[0:00] A large study from the Clean Label
[0:01] Project demonstrated that 70% of protein
[0:04] powders are contaminated with heavy
[0:05] metals. And even if your protein powder
[0:07] is clean, recent studies have also
[0:09] demonstrated that not all types of
[0:11] protein powder are equal. Some types are
[0:13] better at muscle growth and at long-term
[0:16] health than other types. And if you're
[0:18] like me, hearing this triggered a
[0:19] million questions in your head, such as,
[0:21] "How do I know my protein powder is
[0:23] clean? And what ingredients should I be
[0:25] avoiding? Should I be taking whey
[0:26] isolate or concentrate or a plant-based?
[0:29] Does grass-fed matter? And how much
[0:30] protein should I take and when? Well, as
[0:32] a licensed medical doctor and certified
[0:34] strength and conditioning specialist,
[0:35] I'm here to answer all these questions
[0:37] and more so you can choose the optimal
[0:39] protein powder for you for muscle health
[0:42] and longevity. But to really determine
[0:44] which protein powder is best, we first
[0:45] have to talk about the true importance
[0:47] of dosing and timing of protein.
[0:49] Multiple recent studies have
[0:51] demonstrated that total protein intake
[0:52] throughout the day is hands down the
[0:55] most important variable for muscle
[0:56] growth. In other words, your total
[0:58] protein content is much more important
[1:00] than the time at which you take that
[1:02] protein throughout the day. And studies
[1:03] again are pretty consistent on how much
[1:05] protein you need for that optimal muscle
[1:07] growth. Studies note that you need 1.6
[1:09] to 2.2 g of protein per kilogram of body
[1:14] weight per day for optimal muscle
[1:15] growth. So, if you're a 175 lb male or
[1:18] 80 kg, you would need 128 to 176 g of
[1:22] protein per day. If you have a very
[1:25] active lifestyle, you move towards the
[1:27] higher end of this range. And the older
[1:29] you are and the more training
[1:30] experience, you'll also move towards the
[1:32] higher end of this range. Reason for
[1:34] this is something called anabolic
[1:35] resistance. Essentially, the older you
[1:37] are and the more training experience,
[1:39] the more resistant your muscles get to
[1:41] an anabolic stimulus to build muscle.
[1:44] You'll need more and more protein in
[1:45] order to continue to maintain that
[1:48] muscle growth. And if you're in a
[1:49] cutting season or trying to lose fat
[1:51] mass while still maintaining your muscle
[1:54] mass, you might need even more than that
[1:56] 2.2 g per kilogram. Studies have noted
[1:58] that you might need even up to 2.3 to
[2:00] 3.1 g per kilogram of fat-free mass,
[2:04] which is a ton of protein, in order to
[2:06] maintain muscle mass in times of severe
[2:08] caloric restriction. However, it's not
[2:10] just the more the better when it comes
[2:12] to protein. Too much protein can also be
[2:14] a bad thing. High high protein diets
[2:17] increase nitrogen load that the liver
[2:19] and kidneys have to process out and
[2:21] excrete and this can strain these
[2:23] organs. Studies have shown that chronic
[2:25] protein intakes of greater than 2 g per
[2:28] kilogram per day can cause these risks.
[2:31] However, this is generally in
[2:32] individuals with chronic kidney disease
[2:34] or gastrointestinal problems.
[2:36] Conversely, patients who are otherwise
[2:38] healthy and have a very active lifestyle
[2:40] generally require more protein in order
[2:43] to maintain proper muscle function and
[2:45] muscle growth. And for this reason,
[2:47] research indicates that short-term
[2:49] protein intakes of even up to 3.5 g per
[2:52] kilogram in these individuals are
[2:54] generally safe and well tolerated. All
[2:56] that being said, my general
[2:57] recommendation for protein intake is to
[2:59] keep it around 2 g per kilogram per day
[3:02] in order to avoid the risks of high
[3:04] nitrogen load and to still get optimal
[3:07] muscle growth from a generally high
[3:09] protein diet. However, if you're in a
[3:11] season where you're cutting weight, then
[3:13] short-term higher amounts of protein up
[3:15] to 3.5 g per kilogram can be okay in the
[3:18] short term. But for the long term, keep
[3:20] it around that 2 g per kilogram level.
[3:22] So, does it even matter when you take in
[3:24] all that protein? Well, while it doesn't
[3:26] matter as much as total protein intake,
[3:28] timing does matter somewhat. And hands
[3:30] down the most important timing
[3:32] consideration is to spread your protein
[3:34] out evenly throughout the day.
