The reasons why protein powder is not a health food even when organic and manufactured at low temperatures with three safe alternatives to try instead.
If there’s anything that greatly concerns me, it’s pregnant ladies drinking smoothies fortified with protein powder. Or, munching other high protein low carb snacks. These foods are used in a quest to reach the magical number of protein grams per day recommended by their OB or midwife.
When I was pregnant with my third child, I was horrified at one prenatal visit to find a basket of soy protein bars in the waiting room! This was at a birth center staffed by midwives who should have known better.
Even conventional authorities remain skeptical of this so-called health food. Kathy McManus, a registered dietician and Director of the Department of Nutrition at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, had this to say to the Harvard Health Letter:
I don’t recommend using protein powders except in a few instances, and only with supervision. (1)
This warning is especially important because it includes all brands of protein powder. It does not matter what the source of the protein is (whey, rice, soy, pea, etc.) or whether it is organic.
Dirty Secrets of Protein Powder Processing
The production of protein powder involves a shockingly high level of processing.
Think about it… making this stuff requires complete separation of the protein portion of whatever whole food is the primary source! In other words, you can’t make it in your kitchen very easily. It requires a factory to produce.
Consider this information from Sally Fallon Morell, President of the Weston A. Price Foundation sent out to all Chapter Leaders about why protein powders are not food and should be avoided:
- High-protein, low-fat results in the depletion of fat-soluble vitamins, particularly [true] Vitamin A. Ask Randy Roach, a bodybuilder who became blind using protein drinks. Filed as top secret in U.S. government files: People in Guatemala became blind when given skim milk powder as food aid.
- High protein processed foods cause autoimmune problems, fatigue, thyroid problems, cancer, etc. The most fundamental lesson of traditional cultures: they never ate lean meat.
- Proteins are very fragile– high temperature [and even low temperature] processing denatures the proteins, the body must mount an immune response.
- Lots of additives, carcinogens formed during processing (nitrates, etc.) Others added to these powdered mixtures. Tend to be high in MSG (also formed during processing).
- Where does the whey protein powder come from?? It is the waste product of conventional cheese making, confinement cows, etc. This is a similar story for other protein powders. They are a waste product from manufacturing something else. Soy protein is a waste product from making soy oil, etc.
Protein Powders During Pregnancy
While adequate protein intake is indeed important during pregnancy, getting this macronutrient via highly processed protein powders and high protein foods is a disastrous choice. This is because these same ladies that are drinking high protein smoothies and protein bars are very likely avoiding saturated fat at the same time.
A diet high in protein and low in fat rapidly depletes Vitamin A stores. Natural vitamin A from food (not beta carotene or synthetic palmitate) is necessary for optimal fetal development.
Whole foods containing large amounts of protein naturally include protective amounts of fat such as eggs and grass-fed beef. On the other hand, high protein processed foods are devoid of any fat in most cases. This makes them particularly dangerous for regular consumption.
Depletion of Vitamin A stores during pregnancy is a dangerous problem. This nutrient is critical to preventing birth defects such as cleft palate, cleft lip, major heart malformations, and hydrocephalus. Vitamin A is also the “beauty vitamin” responsible for symmetry in physical and facial features.
Vitamin A deficiency from consumption of high protein foods is not assisted by prenatal vitamins either as these worthless pills do not contain true vitamin A but instead the synthetic version, Vitamin A Palmitate or the plant-based version beta carotene. Little of this is converted to true Vitamin A.
Side Effects
Vitamin A depletion when consuming high protein processed foods is also risky for the average individual as well. Symptoms of Vitamin A depletion include:
- Heart arrhythmias
- Kidney problems
- Autoimmune disease
- Thyroid disorders
Negative calcium balance is also a risk with high protein, low-fat diets which means that more calcium is lost than what is taken in. The consequences of negative calcium balance include bone loss and nervous system disorders.
Know anyone who drinks a high protein smoothie every day for lunch who develops a bizarre neurological disorder out of the blue? I personally know several.
