The Power of Protein

I recently subscribed to Texture on my tablet and as I was browsing through one of the many health and fitness magazines, I noticed many ads for various protein powder formulations. Personally, I use the Progressive WheyEssential All in One protein powder because it is free of hormones, antibiotics, and is routinely screened for over 200 chemicals. It got me wondering, with all the protein powders out there, which one is actually the best? How does the one I normally use compare to these?

Now I’m not a nutrition expert (least of all a scientist), but I thought I would do my own little personal assessment based on four of the most recent ads I’ve come across for ‘healthy’ protein powder formulations. In total, two of the proteins evaluated are whey-based (one of them being the one I normally use) and two of the proteins are plant-based.

All ingredients listed on the label are important, however for simplicity’s sake, I’ve narrowed it down to a subset of these to provide a high-level overview. I’ve compiled the following chart using criteria such as calories, sugar, sodium, protein, fibre, Vitamin A, etc.…. you get the picture. Again, it’s by no means an in-depth analysis of the ingredients and the product’s nutritional value (from a scientific perspective) but the chart below offers a glimpse into the benefits of each of the protein powders.

Ingredients	Progressive WheyEssential All in One Whey-Based Daily Foundation	Shakeology	Genuine Health Vegan Proteins + Sports Nutrition	VeganSmart All-in-One Nutritional Shake
Serving Size	1 scoop/37.1 g	1 scoop/36 g	1 scoop/26.9 g	2 scoops/43 g
++Calories	150	140	110	160
Total Fat	3 g	2 g	2 g	5 g
Trans	0 g	0 g	0 g	0 g
Cholesterol	60 mg	5 mg	0 mg	0 mg
Sodium	0 mg	150 mg	250 mg	240 mg
Potassium	7.5 mg	N/A	126 mg	120 mg
Carbohydrates	8 g	13 g	3 g	14 g
Fibre	3 g	4 g	1 g	6 g
Sugars	1 g	7 g	N/A	5 g
Protein	24 g	17 g	20 g	20 g
Vitamin A	2500 IU	1750 IU*	N/A	2500 IU
Vitamin C	125 mg	180 mg	N/A	30 mg
Calcium	100 mg	250 mg	200 mg	N/A
Iron	N/A	2 mg	5 mg	9 mg
Vitamin D	250 IU	400 IU	1000 IU	600 IU
Vitamin E	50 IU	10.5 IU	N/A	N/A
Thiamine	25 mg	0.5 mg	N/A	0.75 mg
Vitamin B6	17.5 mg	1 mg	N/A	1 mg
Folate	500 mcg	200 mcg	N/A	200 mcg
Pantothenic Acid	25 mg	N/A	N/A	5 mg
Phosphorus	N/A	193.2 mg	N/A	N/A
Magnesium	50 mg	140 mg	N/A	N/A
Zinc	5 mg	5.3 mg	N/A	7.5 mg
Manganese	2.5 mg	N/A	N/A	1 mg
Chromium	50 mcg	12 mcg	N/A	60 mcg
Iodine	25 mcg	52.5 mcg	N/A	75 mcg
Protein Type(s)	Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate, and Milk Protein Isolate	Proprietary Protein Blend: Whey, Pea, Sacha inchi, Chia, Flax, and Quinoa	Non-GMO Pea, Sprouted Brown Rice, Alfalfa, Organic Hemp, and NEW Potato Protein Isolate	Pea Protein Isolate, Quinoa Protein, Chia Protein, Potato Protein, and Chlorella Protein (non-GMO protein)
Noteworthy Ingredients	Colostrum, Lactoferrin, Plant Oils, Berry & Fruit Concentrates, Phytonutrients, Antioxidants, Botanicals, and Essential Oils; Stevia Leaf Extract, Grape Skin Extract	Antioxidants, Prebiotics, Probiotics, Digestive Enzymes, Phytonutrients, and Adaptogen Herbs; Organic Cane Sugar and Stevia Leaf Extract	Provides all 8 essential amino acids, Rich in antioxidants including chlorophyll, and xanthophyll, Digestive Health, No Soy, Made with Stevia	Fiber & Omega Blend, Vegan Energy Blend, Whole Food Complex, Digestive Enzyme Blend, Prebiotics; Organic Stevia
Hormone-Free	Yes	?	N/A	N/A
Antibiotic-Free	Yes	?	N/A	N/A
Grass-Fed	?	?	N/A	N/A
Organic	No	No	No**	No
Denatured	?	?	?	?
Gluten-Free	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Suitable for Vegetarians	?	?	Yes	Yes
Vegan	No	No	Yes	Yes
Flavors Available	4	6	3	8

Looking at the results, the different proteins are all very similar in terms of nutrition although the Genuine Health product seems to be lacking in vitamins and minerals compared to the other three. I can’t be sure that the vitamins and minerals aren’t listed because the product doesn’t contain these micronutrients or if it’s because they simply chose not to list these items on the label. What seems to be significant is that all the products chosen aren’t organic except for the Genuine Health product which contains organic Hemp.

Both the plant-based proteins are non-GMO however that doesn’t mean that pesticides or herbicides weren’t used on the crops. Even the whey-based Progressive protein powder that I use is hormone-free and antibiotic free (which is good) but I have no idea what the cows are fed and if their feed is organic or not. In this case, I’ll presume that none of the protein powders are organic otherwise the logo would be proudly displayed on the containers that I’ve chosen to evaluate.

During this exercise, I’ve discovered that protein powders and their benefits are quite complex and it’s no wonder that people often choose a product that is nutritionally inferior to the manufacturer’s claims. A whole list of ingredients needs to be evaluated to determine a product’s strengths – vitamin and mineral profile, antioxidants, digestive enzymes, fibre, protein content, the list goes on and on. For now, I will continue to educate myself (an others) on what constitutes a healthy product. It also goes without saying that organic whole foods are still the best option.

*as beta-carotene (precursor to Vitamin A)

**Hemp is the only organic ingredient

Disclaimer: This is not meant to be a scientific analysis; these are my own comparisons and observations based on looking at the information on the company’s website and the ingredients that are listed on the label. All protein evaluated is vanilla-flavored.

Reference list:

Information for each of the above products can be found on their respective websites:

https://www.progressivenutritional.com/products/wheyessential/

http://images.beachbody.com/tbb/store/shakeology/pdf/shakeology_vanilla_supp_facts.pdf

http://www.genuinehealth.com/store/vegan-proteins#.WT38s2jyvIU

https://www.livevegansmart.com/complete-nutrition-vegansmart