[3:36] Specifically, studies note that it would
[3:37] be ideal to spread your protein out to
[3:39] about four meals throughout the day. So,
[3:42] for a total protein intake of 1.6 to 2.2
[3:45] g per kilogram, that would amount to
[3:46] about 04 to 0.55 g per kilogram per
[3:50] those four meals throughout the day. The
[3:52] reason this makes sense scientifically
[3:53] is due to the fact that muscle protein
[3:55] synthesis or MPS has both a ceiling and
[3:59] a refractory period. The ceiling
[4:01] essentially means that there is a point
[4:03] at which giving additional protein won't
[4:05] really stimulate muscle growth further.
[4:07] In other words, once you maximally
[4:09] stimulate MPS, giving additional protein
[4:12] won't build more muscle. And this point
[4:14] of maximally stimulating NPS is thought
[4:17] to be at about 3 to 4 g of leucine or
[4:20] the most important amino acid for muscle
[4:22] growth. And 3 to 4 g of lucine is found
[4:24] in about 30 to 40 g of high quality
[4:26] protein which happens to be about4 to.55
[4:30] g per kilogram for the average weight
[4:33] individual. And it's also worth noting
[4:34] that anabolic resistance also plays a
[4:36] role here. So, if you're younger and
[4:38] have not trained as much, then you might
[4:39] be a able to maximally stimulate MPS
[4:42] with only 2.5 grams of leucine or 25
[4:44] grams of high quality protein. But
[4:46] regardless, whether it's 2.5 or 4 g of
[4:49] lucine, giving anything past this point.
[4:51] So, giving 50, 60, 70 g of protein is
[4:54] not going to be much different for
[4:56] optimal muscle growth compared to just
[4:58] giving that 40 g. So, now you might be
[5:00] saying, okay, what if I just give 40
[5:02] gram every hour on the hour? Well, the
[5:04] reason that doesn't work is the
[5:06] refractory period. Essentially, once you
[5:08] stimulate MPS maximally with that 30 to
[5:11] 40 g of protein, then you have to wait 3
[5:13] to 4 hours before you can stimulate it
[5:15] again. And here again then is where we
[5:17] arrive at 04 to 0.55 g per kilogram of
[5:21] protein spread out every 3 to 4 hours
[5:24] throughout your day for about four
[5:25] protein heavy meals throughout the day.
[5:27] But what about timing protein intake
[5:28] around your workout? Does that also
[5:30] matter? Well, resistance training also
[5:32] stimulates muscle protein synthesis and
[5:34] also causes temporary muscle breakdown.
[5:36] So, it's thought that there's this
[5:38] anabolic window or window of opportunity
[5:41] in which after you work out, it becomes
[5:43] then super important to give protein
[5:45] during this window so you can maximally
[5:47] stimulate muscle growth. However, how
[5:49] long this anabolic window lasts and how
[5:52] important it is to actually take in
[5:53] protein during it has been heavily
[5:55] debated as of late. Initial studies
[5:57] demonstrated that there was an anabolic
[5:59] window that lasted only 30 to 60 minutes
[6:02] after you exercise. So, it was super
[6:04] important to take in protein during this
[6:06] time to maximally stimulate muscle
[6:08] growth. However, it's come to light that
[6:10] all of these studies were done in fasted
[6:12] subjects. And outside of this
[6:14] circumstance, in which you're performing
[6:16] a workout fasted, the anabolic window
[6:18] actually extends up to 24 to even 48
[6:21] hours after you work out. So, recent
[6:24] studies have concluded that there's no
[6:25] longer evidence that you need to get
[6:27] that protein in immediately after your
[6:29] workout. All that being said, that
[6:30] doesn't mean that there isn't a marginal
[6:32] effect for taking in protein immediately
[6:35] after your workout. It could be that
[6:36] these studies just don't have enough
[6:38] subjects to show that there is a very
[6:41] small effect in taking in protein
[6:43] immediately after your workout compared
[6:45] to taking it 4 hours after your workout,
[6:47] for instance. And there's definitely no
[6:48] harm in taking protein immediately after
[6:50] your workout. So, it's my opinion that
[6:52] as long as you're adhering to number
[6:54] one, getting the total amount of protein
[6:56] correct, and number two, spreading your
[6:57] protein out evenly throughout the day,
[6:59] if you still want even more a little bit
[7:01] marginal gain, then taking protein after
[7:04] your workout could help. And studies
[7:06] even note that taking protein preworkout
[7:09] is just as important as taking it
[7:11] post-workout. So to really get this very
[7:13] optimal, you would be spreading your
[7:15] protein out about four times throughout
[7:16] the day. And two of those times would be
[7:18] pre-workout about 1 to two hours before
[7:21] and post-workout within an hour after.
