Understanding Protein Powders

Suppose you went to the grocery store and asked for ground beef. The butcher gives you a package and says it’s a great buy at their new special pricing. Great deal right?

Only when you get home you find that the ground beef is only 25% meat and the rest is fat. Not much of bargain, right?

So how do you know when you purchase protein powder what you’re getting?

Let’s take a look at Whey Protein.

Not all Whey Protein is created equal. When you purchase whey protein you are either getting one of three forms. Whey is broken down into three main catagoies—whey protein concentrate (WPC), whey protein isolate (WPI), or whey protein hydrolysate (WPH).

Whey Protein Isolate contains almost all protein – usually at least 90% protein. Containing the highest percentage of pure protein it is pure enough to be virtually lactose free, carbohydrate free, fat free, and cholesterol free.

Whey Protein Concentrate is protein, lactose, and minerals. These ingredients can vary from 25% to 90%. The FDA only requires thatWhey Protein Concentratebe aminimum of 25% protein.So, when it’s 25% protein, what’s the rest? It could be 60% lactose. When you get less protein, you get more lactose. So, what is lactose? We’ll talk about that in a moment.

Whey protein hydrolysate is the “predigested” form of whey protein—which has already undergone partial hydrolysis – a process necessary for the body to absorb protein. This form doesn’t require as much digestion as the other two forms of whey protein. In addition, it is commonly used in medical protein supplements and infant formulas because of it’s improved digestibility and reduced allergen potential.

So what is lactose? Lactose is milk sugar. Lactose sugars can cause problems for weight loss surgery patients. Lactose sugars can cause “dumping” and rob you of much needed protein we need for healing, overall health, weight loss and satiety. Not getting enough protein robs us of our health and undermines our hard-earned weight loss efforts.

Even though concentrate may be less money, they may not be our best option in the long run! You’re in charge of your health—which is the best option for you? Choose wisely. You have many moremiles to go!