---
title: 'Best Protein Powders for Muscle & Longevity (+ Exact Dose & Timing Guide)'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=zYoltEdIs5Q'
video_id: 'zYoltEdIs5Q'
date: 2026-06-30
duration_sec: 1740
---

# Best Protein Powders for Muscle & Longevity (+ Exact Dose & Timing Guide)

> Source: [Best Protein Powders for Muscle & Longevity (+ Exact Dose & Timing Guide)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=zYoltEdIs5Q)

## Summary

This video provides a comprehensive guide to choosing the best protein powder for muscle growth and longevity. It covers the importance of total daily protein intake, optimal dosing and timing, and compares different types of protein powders, including animal-based vs. plant-based, and whey concentrate vs. isolate. The video also highlights red flags to avoid on ingredient labels and discusses the importance of third-party testing for contaminants.

### Key Points

- **Total Protein Intake is Paramount** [00:55] — Multiple studies show that total daily protein intake is the most important variable for muscle growth, far more important than the timing of protein consumption.
- **Optimal Daily Protein Dose** [01:07] — For optimal muscle growth, consume 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. Active individuals, older adults, and those with more training experience should aim for the higher end of this range.
- **Higher Protein for Caloric Restriction** [02:04] — During a cutting phase or severe caloric restriction, protein needs may increase to 2.3 to 3.1 grams per kilogram of fat-free mass to preserve muscle.
- **Even Protein Distribution Matters** [03:35] — Spreading protein intake evenly across about four meals per day (0.4 to 0.55 g/kg per meal) is the most important timing consideration, due to the ceiling and refractory period of muscle protein synthesis (MPS).
- **The Anabolic Window is Overstated** [05:42] — The 'anabolic window' for post-workout protein is much longer than initially thought (up to 24-48 hours), especially if not training fasted. Immediate post-workout protein provides only a marginal benefit.
- **Hierarchy of Protein Importance** [08:29] — The hierarchy is: 1) Total daily protein intake, 2) Even distribution across 4 meals, 3) Pre- and post-workout protein (marginal), 4) Pre-sleep protein (most marginal).
- **Animal vs. Plant Protein: A Marginal Difference** [10:23] — Animal-based proteins (whey, casein, egg) are slightly better for muscle growth than plant-based proteins, but the difference is marginal. Soy protein is equivalent to whey, while other plant proteins are slightly inferior.
- **Whey Concentrate vs. Isolate** [14:15] — Whey concentrate (80% protein) retains beneficial bioactive peptides (lactoferrin, immunoglobulins) lost in whey isolate (90-95% protein). Isolate is better for lactose intolerance or severe calorie restriction.
- **Red Flags on Protein Powder Labels** [18:26] — Avoid protein powders containing artificial flavors, natural flavors (due to undisclosed carriers/emulsifiers), soy lecithin, and artificial sweeteners (acesulfame potassium, sucralose, aspartame).
- **Contaminants: Heavy Metals, BPA, and Glyphosate** [24:20] — The Clean Label Project found 70% of protein powders have detectable lead and 74% have cadmium. Also, 55% are contaminated with BPA. Look for third-party certifications like Clean Label Project or NSF to ensure purity.

### Conclusion

The optimal protein powder for most people is a grass-fed, cold-processed, undenatured whey concentrate that is third-party tested for contaminants and free of artificial ingredients. Prioritize total daily protein intake and even distribution over precise timing for the best results.

## Transcript

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