system.

SOME OF THE DOWNSIDES TO PROTEIN POWDERS
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As you can see, protein powder involves a high level of processing. It’s heated to high temperatures, proteins are chemically isolated, and there is a substantial amount of additives, colours, flavours, gums, and preservatives that can be added into the mix. During this refinement process, a lot of the nutritional value is stripped out.

Here are a few of the downsides to these heavily processed protein powders:

Nature didn’t intend for protein to be isolated from its original form. Your body can't utilise protein without fat, and that is why nature always pairs proteins and fats together (e.g. eggs, fish, meat, nuts and seeds). When these get separated from their natural fat source, vitamins A, D, E and K depletion can occur.
Proteins are very fragile, so high temperature [and even low temperature] processing denatures the proteins.
Many protein powder blends contain flavours, sweeteners, texture enhancers, soy lecithin and added synthetic nutrients.
Some popular protein powders have been found to contain heavy metals such as arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury!

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WHAT ELSE COULD BE IN YOUR PROTEIN POWDER?

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Plant protein isolates don’t always taste good, nor do they mix well in liquid. It can therefore take a lot of food additives or industrial processing to make plant-based protein taste yummy. This means that some plant protein powders may trigger inflammation or digestive upset in some.

For example, a person who struggles with small intestine bacterial overgrowth might not do well with protein powders that contain fermentable fibres like inulin. And those with an MTHFR mutation may not do well with protein powders that are fortified with folic acid (instead of the natural form of folate).

SOY LECITHIN

Today soy lecithin is most commonly used as a food emulsifier and extends the shelf-life of many products. It’s commonly found in chocolate, infant formula, supplements and protein powders. To make soy lecithin, soybean oil is extracted from raw soybeans using a chemical solvent. It then goes through a degumming process where water is mixed thoroughly with the oil until the lecithin becomes hydrated and separates from the oil. The lecithin is then dried and can also be bleached with hydrogen peroxide. You can read more about ‘Soy Lecithin’ in this post HERE and why I recommend avoiding it.

FLAVOURS

When it comes to flavour additives, ‘natural’ is a very loose term, and it may be that the flavour is just 10% natural and the rest artificial. Natural flavour is practically the same as an artificial flavour but is derived from substances found in nature. Although they may be derived from natural substances they typically contain preservatives, emulsifiers, solvents and other “incidental additives”. These incidental additives can make up 80% of the formulation, and won’t be disclosed on the ingredient list. You can read more about ‘Flavours’ in this post HERE.

SWEETENERS

There's so much confusion surrounding which sweeteners are “good” and which are “bad”, and while it’s beyond the scope of this blog post, I’ll touch on a few of the most common sweeteners I’ve seen in many different protein powders and bars.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS; SPLENDA, ASPARTAME, SACCHARIN, SUCRALOSE- Don't let their “no glycemic index” fool you! They may have no GI, but they're doing nothing for your health. Research has shown that these artificial sweeteners negatively change gut bacteria, leading to food cravings and all kinds of issues with our health and hormones. These artificial sweeteners have been linked to weight gain and neurological problems such as depression and learning disorders. I recommend steering clear of protein powders that contain these artificial sweeteners.

HIGHLY REFINED, PROCESSED STEVIA - There are at least ten different steviol glycosides in the stevia plant. Purified and manufactured forms of stevia often isolate one or two of these steviol glycosides (most commonly rebaudioside A, but also stevioside). In contrast, green leaf stevia, which is simply the dried and powdered leaves of the stevia plant, contains all ten. Steviol glycosides are approximately 200 - 400x sweeter than sucrose by weight, meaning a small amount of concentrated stevia extract can sweeten entire batches of protein powders.

Dr Sarah Ballantyne presents some concerns about the potential hormone-mimicking and altering effects of stevia. In particular, one specific steviol glycoside, called stevioside, has been shown to have potent contraceptive properties in female rats, implying that stevia may impact estrogen, progesterone or both. However, as stevioside only makes up 10% of the plant's sweet compounds, small and occasional consumption of stevia likely has little impact on general health. That said, I wouldn’t recommend consuming it regularly, if you have hormone imbalances and/ or a dysfunctional immune system. You can read Dr Ballantyne’s article ‘The Trouble with Stevia’ for all the information on this. You can also read more in my blog post I wrote years ago called ‘Stevia: Safe To Consume or Best Avoided’.