I’ve wondered about the stories in the news of young, healthy, vibrant male athletes, some only in high school, who inexplicably drop dead during competition. Or, seem prone to dangerous, full body cramping dehydration despite drinking plenty of water. Could these young men be eating lots of protein, much of it processed, while on a low-fat diet in order to build muscle and strength as recommended by bodybuilding magazines? Such misguided advice would rapidly deplete Vitamin A stores which could potentially lead to heart arrhythmia and sudden death.
Other Problems with High Protein Foods
Besides the depletion of Vitamin A stores, high protein processed foods contain potentially large amounts of MSG in the form of protein isolates. Separating protein from its food source during manufacturing results in the creation of MSG. It is essentially the amino acid glutamic acid gone bad. Therefore, MSG is present in high protein processed foods but it is not on the label because it is not technically added to the final product. It is created during manufacturing and therefore is conveniently unlisted on the label.
Don’t buy into the “low temperature dried” protein powder fallacy as well. Low-temperature processing and drying of protein powders is a less damaging manufacturing method. The powdering process still denatures the protein, however. Whey protein, in particular, is very fragile and should not be dried or powdered.
A good rule of thumb is that no protein powder is a safe protein powder!
Protein Powders May Increase Risk of Death
One of the most worrisome studies published in 2019 involves whey protein. Shakes made with this type of protein are typically used to quickly build muscle mass.
Whey protein contains high levels of the three branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) leucine, valine, and isoleucine.
Researchers from the University of Sydney found that mice whose diet is high in BCCA-containing protein but relatively low in other essential nutrients can have many negative effects on long-term health and lifespan. (6)
Researchers identified that the competition between BCAAs and another amino acid – tryptophan – in the blood led to lower-than-normal serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in negative consequences to health.
3 Healthy Alternatives
Getting a healthy protein boost in smoothie recipes, safe green beverages, and other drinks (not green smoothies) without using protein powder is easier than you think!
Try powdered gelatin or collagen hydrolysate also referred to as hydrolyzed collagen peptides.
The natural gelatin from bone broth is an option too although it is not ideal for adding to smoothies in this form.
Gelatin and hydrolyzed collagen have 11 grams of protein per tablespoon. They are colloidal substances which means they attract digestive juices similar to raw foods full of enzymes. Both gelatin and peptides are helpful to the digestive process and contain a protein kick to boot!
Vetted Brands
This collagen brand and this gelatin brand are excellent. They are third-party tested to be free of toxins including glyphosate residue which shows up frequently in these types of products at unsafe levels.
Another option would be to use nutritional brewers yeast. There are several good brands with no additives or synthetics that are low temperature dried. This whole food has 8 grams of protein per serving. Be sure to avoid brands that have dangerous, synthetic folic acid listed on the label.
Be aware that even natural gelatin contains small amounts of glutamate, so if you are particularly sensitive, you may wish to choose nutritional yeast as the more suitable alternative.
References
(1) Harvard Health Letter: The Hidden Dangers of Protein Powder
(2) Muscle-building Protein Shakes May Threaten Health
(3) Adventures in Macro-Nutrient Land
(4) Vitamin A: The Forgotten Bodybuilding Nutrient
(5) Vitamin A Saga
(6) University of Sydney: Put down the protein shake: Variety of protein better for health
Amen! Thanks for sharing, Sarah. This is such important information and SO many people are misinformed. It’s difficult when even some of the “alternative” nutrition experts recommend protein powders. We sure don’t! Now to go have a nice smoothie full of REAL FOOD! 🙂
No doubt, sticking with the Real Food options is always a better bet than something that requires a factory to produce! 🙂
I love this! I too struggled with the thought of using protein powder. I add organic shelled hempseeds and chia seeds to my smoothies. In 3 Tbsp of hempseeds there are 11g of protein and in 3 Tbsp of chia seeds there are 5g of protein. I usually put a little of both, not to mention they are practically tasteless. If you do add chia the shake will thicken over time. Thanks for bringing this topic up. I love to here other ideas and these are good ones for me to try.
Great article. Another great protein option to add in is homemade liquid whey!
Liquid whey made at home is a great option except that there are a lot of carbs in there as well mixed in with the protein.