[7:23] However, the timing around the workout
[7:25] is really only going to provide
[7:26] marginable benefit and will probably be
[7:29] more important if you have that anabolic
[7:31] resistance if you're older or have much
[7:33] more training experience. And finally,
[7:35] the most marginal effect that you can
[7:37] add on in regards to protein timing is
[7:39] taking some protein prior to sleep.
[7:41] Studies have noted that if you take 20
[7:43] to 40 gram of slow digesting protein
[7:45] prior to sleep, that also can slightly
[7:47] increase muscle growth. However, again,
[7:49] the effect is very, very marginal. And
[7:51] this is also going to destroy any
[7:54] intermittent fasting or periods of
[7:55] autophagy that you might be experiencing
[7:57] that could also help promote longevity.
[7:59] So, to me, I would really only take in
[8:01] protein prior to sleep. If you're a
[8:02] bodybuilder preparing for competition or
[8:04] if you're just someone trying to squeeze
[8:06] out every single ounce of muscle growth
[8:08] and you don't really care about
[8:09] longevity at all. But if you're really
[8:10] more focused on longevity and overall
[8:12] health, I would skip this prior to sleep
[8:14] protein. Basically, we've just created a
[8:16] hierarchy of importance when it comes to
[8:18] protein. The most important base level
[8:20] is getting that total amount right, that
[8:22] 1.6 to 2.2 g per kilogram. The next most
[8:25] important is spreading that out evenly
[8:27] four times throughout the day. Then the
[8:29] next most important, and this is only a
[8:31] marginal benefit, is taking your protein
[8:33] pre and post-workout. And then finally,
[8:35] the most marginal benefit if you want to
[8:37] squeeze out everything is taking protein
[8:39] prior to sleep. So based on that
[8:41] hierarchy of importance, let's start
[8:43] breaking down which protein powder is
[8:45] best for you. But first off, is there
[8:47] really any difference in getting your
[8:48] protein from a powder versus whole
[8:50] foods? Well, I generally recommend that
[8:52] you get as much of your protein from
[8:54] whole foods as possible to try to hit
[8:56] that 2 g per kilogram goal. And reason
[8:58] for this is that whole foods have a
[9:00] bunch of extra bioactive peptides, a
[9:03] bunch of extra micronutrients that are
[9:05] not only important for overall health
[9:06] and longevity, but studies have shown
[9:08] that they could also provide a
[9:10] synergistic effect in regards to
[9:12] promoting muscle growth. However, it
[9:14] really is very difficult to get to 2 g
[9:16] per kilogram of protein just by whole
[9:19] foods alone. And this is where protein
[9:21] powders can really be a helpful
[9:22] addition. Also, they are generally
[9:24] faster digesting than whole foods, which
[9:27] if you want that marginal benefit post
[9:28] exercise, could be helpful. So, for the
[9:30] rest of this video, we're going to talk
[9:32] about which protein powder is best.
[9:34] Well, for powders, the first question is
[9:36] plant-based versus animal-based powders.
[9:38] It's generally thought that animal-based
[9:39] protein powders are going to be better
[9:41] for a couple reasons. One is they have
[9:43] all those essential amino acids,
[9:44] including the ever so important leucine,
[9:47] in sufficient quantities. This allows
[9:49] them to score very high in markers of
[9:50] protein quality. And two, animal
[9:52] proteins are also more easily digestible
[9:55] than plant proteins generally, which
[9:57] allows them to be quickly taken up,
[9:58] absorbed, and stimulate muscle protein
[10:00] synthesis. On the flip side, plant-based
[10:02] proteins with the exception of soy are
[10:04] generally incomplete proteins. They
[10:06] don't contain all the essential amino
[10:08] acids in sufficient quantities and also
[10:10] they are harder to digest and absorb and
[10:13] then making them slower to stimulate
[10:15] muscle protein synthesis. However, do
[10:17] the studies actually prove that
[10:18] animal-based protein powders are better
[10:20] than plant-based protein powders for
[10:22] building muscle? Well, a 2025 systematic
[10:24] review demonstrated that soy protein is
[10:27] actually equivalent to whey in regards
[10:29] to muscle growth. However, it did
[10:31] demonstrate that whey protein was
[10:33] greater than non- soy plant-based
[10:35] alternatives for muscle. The same study
[10:37] also demonstrated that there was no
[10:39] difference in strength markers or
[10:41] performance markers amongst any
[10:43] different type of protein powder. On the
[10:44] other hand, a different 2024 systematic
[10:46] review demonstrated that whey was better
[10:48] than all plant-based protein powders for
[10:50] muscle growth. However, this effect was
[10:52] marginal. So, my overall read on the
[10:54] data is that animal-based protein
[10:56] powders such as whey or casein or egg
[10:59] are better than plant-based protein
[11:00] powders such as rice, pea, or soy.
