Trying to figure which whey protein powder to buy is a tough decision, even though sites like RaveReviews.org do an incredible job of sorting out the best options by each category. There are thousands of brands to chose from with grass fed organic gaining popularity recently. How do you know which one to buy and which one not to buy? Hi, my name is Alex Rogers, and I am a protein expert. I have been manufacturing and formulating protein powders for over 20 years. I can give you insider information on which protein powder is the best and what to look for when buying a whey protein powder.
Step 1.
The first thing to go when buying a whey protein powder is to decide if you have an allergy to dairy. Safety comes first right? So if you are allergic to dairy, you are going to be allergic to whey protein. Whey protein powder comes from milk and cheese, so it is one of the FDA allergens. If you are not allergic to dairy, then it is OK to use whey protein.
Step 2.
Decide if you have problems with lactose.
Whey protein powder, depending on what type you buy contains lactose. A lot of people, including myself have a digestive issue with whey protein if it contains lactose. Lactose causes me stomach discomfort and flatulence. Therefore I buy a whey protein isolate. Whey protein isolate does NOT contain any lactose or trace amounts. Whey protein concentrate contains lactose. Never buy a protein powder that contains whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate. This is a scam by the supplement companies to make you think you are getting an isolate when you are getting a concentrate. So if you have a problem with lactose, get a 100% Whey protein isolate.
Step 3.
Buy an unflavored whey protein.
This is an essentially step, and it may seem somewhat controversial but after you read what I have to say it makes total sense. You are looking for a protein powder, not a milkshake. Therefore you want to buy unflavored protein powder. This will ensure that you are getting 100% protein powder and not 75% protein powder and 25% flavoring. This is the mistake I see most people make when buying a whey protein powder is that the buy flavored protein powder instead of unflavored protein powder. When you buy flavored protein powder, you get garbage essentially. Artificial sweeteners and artificial colors are the worst things in these protein powders. These ingredients are not healthy for you, and you should not be consuming them. Besides, the naturally flavored protein powders usually contain more flavorings which means you are getting less protein powder. The additional benefits of buying unflavored protein powder and unflavored whey protein powder is that you can add flavoring to it. This is a better choice because then you can add vegetables and fruits and other healthy things to the unflavored protein powder and make it better for weight loss and muscle building.
Step 4
The final step of buying an unflavored protein powder is to buy one at a good price.
As of January 2019, the price of whey protein is around $3.00 per pound. That is what the raw materials suppliers are charging the supplement companies, which they then sell to you. A good cheap whey protein powder is selling for about $70.00 for 10 lbs. You can also buy 5 lbs at about $40.00 a powder. This is for whey concentrate keep in mind. If you wish to buy an unflavored whey protein isolate those are selling for about $60 for 5 lbs on the retail level. A little under double the cost of a whey protein concentrate. Pro Tip If you are looking for a higher quality unflavored protein powder, you want to buy one that is a combination of whey protein isolate and micellar casein. Besides if you wanted to go more elite, you want an unflavored protein powder that contains hydrolyzed protein powder. Proteinfactory.com sells the best-hydrolyzed whey protein powder in the world called the Hydrolyzed whey protein 520. The molecular weight of this powder is around 520 daltons, lower than anything on the planet. That means it is digested very quickly and provides your body with amino acids that help increase muscle protein synthesis. Muscle protein synthesis is required to build muscle mass. That is why humans need to eat protein. Increased protein intake means increased MPS.