THAUMATIN - is used as a sweetening agent and/or flavour modifier. This patent says that thaumatin is extracted from genetically modified barley, allowing for the extraction of 2g of thaumatin from 1kg of barley. Another says that thaumatin has a naturally lingering aftertaste, so they add flavouring agents, which could be up to 100 chemicals made from a genetically modified microorganism or extracted chemicals from food. Another way to alter the sweet thaumatin after taste is by mixing it with gymnemic acid, an anti-sweetening agent extracted from a leaf or made chemically. Gymnemic acid suppresses the sweetness of most sweeteners, including aspartame and thaumatin.

EXTRACTS

In Part 2 of this blog series, where I examine the ingredients lists of popular protein powders, I noticed many ‘Extracts’ had been added, such as Aloe Vera Extract, Stevia Leaf Extract, Sunflower Extract, Guar Bean Extract and Luo Hun Guo (fruit) Extract.

There are a few reasons as to why I’m so suspicious of ‘extracts’. Carrot Extract, for example, is popular in food manufacturing and used to create a golden hue in foods like ready-made custard, cakes, yoghurt, lollies and children's snack foods. The manufacturing process for Carrot Extract begins with carrots though not necessarily fresh or whole. The natural orange colour, carotene, is extracted in a similar way to ‘Rosemary Extract’, which you can read all about HERE.

If manufacturers want a dash of red to make their berry yoghurt look fruitier and more vibrant, they can use beetroot extract (betanin) or grape extract (anthocyanins). Extracts sound so much nicer and healthier than the abrasive word ‘colouring’, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

No extract has a nutritional profile that comes anywhere close to the source of vegetable, plant or fruit it came from because the extraction process ruins it. Furthermore, extracts are supplied to manufacturers in different forms (e.g., powder, oil, emulsions and liquid) with other additives in the mix. Some of these additives include maltodextrin and modified starch which act as carriers and emulsifiers, preservative 202 ‘potassium sorbate’, or sugar syrup with propylene glycol, a solvent better known for its anti-freeze effect. So as healthy as they sound, they add nothing to your health.

PESTICIDES

Many protein powders are not certified organic. They may contain GMO ingredients (depending on the source) and can be tainted with synthetic pesticides that are potentially toxic with long-term exposure. Pesticides used on conventional farms are hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, or reproductive toxins, which are strongly linked to many diseases and health issues. The whole basis of organic farming is to produce food without the need to use these toxic pesticides.

HEAVY METALS

Heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and mercury can accumulate in the body, particularly the brain, with repeated exposure. They won’t appear on an ingredient list as they are contaminating substances, similar to pesticides. Certain ingredients are more likely to be contaminated with heavy metals, including plant-based protein sources. The biggest problem with these heavy metals is that they build up in the system. They accumulate in the brain, bones, fat and other tissues. This is why we must reduce our exposure as much as we possibly can. I recommend looking for products that have been tested for purity to avoid these heavy metals, especially if you have protein powder daily.

SYNTHETIC VITAMINS & MINERALS

Vitamins and minerals seem innocent, but it’s not always the case when they appear as an additive in an ingredient list. Your body doesn’t absorb individual nutrients when added to processed foods as efficiently as naturally occurring nutrients in whole foods. Nutrients in whole foods have a purpose; they work together to enhance each other's uptake and bioavailability. A simple example is skim milk fortified with vitamin A and D. Skim and low-fat milk has been processed to remove the fat, thereby losing the fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K. Although vitamins A and D are added back, our bodies cannot absorb them without a fat vehicle, nor can they function optimally without the assistance of vitamin K.

As you can see, a lot of processing goes into manufacturing protein powders, and many of them do have some downsides. In Part 2, I review the ingredients of some popular protein powder brands, their pros, cons and questionable ingredients, and I provide some recommendations!