Protein supplement may cut risk of heart disease and stroke
People could reduce their risk factors of heart disease and stroke by drinking protein supplements normally favoured by bodybuilders, scientists at the University of Reading have found.
By drinking a whey protein supplement derived from milk, study participants with mild hypertension had an estimated 8% reduction in risk of heart disease and stroke, the study found.
Those taking the supplement had lower blood pressure and cholesterol and healthier blood vessels.
The findings could be good news for the 18 million adults in the UK living with high blood pressure, which can cause cardiovascular diseases responsible for 155,000 deaths in the UK every year.
Ágnes Fekete, the researcher who carried out the study at the University of Reading, said:"The results of this trial are very exciting. It shows the positive impact that dairy proteins can have on blood pressure.
"Long-term studies show that people who drink more milk tend to be healthier, but until now, there has been little work to evaluate how dairy proteins affect blood pressure in particular."
Significant impact
The research was carried out at the University of Reading's Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition, led by Professors Julie Lovegrove and Ian Givens.
Professor Givens said: "By giving people a high dose of whey protein, similar to the amount used by athletes, we were able to see a significant impact over an eight-week trial.
"We will now be looking to further understand the impacts of milk proteins on other markers of cardiovascular health and over a longer period of time."
The study looked at the impact of drinking two protein shakes per day for eight weeks on a range of heart and vascular health markers, including blood pressure, arterial stiffness and cholesterol. Those that took part in the double blind, randomised controlled trial drank 56g of protein each day, which is equivalent to protein supplements used by bodybuilders.
The trial measured 38 pre and mild hypertension participants. It found a number of significant positive effects on markers of cardiovascular health, including:
Signiï¬cant reductions in blood pressure (BP) over the 24 hours after consuming the protein shakes. For systolic BP -3.9 mm Hg; for diastolic BP -2.5 mm Hg, compared with after control intake.
Decreased total cholesterol - a type of fat found in the bloodstream that at elevated levels increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (-5%) compared with effect of the control
Decreased triacylglycerol - a type of fat found in the bloodstream that at elevated levels increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (- 12%) compared with the effect of the control.
The study used commercially available whey protein powder mixed with water, and tested alongside a casein supplement - a different form of milk protein - and a control group using a supplement containing maltodextrin, a form of carbohydrate, in a randomized, controlled, double-blinded, three-way-crossover dietary intervention.
Bodybuilders
High-performance sportsmen and women, including bodybuilders, often take whey protein supplements as part of their training regimes to help them build muscle mass.
The protein supplements contributed 214 kilocalories to the study participants' daily energy intake - around 10% of their recommended daily calorie intake. However, there was no significant weight gain during the eight-week study period because the participants were asked to exchange the protein for other foods in their diet.
Professor Julie Lovegrove, Director of the Hugh Sinclair Unit of Human Nutrition at the University of Reading, said: "One of the important impacts of this study is that whey protein may have a role, as part of a healthy diet, to reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease, although further studies are required to confirm these results."
Suzane Leser, Head of Nutrition for Volac, said: "The outcomes confirm that the health benefits of whey protein are relevant for the new wave of older adults taking up exercise to work on their health, and for a generational shift of current sports nutrition consumers to whom training will one day move from being only about muscle performance and size, to muscle maintenance, mobility and metabolic health, as they get older."
The study is published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and is freely accessible to the public.
The study was publicly funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) with financial support from Volac International Ltd, a company that makes supplements.
Full reference:
Ágnes A Fekete, Carlotta Giromini, Yianna Chatzidiakou, D Ian Givens, and Julie A Lovegrove (2016). ‘Whey protein lowers blood pressure and improves endothelial function and lipid biomarkers in adults with prehypertension and mild hypertension: results from the chronic Whey2Go randomized controlled trial'. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.116.137919
Are you getting too much protein?
Judging by all the protein bars, shakes and powders out there, you could be led to believe that you need a protein supplement. These products claim to curb appetite, help with weight loss and build muscle. But what's the real story?