[11:02] However, it's definitely marginal. And
[11:04] this makes sense because again, if total
[11:06] protein throughout the day is the most
[11:08] important variable, it doesn't really
[11:10] matter as much how easily digestible the
[11:12] protein is, or it doesn't matter as much
[11:15] what the leucine content is. So, these
[11:17] detriments of plant-based protein aren't
[11:19] hurting us as much as we maybe once
[11:21] thought. That being said, if you really
[11:23] going for the optimal, I would choose an
[11:25] animal-based protein powder. However, if
[11:27] you're vegan or adhering to a
[11:28] plant-based diet for whatever reason,
[11:30] then you're not going to miss out on too
[11:32] many gains from taking a plant-based
[11:34] protein. If you are going to use a
[11:36] plant-based protein, couple tips. One is
[11:38] you're probably going to have to
[11:40] increase the total protein intake that
[11:42] you have. Again, reason being is that
[11:44] leucine content. You're going to have
[11:45] less lucine and less essential amino
[11:47] acids in the plantbased protein. So, to
[11:50] make up for that, you just need to
[11:52] increase the total amount. So instead of
[11:53] taking 30 to 40 grams of a whey protein
[11:56] to maximally stimulate MPS, you might be
[11:58] taking 45 to 60 grams of a rice and pea
[12:02] blend. And then the second main tip if
[12:03] you're going to go plant-based is I
[12:05] would go with a rice and pea protein
[12:07] blend over a soybased powder. Reason
[12:09] being is that soy is one of the top
[12:11] eight most allergen-causing foods. And
[12:13] in my practice, I definitely very
[12:15] commonly see people being sensitive to
[12:17] soy as well, causing gut problems and
[12:19] just overall low-grade systemic
[12:21] inflammation. So, if you are going to go
[12:23] plant-based, increase your total intake
[12:25] and go with a rice and pea blend. But if
[12:27] you are going to go with that
[12:29] animal-based protein for optimal gains,
[12:32] which one should you go with? Well, when
[12:33] it comes to animal-based protein
[12:35] powders, there are some studies that
[12:36] demonstrate that there's no difference
[12:37] between any of the types of animal-based
[12:39] powders. However, there are also a lot
[12:41] of studies that demonstrate that whey
[12:43] protein is superior to all other types
[12:45] of animal-based protein powders. For
[12:46] instance, this study demonstrated that
[12:48] whey protein outperforms both casein and
[12:51] milk proteins. And then this study also
[12:54] demonstrated that whey protein
[12:55] outperforms eggbased proteins. And on
[12:57] the flip side, there are never really
[12:59] any studies that demonstrate that any
[13:01] other animal-based protein outperforms
[13:03] whey. So, while the effect is marginal
[13:05] and total protein content definitely
[13:07] matters the most, you are going to get
[13:09] some extra benefit from using a whey
[13:11] based protein compared to any other type
[13:13] of protein likely due to the full amino
[13:16] acid profile of whey as well as its easy
[13:18] digestibility to get that marginal
[13:20] benefit of taking the protein
[13:22] post-workout. That being said, if you
[13:24] are going to squeeze out that extra
[13:26] ounce of muscle gain from taking the
[13:27] protein pre-L, you should really take
[13:30] case protein. It absorbs over a 6 to
[13:32] eight hour period compared to the 1 to
[13:34] two hour period of whey. So if you're
[13:36] looking for the continued muscle growth
[13:38] throughout the night, then casein
[13:40] protein is definitely your best bet
[13:42] compared to taking whey prior to sleep.
[13:44] But if you are going to take whey as
[13:45] your main protein powder, which type of
[13:47] whey should you go with? Well, the main
[13:49] types of whey protein are whey
[13:51] concentrate, whey isolate, and hydrayed
[13:53] whey proteins. And to answer which is
[13:55] best, we got to discuss how these
[13:57] products are actually made. Weey itself
[13:59] is actually just a byproduct of yogurt
[14:01] and cheese creation from milk. And then
[14:03] to get to weey concentrate, essentially
[14:05] what you do is filter out water,
[14:08] lactose, and some fats from that whey
[14:11] byproduct. And then voila, you now have
[14:13] whey concentrate, which is generally
[14:15] about 80% whey proteins, and then 20%
[14:17] carbs, fat, and other bioactive
[14:19] peptides. To get whey isolate, you then
[14:21] do further filtration steps to now get
[14:24] to greater than 90 to 95% whey protein.
