Protein Powder Question

sarahwinder78

Hello all - I am new to the protein powder world and hoping that someone with more knowledge can help me out. I got a sample of MRM 100% All Natural Whey protein powder today and really liked it. I know there are a lot of different proteins out there and not all are created equal. How do you think this one rates? I am really only looking to use it occasionally to add extra protein to my diet (not necessarily for a performance boost, although that wouldn't be a bad secondary affect). Here is the link to the website where they give all the specific nutrition info as well as ingredients. http://mrm-usa.com/products#!/~/product/id=6288450 In summary it has 90 cals per serving, 1g fat. 1.5g carb, 1g sugar (from what is naturally in the whey - no added sugar), 18g protein. There's lots more info at that link in regards to the rest of the nutrition info.

Thanks in advance for your help!

LoneWolfRunner

I prefer pea protein or rice protein powders over whey....

lilmiss_sunshine29

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cdahl383

Sounds like a decent one to me. I try to look for ones that are made in the U.S.A. with ingredients derived from the U.S.A. and have no artificial sweeteners in them. Consumers Reports did a test in 2010 on several popular brands of protein powders and shakes and found some to have high heavy metal content. Optimum Nutrition was one of the lowest of them all, well below the FDA recommended amount (i.e. lower than typical amounts found in potatoes, fish, etc). I like their natural chocolate and natural vanilla flavors.

The one you mentioned sounds alright, but wouldn't hurt to do some research and see where it's made, what the company is all about, etc. Unfortunately things like protein powders and other supplements are not regulated by any sort of agency so they can pretty much operate under any standards they please. Just something to think about when picking out a product rather than just the flavor or protein content.

Dustinsteven22

When choosing a protein powder it's important to look at the ingredient labeling. More specifically, look at the total grams and compare them to the total grams of protein in a serving size.

For example: total grams per serving is 50 and the total protein grams are 20. This will tell you there are 30 grams of fillers per serving. Fillers include sugar, rice, and other non beneficial ingredients.

A lot of protein powders have msg in the powder. The company will label the msg as calcium/sodium casinate or glutamate. The worst offender of this Muscle Milk. I prefer Optimum Nutrition protein. It's pretty clean and has a good protein ratio.

It also depends on your goals. Lose weigh? Go with a low carb/sugar protein. Gain muscle? Find a 4:1 ratio of 4 grams to one gram of protein.

I hope this helps!

If you have any other questions let me know

alydar42

You may want to check out Unjury protein as well. My neighbor's child was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder (GSD, or glycogen storage disorder) ten years ago. Unjury protein was THE recommended supplement for this condition because it was the purest form of protein available without 'performance enhancing' contaminents which would have been highly detrimental to his condition. With GSD, the liver and muscle cells fail to produce the enzymes necessary to convert glycogen back to glucose. As a result, glycogen builds up in the liver and enlarges it. The 'management' diet is VERY cautious about types an amounts of sugar intake and requires high amounts of protein. The unjury.com is very good about listing ingredients. Some of the flavored ones use stevia or splenda, but the unflavored one doesn't use anything as I recall (add it to your smoothies). You may want to check them out. The only reason I know this is because I wound up ordering this protein supplement for him/his family for about three years due to bureaucracy. Rare conditions and public medical assistance do not play well together. The 'this protein powder is good enough' (aka, generic) argument from the public assistance office was not helping at all, and in fact, making his condition worse due to its formulary of added sugars. I stepped up and got what the doctor prescribed for him. It reduced the ER visits, helped get his ketones under control, and he's improved ever since - ironically saving public assistance 20x more than they would have spent on the right product for this child in the first place!!!). The condition will never go away, but it has proved manageable (once you find the rare doctor who knows anything about this condition in humans!). I couldn't in good conscience watch him suffer and deteriorate because of some paper pushers. I was familiar with the condition due to my veterinary background (scary that!). I sank over $4,000 into getting him his protein supplement over four years, but I am happy to report that he's gone from a very sickly, lethargic 4-year-old Make-a-Wish kid to a fine young man of 15. His condition is now under control, he doesn't get sick very often (impairs immune system), and he's living a fairly 'normal' active life. It's great to see him walking his dog and riding his bike around the neighborhood. Loves when he comes to visit and chat on the back porch! Priceless -- and worth any penny I shouldn't have had to pay.

sarahwinder78

Thank you all for your responses.

I checked all the ingredients and no MSG (or the other ingredient names they disguise it under) - the sweeteners are carrageenan (yikes! I've heard bad things about that!), stevia, and lui han guo.

Fantastic advice on how to choose a protein powder - I appreciate it all and will check out some of the ones you all mentioned by name.

Dustinsteven22

I have a few amazing recipes for protein shakes if you are interested.

PALady4JC

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PALady4JC

I'm interested in recipes you have for protein shakes if you'll share. Thanks!

PALady4JC

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chrisdearing

I've started taking my whey protein with just water, it's unflavoured and goes down a treat.
I got mine from myprotein.com