Contrary to all the hype that everyone needs more protein, most people in the U.S. meet or exceed their needs. This is especially true for males ages 19–59. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025 indicate that men in that age range are exceeding their protein recommendations, especially from meat, poultry and eggs. Even athletes often get more protein than they need without supplements because their calorie requirements are higher. With more food comes more protein.
True or false? Big steak equals bigger muscles.
False. Although adequate protein throughout the day is necessary, extra strength training is what leads to muscle growth — not extra protein intake. You can't build muscle without the exercise to go with it.
The body can't store protein, so once needs are met, any extra is used for energy or stored as fat. Excess calories from any source will be stored as fat in the body.
Extra protein intake also can lead to elevated blood lipids and heart disease because many high-protein foods you eat are high in total and saturated fat. Extra protein intake, which can tax the kidneys, poses an additional risk to people predisposed to kidney disease.
How much protein do you need?
Anywhere from 10% to 35% of your calories should come from protein. So if your needs are 2,000 calories, that’s 200–700 calories from protein, or 50–175 grams. The recommended dietary allowance to prevent deficiency for an average sedentary adult is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. For example, a person who weighs 165 pounds, or 75 kilograms, should consume 60 grams of protein per day.
Once you reach ages 40–50, sarcopenia, or losing muscle mass as you age, begins to set in. To prevent this and to maintain independence and quality of life, your protein needs increase to about 1–1.2 grams per kilogram or 75–90 grams per day for a 75-kilogram person.
People who exercise regularly also have higher needs, about 1.1–1.5 grams per kilogram. People who regularly lift weights, or are training for a running or cycling event need 1.2–1.7 grams per kilogram. Excessive protein intake would be more than 2 grams per kilogram of body weight each day.
If you are overweight, your weight is adjusted before calculating your protein needs to avoid overestimating. You can see a dietitian to help develop a personalized plan.
Where does protein come from?
The healthiest protein options are plant sources, such as soy, nuts, seeds, beans and lentils; lean meats, such as skinless, white-meat chicken or turkey; a variety of fish or seafood; egg whites; or low-fat dairy.
Meet your dietary protein needs with these whole foods versus supplements, which are no more effective than food as long as energy intake is adequate for building lean mass.
Manufactured foods don't contain everything you need from food, and manufacturers do not know everything that should be in food.
When is the best time to consume protein?
Spread out protein consumption evenly throughout the day. On average, people tend to get most of their protein during evening meals and the least at breakfast. Some newer studies show moving some protein from supper to breakfast can help with weight management by decreasing hunger and cravings throughout the day. Of course, more research is needed before these claims can be verified.
General recommendations are to consume 15–30 grams of protein at each meal. Studies show higher intakes — those more than 40 grams — in one sitting are no more beneficial than the recommended 15–30 grams at one time. Don't waste your money on excessive amounts.
What if you do want to use a protein supplement?
If you want to use a protein supplement, here's what to look for:
About 200 or fewer calories
2 grams or less of saturated fat
No trans-fat or partially hydrogenated oils
5 grams of sugar or fewer
What does 15–30 grams of protein in whole foods looks like?
Eating a banana, Greek yogurt and a hard-boiled egg will get you 19 grams of protein on average. A 3-ounce chicken breast with a half-cup rice and a half-cup of vegetables amounts to 25 grams protein. An egg and bean burrito with a glass of milk is about 28 grams of protein.
As you can see, it's easy to get the recommended 15–30 grams per meal. Most people — even athletes — can reach their protein needs by including a serving of dairy at each meal and a piece of meat the size of a deck of cards at lunch and supper.
Protein should accompany fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Protein should not be the entire meal. If you feel like you might have increased protein needs, consider adding more beans, lentils, soy or seafood rather than processed supplements.
Kristi Wempen is a dietitian in Nutrition Counseling and Education in Mankato, Minnesota.
3 Things that Shouldn’t Be in Your Protein Powder (But Probably Are)
3 Things that Shouldn’t Be in Your Protein Powder (But Probably Are) By: Matt Frazier
Over the years, we’ve talked a lot about plant-based protein: How much protein vegan athletes need, plant-based protein sources, and in general, how vegans get protein.