[14:27] This really takes out almost all of the
[14:29] lactose, most of the fats, and most of
[14:32] the bioactive peptides and allows that
[14:34] protein to be digested even faster. So
[14:36] whey concentrate might take 1 to two
[14:38] hours to be absorbed, while a whey
[14:40] isolate can be absorbed in 60 to 90
[14:42] minutes. And then hydrayzeed whey is
[14:45] basically taking that whey isolate and
[14:47] hydraying it or breaking it down into
[14:49] even smaller pieces so that the protein
[14:52] can be absorbed even faster now in only
[14:54] 30 to 60 minutes. However, all this
[14:56] filtration and processing of whey
[14:58] isolates and hydrayzeed whey causes us
[15:01] to miss out on important bioactive
[15:03] peptides that would otherwise be found
[15:05] in a cold processed undenatured whey
[15:08] concentrate. Specifically, these
[15:09] bioactive peptides include things such
[15:11] as lactoerin, which is a super great
[15:14] antimicrobial to help ward off against
[15:16] infection. We're also missing out on
[15:17] things such as immunog globulins, which
[15:20] are great again at improving immunity
[15:22] and fighting off infection. They're also
[15:24] super important for improving the gut
[15:25] barrier and also super important for
[15:28] lowering inflammation due to binding up
[15:31] inflammatory molecules such as LPS. And
[15:33] finally, we're also missing out on
[15:35] bioactive peptides such as bioactive
[15:37] cyine, which allows us to create more
[15:39] glutathione, which is a super important
[15:41] antioxidant. And again, a lot of whey
[15:43] isolates and hydrayed whey totally take
[15:46] out all of these bioactive peptides
[15:48] through poor filtration methods such as
[15:50] ion exchange. However, some whey
[15:52] isolates use filtration methods known as
[15:55] CFM or cross flow micro filtration which
[15:58] have been shown to maintain some of
[16:00] these bioactive peptides. However, that
[16:01] being said, even when using CFM, you're
[16:04] not going to get near as much bioactive
[16:06] peptides as you would in just a simple
[16:08] cold processed undenatured whey
[16:11] concentrate. So, all that being said,
[16:12] which way should you choose? Well, in my
[16:14] opinion, the reason to go with a whey
[16:16] isolate or a hydrayzeed whey is if you
[16:18] are lactose intolerant, as all those
[16:20] extra filtration steps filter out most
[16:22] of the lactose or if you are severely
[16:24] restricting calories in which every
[16:26] single extra carb and every single extra
[16:29] fat gram counts. In that case, a whey
[16:31] isolate or a hydrayzeed whey is
[16:33] beneficial. However, the fact that it's
[16:36] more rapidly absorbing compared to a
[16:38] whey concentrate doesn't intrigue me
[16:39] that much because we already talked
[16:41] about that being a very marginal
[16:42] difference in regards to the importance
[16:44] of taking protein post-workout. So,
[16:46] absorbing in 30 to 60 minutes for a
[16:48] hydrayed whey compared 2 hours for a
[16:51] whey concentrate doesn't really intrigue
[16:53] me that much. And generally, whey
[16:54] isolates and hydrayzeed whey are much
[16:56] more expensive than whey concentrate if
[16:59] we're talking equivalent quality of
[17:01] products. So, for me, as long as you can
[17:02] handle lactose and you're not severely
[17:05] restricting calories, I would go with a
[17:07] cold processed, undenatured whey
[17:09] concentrate as the best protein powder
[17:11] for optimal health and longevity and
[17:13] muscle building. You're still getting a
[17:15] high amount of high-quality protein that
[17:17] is rapidly digestible compared to most
[17:19] other types of protein, and you're also
[17:21] getting all those important bioactive
[17:23] peptides that we talked about earlier,
[17:25] and all in a more cost-effective option.
[17:27] If you're going with the whey
[17:28] concentrate, I would actually go with
[17:29] the grass-fed option. Reason being is
[17:31] that grass-fed beef has been shown to
[17:33] have higher amounts of omega-3s,
[17:35] conjugated linoleic acid, and vitamin A
[17:38] and E compared to grain-fed beef. Also,
[17:40] grass-fed beef is less likely to have
[17:42] contaminants in it given the fact that
[17:44] grain-fed beef is more generally raised
[17:46] with hormones and antibiotics. So, for
[17:48] these reasons, I'm going with a
[17:50] grass-fed, cold processed, undenatured
[17:53] whey concentrate for my optimal protein
[17:55] powder. However, there can be reasons as
[17:58] we discussed to go with a cross flow
[18:00] micro filtration whey isolate or a rice
[18:03] or pea blend in certain circumstances.