Do you know where I can find a nutritional breakdown of the liquid whey? Such as amount of protein per 1/4 cup, etc? Thank you!
What are you thoughts on plant based protein powders like pea or hemp?
I’ve also heard that nutritional yeast can cause the same reactions in your body as MSG.
Any thoughts to these?
Hi Mike, unfortunately, all protein powders regardless of the source of the protein are denatured. The process of separating out the protein from its whole food source is a highly factory intensive process and such highly processed foods should be avoided.
Some nutritional yeasts have additives in them and are highly processed which is potentially why some folks have problems with them. Frontier is a good brand to try as it is low temp dried with no additives.
Although I agree in general that low fat protein powder smoothies are a poor choice, I have to say that I personally found it helpful for my severe morning and all-day sickness to make a protein smoothie each day with lots of fat during my pregnancy. I used my non-denatured organic grassfed whey protein http://www.paleomeal.com which I mixed with cod liver oil and coconut milk and some frozen berries. It worked better than most other foods I tried for my nausea and blood sugar drops. All that being said, I certainly consumed plenty of extra natural Vitamin A in my diet during pregnancy from liver patée, egg yolks, and cod oil. So perhaps any potential damage from the whey protein was negated, or the fact I added so many good fats to a good quality whey protein worked out for me. My child was born super healthy at 9 lbs, and has a beautiful symmetrical face, straight teeth, very smart, and a great immune system. Good nutrition during pregnancy does pay off!
Hi Annika, I would worry about the msg in the protein powders as well. Protein powder is not real food and from what I have learned about whey protein, it is always denatured even if low temp dried. Perhaps gelatin or nutritional yeast would serve the same benefit for you in alleviating the nausea with morning sickness?
I am eager to try gelatin or nutritional yeast, and I will recommend them! However, I’m pretty sure the whey protein I use does not have MSG as I am VERY sensitive to MSG and get terrible headaches after some restaurant food. I don’t remember having any headaches after consuming this particular Paleomeal grassfed whey protein. Is it possible that some higher quality whey powder may not contain MSG? This stuff costs $60 for 18 servings which is 3-4x the price of the stuff at the health food store. Anyhow, your point is well taken and certainly, it’s not ideal to consume “fake” foods when the real thing is accessible. But I do think there are variations in quality and brands. And in a pinch, my opinion is it could perhaps be of value when mixed with plenty of healthy fats and organic berries. I will compare how the gelatin or yeast smoothies works for my clients with blood sugar issues who rely on their whey smoothies for breakfast or snack.
I agree with Annika, I use hemp protein in my smoothies too, and have had no effects stated above; and I make sure I eat good fats as well. I will try the gelatin and nutritional yeast though. Good information.
I think it might be important to note that hemp was only consumed in traditional societies during times of starvation because it was one of the few things that would grow in famines perhaps? It wasn’t highly valued at all which seems to say a lot, at least to me.
This is so informative and very relevant as I regularly see recommendations to incorporate protein powders into smoothies. I’m a new reader of your blog and appreciate all this great information. Many thanks!
Wonderful information, and just in time as I was contemplating using an “undenatured whey” protein powder in my smoothies for extra protein. I have a package of nutritional yeast and a bottle of gelatin both of which I have not used. What do they taste like and is their taste masked in a typical smoothie?? I tried to take nutritional yeast once in water, but I couldn’t tolerate the texture/taste.
Thanks!
Wow I wonder if the lack of vitamin A contributes to tongue tie? The frenulum is supposed to recede before birth and is technically considered a malformation, but the question is if it falls in the same category during development. Poor diet can affect the ability to breastfeed in so many ways! Fat chance (hah) of getting most of the women concerned about tongue tie to listen to that advice though. I just tried talking about homemade formula and hoo boy, the backlash.