And there’s no one-size-fits-all answer to that last question…
Although I’ve managed to get plenty of protein from whole foods for the past few years, I’ve always acknowledged that for certain people — people who want to gain weight, build muscle, try to hit macronutrient levels, or just want some peace of mind — supplementing makes more sense.
And yes, we’ve moved past the idea that supplementing a plant-based diet somehow make the diet wrong, or unnatural. We know there are some you need, and many you don’t. Protein is a maybe, depending on age, goals, and the rest of your diet.)
But if you take vegan protein powder yourself, there’s one question you should most definitely know the answer to:
What’s in your protein powder?
I started looking more closely at protein powders a few months ago, for my kids’ sake. They’re both young plant-based athletes, and — call it parental paranoia if you want — I find myself worrying about their picky eating habits, specifically that most of the foods they love (fresh fruits and vegetables, especially in smoothies) aren’t necessarily dense in protein or, more generally, in total calories.
But when I started looking at the ingredient lists of the common plant-based powders, I was surprised and disappointed. Unfamiliar and artificial ingredients, plus sweeteners (even natural ones) that I knew they wouldn’t like the taste of in their smoothies.
So I did some more digging…
And it got worse. Waaay worse.
Today I want to share a bit about what I found, in hopes that it helps you to make more informed decisions when choosing a protein powder, if you choose to use them.
And I’ll start with the one that scares me the most…
1. Heavy Metals and Other Carcinogens
Now, I know what you’re thinking.
Heavy metals and chemicals in my protein powder? Nah. No way. I get the good stuff. And it comes from plants.
Think again. Last year, the Clean Label Project™ completed a study examining 134 plant-based and animal-based protein powder products from 52 different brands. They screened for over 130 toxins, including heavy metals, BPA, pesticides, and other contaminants with ties to health problems.
And you know what they found? (You might want to sit down for this one.)
Many of the most popular plant-based powders were ranked the worst for their high levels of contaminants like heavy metals. In fact, plant-based proteins ranked lower than animal-based proteins on average.
So how does that nasty stuff get into your powder?
According to Clean Label Project, “Contaminants are the result of sourcing and production practices. Contaminants can be found in soils because of pesticides and mining run-off (ex. heavy metals) and can be absorbed into plants just like nutrients. They can also be the result of the manufacturing process (ex. BPA/BPS is using the lining of cans and containers and leach into the protein powder.)”
Let’s take a closer look at some of the most common heavy metals and chemicals to see what the study actually found:
BPA (bisphenol A)
By now you’ve probably heard of BPA, but most people don’t actually know what it is. BPA, or bisphenol A, is a chemical used in a lot of commercial product packaging as a way to strengthen the plastic.
High amounts of BPA, however, is known to cause cancerous tumors, birth defects, and other mental and physical health issues.
A few years ago, BPA garnered a lot of attention when it was discovered to leach from that plastic into drinks, like water. Since then, many popular water bottles have gone BPA-free, but it’s still commonly used in many food containers, including some plastic containers that store protein powder, or even the plastic measuring scoop often included in the tub.
The Clean Label Project study found that 55% of protein powders tested had high levels of BPA, and one had over 25 times the allowed regulatory limit in just one serving.
Lead
According to the study, nearly 70% of plant-based protein powders contained measurable amounts of lead. The potential mental and physical health problems associated with lead are well documented, so why is it showing up in these protein powders?
The primary problem seems to be where the ingredients are sourced from. Lead in the ground seeps into the growing food before harvesting, and stays there as it’s turned into your powder.
Arsenic
Arsenic is a naturally occurring chemical often found in water, food, and soil.
This is a particular problem with rice-based products, which is grown in water-flooded conditions, and arsenic in the soil finds its way into the roots of rice crops and is eventually stored in the grains.
Arsenic, of course, is also known to cause a number of health problems including cancer.
So why is it in plant-based protein powder? Primarily because of poorly sourced brown rice protein isolate.
Cadmium
According to the same Clean Label Project study, 74% of protein powders contained measurable amounts of cadmium.
