Summary
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Health benefits of protein powders:
Extra protein (typically about 30 to 50 extra grams per day) from a powder or drink can help athletes build muscle and strength when used in conjunction with resistance-type exercise. It's not clear that extra protein provides the same benefits for older adults. Supplementing with protein may help people with diabetes maintain blood sugar levels and even help reverse diabetes if taken as part of low calorie diet (See What It Does).
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What type of protein powder is best?
Protein products vary based on the source of protein (e.g., whey, casein, soy, rice, pea, egg, hemp, peanut, and cricket). All can help build muscle, but, in general, whey is most popular as it is a complete protein and rather quickly digested. Casein is digested more slowly — which is why it is sometimes taken in the evening to counter loss of muscle at night. Vegans may be more interested in plant sources, such as soy, pea, rice, and hemp. See ConsumerTips™, Protein for more about each type of protein. Note that protein powders are ultra-processed foods, having been separated from whole foods sources (see What It Is).
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What did CL's tests of protein powders find?
Among the protein products that ConsumerLab.com selected for review, three failed our tests, one of which was found to be contaminated with lead and contain more fat, sodium, and calories than listed. Interestingly, none of the failures related to protein content (see What CL Found).
Among products that were Approved, the lowest cost to obtain an equivalent amount (20 grams) of protein was 42 cents while it was over $5 for some products with many additional ingredients.
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Which protein powders are CL's Top Picks?
Based on a combination of quality, cost, and taste, calories, and ingredients (as summarized for each product in the Results table), we identified a Top Pick for each of the following categories:
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How to use protein powders:
Protein taken after, rather than before, exercise may be more beneficial (See What It Does). Protein powders are typically mixed with water or other liquids such as milk or juice, but be aware that these can add calories (See What to Consider When Using). Also be aware that taste of powders varies by protein type, flavorings, the addition of sugar or other sweeteners, and that some powders mix more easily into liquids than others (see the taste and mixability comments in the Results Table).
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Protein powder safety and side effects:
Protein supplements may cause gastrointestinal discomfort in some people, and individuals with lactose intolerance or milk allergies may want to avoid certain milk-based proteins. Although increasing protein intake is not associated with a decrease in kidney function in healthy adults, people with, or at high risk of, kidney disease may be advised to limit protein intake (see Concerns and Cautions).
Products tested in 2022 and 2023
+— 137 sources
In addition the results of its expert testing, ConsumerLab uses only high-quality, evidence based, information sources. These sources include peer-reviewed studies and information from agencies such as the FDA and USDA, and the National Academy of Medicine. On evolving topics, studies from pre-print journals may be sourced. All of our content is reviewed by medical doctors and doctoral-level experts in pharmacology, toxicology, and chemistry. We continually update and medically review our information to keep our content trustworthy, accurate, and reliable. The following sources are referenced in this article:
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You must
be a member to get the full test results, along with ConsumerLab's recommendations. You'll get results for 25 protein supplements -- 18 selected by ConsumerLab and seven that passed the same testing through our voluntary Quality Certification Program.
In this comprehensive review, you'll discover:
- Which protein products failed testing, which passed, and which are CL's Top Picks
- How protein powders and drinks compare on taste, mixability, ingredients and price
- The pros and cons of different types of protein (whey, casein, soy, rice, pea, egg, hemp, peanut, and cricket) and different forms of protein (concentrates, isolates, and hydrolysates)
- When to take protein for the best results
- Ingredients you may want to avoid in protein powders and drinks
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