Protein Powders
What’s the deal with protein powders?
Are they helpful or harmful? Which ones should you choose and why?!
Examples of types of protein powders
Pea
Rice
Soy
Whey
Egg whites
Beef
Generally, from everything I have read and found in my research is most rice, pea, and soy based protein powders are often contaminated with heavy metals and fillers by how they are grown, sourced, and then processed for taste and shelf stability. I often think of the little pieces of scrape material their molecules pick up on their way through processing plants that have to be cleaned with detergents and can be made of up of aluminum hardwares.
Also, plant based, especially pea protein, is often not easily digested or absorbed in the gut, so when used for prolonged periods of time, it can cause increased intestinal gut inflammation that can lead to gut lining permeability. And, it takes other fillers to make the plant based powders shelf stable and tasteful. I can’t remember how high pea protein is rated on the genetically modified/genetically engineered organism (GMO/GE) list, but I believe it’s up there with beets, corn, and soy. GMO/GE is a whole other concern and discussion on its own.
Pea protein also dinged my discernment bell as I observed that pea protein is often the primary ingredient in dried dog food, which has a correlating pattern with it being a cheap “plant based” filler ingredient. This bothers me when as it correltates with my understanding of the patterns of our current food production system functioning. To me, this is the same idea as how corn is being promoted now a “do it all” solution from bio fuel to animal feed, causing clogs and gunking in all kinds of systems.
powdered substance
Next comes whey and dairy based protein powders. These can be an improvement, if one can tolerated dairry proteins (many cannot because of genetic variations or trying to use them while already starting out in an inflammatory state that makes sensitivities extra trigger-able).
And, again, a person has to consider sourcing (are the animals grass fed or grain fed and already oxidized; are they GMO/GE’d), processing (toxin load accumlation and heating agents that can denature proteins), and storage (thinking accumulation of plastic particles) with these products as well.
Last are the animal based protein options like egg whites, beef based, and collagen powders. These seem to be cleaner, but can still be contaminated depending on fillers, sourcing (see same concerns as with whey), processing (excess heat and/or irradiation can cause degradation of amino acids), and packaging.
Equip Prime beef protein smoothie
The thing is, the human body desperately needs ENOUGH protein to maintain a healthy nervous system, detox (liver supportive), rebuild muscle, skin, and collagen, and lots more! Animal based diets can be an expensive investment as well as some people (kids) don’t always go for what is placed in front of them to eat.
Therefore, like most things in the health and wholeness world, deciding whether to incorporate protein powders into a nutrition plan is a dynamic negotiation that requires critical thinking and decision making. A person still has to decide to trust the integrity of the company they are purchasing from, knowing that systems and products and people are rarely perfect.
Examples of dynamic variables that have to be weighed and considered:
budget allowance
sourcing
processing
quality
fillers and toxin risk
packaging
And then be willing to ask oneself the tough questions of how protein powders might play a role in your health. Using critical thinking along the lines of “is this a good, better, or best option” swap out?
Hiarchy of questions to think about:
What is good (I am on a budget and this will help me get enough protein),
What is better (I can spend a bit more, and am I getting enough animal based protein, but this will help me make better choices), or
What is best (I am free to spend what I want and am I can afford enough grass fed, organic, free range, high quality sourced protein - I don’t need the additional supplementation),
and then be able to make the “best for you” decision.
Personally, I choose to continue incoporating a trusted beef based protein powder because I can use it in place of much less healthy treats and options. I weighed the pros and cons for myself and decided to keep incoporating this item in my nutrition plan as it is helpful for blood sugar balancing, satiating my love for cold foods, and warm brownie and pastry vibes.
Hopefully this is a helpful run down of how to think about and engage protein powders!
Here are a couple links I found helpful during my search and decision making around protein powders:
The Scary Hidden Ingredient In Protein Powder You Need to Know About by Kiersten Hickman | Published on August 10, 2020 | 8:11 PM
The Best & Worst Protein Powder Products by the Clean Label Project
Protein Powder - Our Point of View PDF
How do you navigate using protein powders? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!