Cadmium is another natural toxic element often found in rocks and soil, and because it does not corrode easily, it’s often used in batteries. That’s right, batteries.
And you guessed it, cadmium also has links to cancer.
But what if my powder is organic?
That was one of my first questions as well. But organic, although good for other reasons, is no help when it comes to heavy metals. Organic protein powders had on average twice the amount of heavy metals as non-organic options, so if a brand doesn’t disclose heavy metal information to you, you’re left wondering.
2. Sweeteners and Flavorings
These days, sweeteners are added to just about every processed food, so it should come as no surprise that they’re also often added to protein powders.
But here’s the thing.
Sweeteners are totally unnecessary. Same goes with flavors (natural or not) like vanilla. The only reason companies often adds the sweeteners and flavors is to try and mask the taste.
In turn, however, they’re adding unnatural ingredients that not only taste fake, but are potentially harmful.
Take a look at common artificial sweeteners like acesulfame potassium, sucralose, or splenda, for example. These sweeteners with their potent taste not only train the brain to crave sweet foods, but are known to increase the risk of diabetes and obesity.
How about natural sweeteners like stevia or monk fruit, you ask?
In my opinion, if it isn’t serving me (or my kids), I don’t want to add it to my smoothie, where the additional sweetness only makes things taste less natural. I want my smoothie to taste like the fruit that’s in it, and no sweeter.
3. Fillers, Preservatives, and Gums
While the contaminants scare me most, the biggest shocker I came across in my research on protein powders was what I learned about fillers.
First, there’s a reason why you don’t see percentages next to protein powder ingredients on labels.
Many brands, like the one I used to take, boast a “blend of pea, rice, hemp, and chia” (for example) to create the appearance of a complete amino acid profile. But if they’re not telling you the amounts of each in the product, then nothing prevents them from using 95 or even 99 percent of the cheapest powder, and only blending the others to make up the remaining 5 percent or less.
There’s nothing to tell you it’s pretty much just one type of protein. And that the amino acid profile is incomplete.
In an industry so unregulated as supplements are, it’s not hard to imagine that’s what they do.
Besides cheap proteins, dextrin (a carbohydrate from starch) and maltodextrin (produced from corn, rice, potato starch, or wheat) are common fillers added to protein powder to bulk it up.
Then there are gums, like xanthan gum, which is derived from corn and soy and often used as a thickener in protein power. These gums are totally unnatural, and often cause bloating and gas.
The misleading packaging means you don’t ever really know what’s in your powder. Sure, you might have an ordered ingredient list, but when you don’t know how much of each ingredient is included, you have know idea if your powder is really what it claims to be.
What’s In Your Protein Powder Matters
When I first started doing this research, it terrified me. Since I was just looking for a small boost to their intake, not a 40-gram megadose of protein, I had assumed choosing a natural, plant-based option would be easy.
But toxic heavy metals?
BPA?
Artificial sweeteners?
And not really knowing how much of each protein is in it?
As a parent, the last thing I’d want is to think I’m making a smart decision to help my kids’ health and athletic potential — and actually be giving them something that does the opposite.
So: armed with this knowledge of the problems with most protein powders, what do you do?
For starters, your research.
A quick search will produce a number of lists created by reputable sources of powders that are better than others. Companies that source ingredients from the right places and spend the time to do the appropriate testing.
Or there’s the other option… create your own.
Ultimately, when I couldn’t find what I wanted on the market, that’s what I opted to do. (Just like with Complement, where I wanted a way to be able to get just the handful of important nutrients missing from a plant-based diet in from a single source.)
For the past several months, the No Meat Athlete team and I — along with the help from a small group of super-engaged community members — have been working on a cleaner, healthier, plant-based protein powder, free of heavy metals, sweeteners, and other fillers. And one which we can be completely transparent about which ingredients are included and exactly how much of each.
Not a giant dose of protein, just a boost, meant to “complement” what’s already in a healthy plant-based diet.
In other words, a protein powder I’d be comfortable giving to my own kids.
That new (better, cleaner) powder is now available to the public. And I couldn’t be happier to get it out into the world.
Check out Complement Protein, and never worry about what’s in your protein powder again.