[18:05] However, if you are going to go with
[18:06] whey isolate, make sure that it's
[18:08] filtered with CFM instead of ion
[18:10] exchange so you can get some of those
[18:12] bioactive peptides. So, now you've
[18:13] chosen which type of protein powder you
[18:15] want to supplement your diet with. But
[18:17] you're not done yet because you also
[18:18] have to look at all the extra
[18:20] ingredients listed on the label because
[18:22] sometimes these additional ingredients
[18:24] can be super detrimental to our health.
[18:26] So let's walk through some of the
[18:27] biggest red flags to avoid on a protein
[18:30] powder label. The first is artificial
[18:32] flavors. The reason that this one is
[18:34] scary is that it can legally include
[18:36] many things that are not directly listed
[18:38] then on the label. What they generally
[18:40] include is a one synthetic flavor
[18:42] compound such as ethyl vanillin. This is
[18:45] the thing that actually gives the
[18:47] artificial flavor the flavor. This part
[18:50] of the artificial flavor is actually
[18:52] much less problematic. There's not many
[18:54] studies demonstrating harmful effects of
[18:56] the flavoring compound itself. However,
[18:59] also included in this artificial flavors
[19:01] are carriers and emulsifiers. And these
[19:04] are what are generally problematic.
[19:06] Carriers essentially increase the
[19:07] solubility and stability of the flavor
[19:10] compound itself. And carriers are things
[19:12] such as maltodextrin, propyline glycol,
[19:15] or modified starch. And these definitely
[19:17] have been proven to have detrimental
[19:19] health effects. For instance,
[19:20] maltodextrin has been proven in studies
[19:22] to impair the gut barrier and also cause
[19:25] detrimental effects to the gut
[19:27] microbiome. And also, maltodextrin has a
[19:29] high glycemic index, which might spike
[19:32] insulin higher than what you would want.
[19:33] And the emulsifiers are again also
[19:36] problematic. They essentially make sure
[19:37] that the artificial flavor compound is
[19:40] evenly distributed throughout the water
[19:42] or milk or whatever you mix it in. And
[19:44] examples include CMC or cellulose gum or
[19:47] caroxymethyl cellulose and polyorbate
[19:50] 80. Polyorbate 80 for instance has been
[19:52] shown to increase markers of cognitive
[19:54] decline with age. It has also been shown
[19:57] to promote markers of leaky gut which
[19:59] causes further inflammation throughout
[20:01] the entire body. And then CMC or
[20:03] cellulose gum has also been shown in the
[20:05] studies to increase inflammatory
[20:06] markers. So moral of the story is I
[20:08] would stay away from any protein powder
[20:10] that lists artificial flavors on the
[20:12] ingredient label. And truthfully, I'm
[20:14] even sticking away from protein powders
[20:16] that list natural flavors on the label.
[20:19] And this again because I don't know
[20:20] exactly what's in my protein powder.
[20:22] Then while it generally contains a
[20:24] natural flavor additive, sometimes
[20:26] synthetic emulsifiers or carriers are
[20:29] still included in natural flavors. So,
[20:31] I'm sticking away from any protein
[20:32] powder that lists artificial or natural
[20:34] flavors. The next red flag to look out
[20:36] for on the label is soy lecithin. And
[20:39] lecithin is essentially a mixture of
[20:41] phosphoippids to keep fat and water from
[20:44] separating. And there are two main
[20:45] lethins that are used in protein
[20:47] powders. Soy lethin and sunflower
[20:50] lethin. Soy lecithan is chemically
[20:52] extracted from GMO soy. Soy leithin is
[20:55] generally cheaper, which is why it's
[20:56] used in a lot of cheap protein powders.
[20:58] And it's chemically extracted from GMO
[21:00] soy, which could even contain some
[21:02] phytoestrogens.
