Clean Protein Powders: What Are They & How to Choose Them
by Melinda Burris

When it comes to protein powders, there is a wide abundance of choices available on the market today. With many choices comes diverse levels of quality. This article will discuss clean protein powders, what they are, and what to look for to avoid choosing a protein powder with ingredients you don’t want like added sugar, PBA, and low-grade ingredients.

What Are Protein Powders and How Are They Made?

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Protein powders are (obviously) a powdered form of protein that comes from eggs or milk and is available as whey protein or powdered protein derived from plants, some examples include soybeans and hemp. You really have to read the label carefully when choosing a protein powder because you can think you’re making a wise dietary choice to live a healthy lifestyle and not realize all the extra (and unhealthy) ingredients many protein powders contain. These ingredients include added sugars, artificial flavoring, thickening agents, vitamins, and minerals.¹

To make protein powder, protein is isolated from its source whether it’s milk, eggs, hemp seeds, etc. Once the protein is separated, it is then dehydrated to process it into powder form.² The powder is then mixed into a smoothie or beverage of your choice to increase your daily protein intake. Protein powders have long been popular among endurance athletes because their bodies need extra protein to maintain a rigorous training schedule, build muscle, and increase bone strength. Protein powders have also been shown to shorten recovery times and help maintain a healthy immune system.²

The need for endurance athletes to consume more protein has been recognized as the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for the average person is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, and scientific studies show that training triathletes need 1.2-1.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight to maintain their bodies and compensate for the greater amount of stress professional athletes put on their bodies, particularly the muscles, bones, and joints.² All of this speeds up protein breakdown, which means a highly active individual will use up the protein stored in their body much faster than a person with a sedentary lifestyle. Thus, they need to include a higher amount of protein in their daily diet.

It’s possible to consume the necessary amount of protein elite athletes need from a whole food diet, but it is time-consuming and the convenience of being able to add a scoop or two of protein powder to a beverage has made protein powders popular among the general public as well. For example, older adults who naturally lose muscle mass as they age, add protein powder into their diets to combat this breakdown of muscle mass. Regular fitness enthusiasts have also made protein powders a top-selling nutritional supplement because it’s so convenient.² Protein powders are also marketed as a great option for weight loss, so dieters looking to lose extra pounds often purchase them as well.

Known Risks Associated with Protein Powder Consumption

You should be aware that there are known risks associated with protein powders:

1. Protein powders are classified as a nutritional supplement, which means the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has no oversight and does not evaluate the makers’ claims about the product or its ingredients.³
2. We don’t know what we don’t know. There have not been sufficient research studies on protein powders to allow medical experts to ascertain what long-term effects there may be from prolonged consumption of high amounts of protein powders.³
3. Protein powder can cause digestive distress, particularly among those who are lactose intolerant or have dairy allergies.³ (If you have either of these conditions and decide to use a protein powder, you should consider a plant-based option.)
4. You may be shocked to learn the number of calories that are in each scoop of some protein powders that are laden with high levels of sugar to make the taste more palatable.³ This can result in unexpected weight gain and be particularly frustrating for those who choose to incorporate protein powders into their diet to lose

*The takeaway is this, before purchasing any protein powder read its label carefully and check the sugar content, look for any additives, and make sure the calories per serving are what you expect.

The Clean Label Project

In 2022, a nonprofit called the Clean Label Project released a report detailing toxins commonly found in protein powders currently on the market. The results are shocking. To evaluate the quality and purity of the powders, researchers chose 134 different protein powders and screened them for 130 known toxins. A significant number of the protein powders tested came back positive for heavy metals such as arsenic, lead, mercury, and bisphenol-A. (Often referred to as BPA, bisphenol-A is a synthetic used to make plastic.) Pesticides and other contaminants that have been shown to cause cancer and other serious health problems were also found. The Clean Label Project posits that many of these toxins may enter the protein powders through the soil in which plants for plant-based proteins are grown.¹

What to Look for on the Label

1. The first ingredient listed should be either whey or a plant-based protein.³

1. The amount of added sugar per serving should be below 2 grams. ³
2. You want to choose a protein powder that has a minimum of 20 grams of protein/serving. ³ (If you are a high-endurance athlete, you will want a higher amount of protein/serving.)
3. The label should list the amino acid profile. Check that and look for a leucine content/serving of at least 2 grams. ³
4. One sign of a quality protein powder is if the brand lists where the protein is sourced from. ³
5. Look for powders that have been tested by a third party for quality and safety. The NSF Certified for Sport and Informed Choice are two labels that confirm the protein powder has been evaluated for purity. ³

References:

1. Harvard Health Publishing. (15 August 2022). The Hidden Dangers of Protein Powders.
2. Kadey, M. (8 April 2024). Everything Endurance Athletes Need to Know About Protein Powder.
3. Mazur, J. (24 August 2023). The Cleanest Protein Powders You Can Buy.

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