I have been oftenly asked some common questions like “what are the types of protein powders” and “which is the best for fitness goals” etc. Well, I personally don’t use protein powders to meet my protein needs, but I know many of you are interested in finding about it. So, I am going to talk about the most common protein powders and the main differences between all of them.
Most of us get very confused while visiting a health store to buy a protein power due to the wide range of brands and protein powders available today. In this eCommerce age, you have the option to buy online as the online stores describe the whole description and list of ingredients it contains, but I personally prefer vitaloid.com as they sell the most effective powders as per individual’s exact needs. Anyhow, either you decide to buy online or from local store, always remember to read the ingredient labels carefully because many protein powders can be filled with artificial ingredients and other additives.
So, What Are The Most Common Types of Protein Powders?
Whey Protein
It is one of the popular protein powders in the market today. Whey protein is a complete protein and contains all important nine amino acids, which our bodies cannot produce itself. It is the liquid by product of cheese, and it can be separated from milk.
The body absorbs quickly and it is relatively cheap compare to all others. There are many kinds of whey protein available, so it’s a good idea to know what each of them are.
- Whey Protein Concentrate: it is generally the cheapest type of whey protein because it contains lowest amount of protein per 100 grams. But, it still has quite high percentage of protein, which can vary from 60-90 percentages. The rest is made up from fat, carbohydrates and other peptides.
- Whey Protein Isolate: it has protein content about 90-95 percentage with minimal lactose fat. It’s my most preferred choice if I were to use it.
- Whey Protein Hydrolysate: it has highest amount of protein content per 100 grams at 99 percentages. This kind of proteins are mostly very expensive and have the strongest flavor so that it makes it hard to mask with other ingredients.
Soy Protein
Soy protein is one of the few plant based protein powders and made from soybeans. It contains all essential nine amino acids and commonly produced after the soybeans are hulled, dried and then turned into soy flour.
However, soy protein use is also related with some controversy as it is often modified to produce more crops. Some people also believe that large scale of soy protein can also have negative effects, but research in this field is still inconclusive.
Pea Protein
It’s a popular choice for vegetarians as it is made from yellow split peas. These kinds of proteins generally don’t have much additives and artificial ingredients which makes it as close to the whole food source as possible. It is also free from soy, lactose and gluten, so it can be good for those who have food allergies.
Our bodies can absorb pea protein very easily and as I mentioned earlier, huge amount of protein content is from plant based protein which makes it a great choice for those who want to stay away from animal products.
Rice Protein
As per the name, rice protein comes from rice, commonly from brown rice. While it contains protein, the fact that rice is grain because it has high amount of carbohydrate content among all other protein powders. However, it can be a good choice for vegetarians.
Unlike whey and soy protein powder, pea and rice powders don’t contain all the nine essential amino acids, so if you’re planning for any of these two protein powders, I suggest to incorporate other foods to fulfill the bodies protein needs.
Final Thought
These are just a few and basic examples of protein powders and its individual’s choice to which one to go with. And, if this is your first time, you may face a bit trial or error until you find the best one, that suits your body.