[21:04] And because soy is also one of the most
[21:07] common foods again that people have
[21:08] immune reactions to, I really like to
[21:11] stick away from any protein powder that
[21:13] has soy less than in it. Compare this to
[21:15] sunflower leithin, which I much more
[21:17] favor, which is more mechanically
[21:19] extracted from non-GMO plants and has
[21:22] much lower risk of causing gut
[21:24] inflammation from disregulated immune
[21:26] responses from that GMO soy. The last
[21:29] and maybe most important thing to watch
[21:30] out for are artificial sweeteners. And
[21:33] there are many that are used. So, I
[21:35] would recommend looking anything up if
[21:36] you're unsure. But the main ones to look
[21:38] out for and avoid are asoflame potassium
[21:41] which has been shown in studies to cause
[21:43] microbiome disruption and increase
[21:46] inflammation. You also want to watch out
[21:47] for sucralose which basically has been
[21:49] shown in studies to do the same thing
[21:51] increase inflammation, destroy the gut
[21:53] microbiome, and even cause increased
[21:54] risk for metabolic disease. And finally,
[21:56] and probably the most problematic, is
[21:58] aspartame. Aspartame has been linked in
[22:00] some studies to a possible increased
[22:02] cancer risk and has definitely been
[22:04] linked to increased inflammation and a
[22:06] gut dispiosis. So instead of these
[22:08] artificial sweeteners, if your protein
[22:10] powder has a sweetener in it, you want
[22:11] it to be a natural alternative such as
[22:14] monk fruit, which has been demonstrated
[22:16] in no studies to have negative health
[22:18] effects, or stevia, which again has not
[22:20] been demonstrated to have any negative
[22:22] effects and its effects are positive if
[22:24] anything. So those are the main
[22:25] ingredients to watch out for. artificial
[22:27] or natural flavors, soy lecithin, and
[22:30] any artificial sweetener. However, if
[22:32] you also have gut symptoms such as
[22:34] bloating diarrhea constipation etc.
[22:37] then I would also watch out for any
[22:39] protein powders that contain thickeners
[22:41] or sugar alcohols. Thickeners are
[22:42] essentially things that give the protein
[22:44] powder a milkshake like consistency when
[22:46] you mix it up with water or milk.
[22:48] They're things such as zanthan gum or
[22:50] guar gum. While these aren't problematic
[22:53] in and of themselves, they are
[22:54] fermentable by gut bacteria. So, if you
[22:57] have gut symptoms, these will likely
[23:00] make those symptoms worse. So, I
[23:02] generally stay away from these and
[23:03] especially you should stay away from
[23:05] these if you have gut symptoms. And
[23:07] finally, on the same token, are sugar
[23:09] alcohols such as sorbital, xylitol, or
[23:12] arythritol. Kind of same thing here.
[23:14] They don't cause problems in and of
[23:16] themselves. However, they are
[23:18] fermentable, so could worsen your gut
[23:20] symptoms if you have them. And the final
[23:22] ingredients to talk about that could be
[23:24] on the label are citric acid and malic
[23:26] acid. These are used in the now ever so
[23:29] popular clear protein powders because
[23:31] they increase the acidity to make the
[23:33] protein even more soluble and more
[23:34] clear. There are no really negative
[23:36] studies on citric acid or malic acid, so
[23:39] they're likely okay. However, they can
[23:41] cause tooth enamel decay. So, you really
[23:43] want to be sure that you're maintaining
[23:46] proper teeth hygiene if you are using
[23:48] one of these clear protein powders with
[23:50] citric or malic acid in it. However, I
[23:52] generally try to stay away from clear
[23:54] protein powders as one, they're isolates
[23:56] and hydrayzeed whey, which I don't
[23:58] prefer, and they also very commonly
[24:01] contain sucralose, one of those
[24:02] artificial sweeteners that we're trying
[24:04] to avoid. So, that is the roundup on all
[24:06] the extra ingredients that you really
[24:07] need to be on the lookout for in your
[24:09] protein powder. However, even if you do
[24:11] that, you're still not done because
[24:14] there actually could be contaminants in
[24:16] your protein powder that are obviously
[24:17] not listed on the ingredient label. And
[24:20] this is a super important step to look
[24:22] out for because the Clean Label Project
[24:24] tested 134 of the top selling protein
[24:28] powders and found that 3/4 of them have
[24:31] contaminants in them. And the first
[24:33] contaminant to watch out for are heavy
[24:35] metals such as lead, cadmium, arsenic,
[24:38] and mercury. These heavy metals cause
[24:39] oxidative stress over time that can lead
[24:41] to more inflammation and chronic
[24:43] diseases. And the Clean Label Project
[24:45] noted that 70% of protein powders had
[24:48] detectable levels of lead in them and
[24:50] 74% had detectable levels of cadmium.
[24:53] And they also noted that plant-based
[24:54] powders were actually more likely than
[24:57] animal-based powders to have these heavy
[24:59] metals in them. This is due to the fact
[25:00] that the heavy metals often come from
[25:03] the soil in which the plants are grown.
