Ask Steve: Not all protein powders are created equal! (Part 2)

There has been a big trend towards plant-based protein powders these days. What is plant-based protein and is there a difference? Aren’t all proteins the same?

One of the biggest myths is that plant-based proteins are meant for people who have vegetarian or vegan diet. In fact, non-vegetarian and non-vegan are big consumers of plant-based proteins, and do take them as part of their regular supplementation.

Protein powders traditionally are sourced from whey or casein. They are the easiest and most economical way of producing protein. In cow’s milk protein, approximately 20 percent is whey, while the balance is casein. In layperson terms, you can treat it as concentrated milk powder, that is dense in content in protein and amino acids. One has to also understand that not every human body is designed to absorb high concentrations of milk products. In fact, studies have indicated that excessive milk may actually be detrimental to our bodies, such as the cause of inflammation, allergy, developing lactose intolerance and other autoimmune related diseases. This is rather counterintuitive given to the fact that milk is actually good for our health, but at moderated levels.

Nonetheless, if we were to supplement with protein powders, it would be recommended that we choose plant-based protein. Plant-based proteins are closer to the human staple diet and does cause such adverse effects to our health in the long term. These plant-based proteins can still provide complex nutrients and not to underestimate the fibre and enzymes that comes along with it.

Check the other parts to the series:

Not all protein powders are created equal! (Part 1)

Not all protein powders are created equal! (Part 3)