Wow, I’m wondering that too. After years of bad diet choices my 7th and 8th babies were both born tongue tied. My son had a short frenelum (#7) and my daughter was almost completely tied. I had some major issues nursing both of them. My son ended up malnourished, had uric acid crystals in his diaper, and got rsv within a month. When I asked the dr to clip his to gue she refused. She said her son had a completely tied tongue and he did just fine. Gee thanks. Obviously my son wasn’t doing fine. Guess what she recommended for his low weight (actually negative weight gain, 7 lbs when he was born. 6 lbs 4 oz at a month old)… Supplementing with formula of course. I refused to take her advice, worked really really hard to nurse him and got his weight up. I think one day his frenelum just tore on it’s own… Didn’t have a problem after that.
My daughters tongue tie was worse but we saw a new dr and he cut it right away. No problems feeding her after that.
Tongue-tie is a midline issue, connected with spina bifida. While I can’t say for sure that it isn’t linked to vitamin A deficiency, it’s more likely linked to a folate deficiency. Even if you’re taking your prenatal vitamins (perhaps especially if you’re taking the typical synthetic vitamins) you could have a relatively common genetic mutation (MTHFR) that causes folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, to be unusable in the body. So if you took your vitamins and ate lots of fortified foods you would actually be deficient.
Rachel, Thanks.
My DOM just did a blood test for this MTHFR marker and found me to be needing B vitamins (active) for the rest of my life. Because it’s genetic (she said possibly more than 50%of the population is now positive for this marker leading to all sorts of issues), my children take B vitamins too (active form and also nutritional yeast). She says the gene has been influenced over time by lifestyle and takes generations to change, but lots of research says that eating the right (WAPF) diet will prevent problems and hopefully “change” or influence the gene in coming generations.
Also, exercise is a MUST for this as the body isn’t clearing toxins well without exercise.
MY QUESTION IS: I am thankful to have four healthy children. If I conceive again, knowing about the MTHFR and a traditional diet, what is the best way to ensure adequate folate and other nutrients on a daily basis without supplementation of prenatal vitamins. We apply ALL the WAPF principles and are well-versed in the lifestyle, but want to get an extra opinion for encouragement. Thanks!!
Excellent article Sarah! I often struggle with seeing people at the gym slugging protein drinks and bars and most likely avoiding good fats and real food options. Didn’t think about it for pregnancy since those days are over for me! I like the idea of adding gelatin, didn’t think of that one! I personally just add raw eggs to smoothies! I’ll be sharing this one for sure ~ Thanks!!
Raw egg whites can cause digestive distress for some folks (I have trouble with them myself) but certainly raw yolks are great for smoothies (with great quality eggs of course – don’t do this with supermarket eggs). The yolk is only fat though.
The problem with only using the yolks in smoothies, is that the protein is in the whites while the fat & vitamins are in the yolks. So, although egg yolks alone are super nourishing, they’re not really adding protein to your smoothies. I like the idea of gelatin, though. I’d never thought of it before!
It is my understanding that there is protein in both the whites and the yolks. There is a bit more in the whites but that the whites also contain avidin which when eaten raw, binds the B vitamin biotin making it unusable. There is biotin in the yolks but not enough to balance the two. It also is my understanding that you should use 3 yolks to each white when eating raw. So sometimes I just use 2 yolks and sometimes I add another whole egg with those to my smoothie.
Also…… adding some coconut flour will give you more protein and fiber. I add a tablespoon to my smoothie often as well.
These are things that I have learned and just passing on for your consideration. 🙂
the yolk carries 43% of the protein!!! and all of the vitamin A. the white carries magnesium and potassium.
http://www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Egg_Yolk.html
That’s right, almost half the protein is in the yolk, a little more than half is in the white. The issue with raw whites is the presence of avidin, which makes biotin (the yolk is a rich source) unavailable for absorption. The solution: always cook whites, yolks are fine to eat raw. Both halves of the egg have protein plus various vitamins and minerals. Whites are by no means “junk” that can be discarded without loss. That said, I do use more yolks than whites, but I save up the whites in a jar until it’s full, scramble them lightly, let them cool, and feed them back to the chickens. Boy, do they love eating eggs, yolk or no yolk! Occasionally I will use the whites for macaroons or something, but usually I just feed them to the chickens. Feeding them to the dogs is another option!
Just so you know, Great Lakes gelatin contains no MSG.