[25:04] And this is another reason as why I
[25:06] generally prefer whey over the rice and
[25:09] pea blends despite the fact that whey
[25:11] might cause more immune reactions than a
[25:13] rice and pea blend. However, heavy
[25:14] metals can also come from processing the
[25:16] powder. So, we have to look out for it
[25:18] regardless of which type we use. So, how
[25:20] do we look out for it? How do we avoid
[25:22] protein powders that have these
[25:23] potential contaminants in them? Well,
[25:24] it's all about third party testing. To
[25:27] me, I look for protein powders that are
[25:28] certified by either Clean Label Project
[25:30] or NSF, both of which are testing for
[25:33] heavy metals extensively in the products
[25:36] that they test. However, if you're going
[25:37] for another product, I would at least
[25:39] make sure that they have transparent
[25:41] third-party testing posted on their
[25:43] website so you can see for sure that
[25:44] there are no heavy metals in that
[25:45] protein powder. The second thing we need
[25:47] to be wary of are contaminants from
[25:49] plastics such as BPA. And this is an
[25:52] important one because BPA is an
[25:54] endocrine disruptor, meaning that it
[25:55] could potentially lead to hormonally
[25:57] related diseases and cause suboptimal
[25:59] testosterone and estrogen signaling.
[26:01] Again, the Clean Label Project noted
[26:03] that 55% of the most popular protein
[26:06] powders are contaminated with BPA. This
[26:09] can come from plastic packaging. So,
[26:11] ideally, choose a protein powder that
[26:13] has the least plastic in its packaging
[26:15] as possible. It could also just come
[26:16] from again that manufacturing process.
[26:18] So, we really need to get protein
[26:21] powders which are certified to not
[26:23] contain plastic contaminants. Clean
[26:25] Label Project certification is great at
[26:28] making sure this is the case. But if you
[26:30] go with a product that is not Clean
[26:31] Label Project certified, you need to
[26:33] make sure that they test for not only
[26:34] BPA, but also BPF and BPS. Recent
[26:38] studies have demonstrated that these
[26:39] contaminants from plastics are just as
[26:42] bad as BPA when it comes to endocrine
[26:44] disruption. And finally, the last main
[26:46] toxin to look out for is glyphosate,
[26:48] which is found in pesticides. Glyphosate
[26:51] can lead to a host of downstream
[26:53] negative health effects, all stemming
[26:54] from the fact that it causes increased
[26:56] inflammation and a disregulated immune
[26:58] response. It's most likely to be found
[27:00] in non-organic plant-based protein
[27:02] powders, which had probably the use of
[27:04] pesticides to grow the plants. However,
[27:07] again, important to look out for in all
[27:08] the protein powders that you might buy.
[27:10] So, I would ideally look for protein
[27:12] powders that are either again clean
[27:15] label project certified or those that
[27:17] have transparent third-party testing
[27:19] that mentions testing for glyphosate.
[27:21] So, what are my favorite brands of
[27:22] protein powder that meet all these
[27:24] criteria? They're contaminant-free,
[27:26] contain no harmful extra ingredients,
[27:28] and for my preference are a grass-fed,
[27:30] undenatured, cold processed whey
[27:32] concentrate with as much of those
[27:34] bioactive peptides as possible. Well,
[27:36] first I just want to make it clear that
[27:38] I'm never going to accept sponsorship
[27:40] for any supplements or protein powders
[27:43] that I would recommend because I don't
[27:45] really want money to cloud the picture.
[27:46] I want you to be able to trust these
[27:47] recommendations. So, without further
[27:50] ado, my first favorite brand for protein
[27:52] powders is Levels. It is Clean Label
[27:55] Project certified, so you can trust it
[27:57] has no contaminants. It's a great
[27:59] grass-fed, cold processed, undenatured
[28:01] whey concentrate without any of those
[28:04] harmful ingredients. They also have a
[28:06] casein protein, which would be great if
[28:08] again you're trying to squeeze out that
[28:10] extra ounce of muscle mass by taking
[28:12] protein before you go to sleep. Another
[28:14] whey concentrate I really like is
[28:16] Promix. It is NSF certified and also
[28:18] contains additional transparent
[28:20] third-party testing. They have great
[28:22] grass-fed, cold processed, undenatured
[28:24] whey concentrates. They even have a
[28:26] singleingredient whey concentrate which
[28:28] I really, really like. And finally, if
[28:30] you are looking for a whey isolate, I do
[28:32] like Momentous. It's an NSF certified,
[28:34] very high quality product for those that
[28:36] are lactose intolerant or again on a
[28:38] very severe caloric restriction. And
[28:40] there are obviously other powders that
[28:42] would meet all the criteria. So, if
[28:43] you're interested in a certain powder or
[28:46] a certain brand, drop it in the comments
[28:48] below and I'll let you know what I
[28:49] think. And in the meantime, check out
[28:50] this video on the top five exercises
[28:52] that you can pair with the protein
[28:54] powder for optimal muscle growth and
[28:56] longevity.