When a body-builder is asked why he takes a protein supplement, he would probably tell you, "It helps make me BIG." If you ask him how the protein supplement gets him that way, he would say something like "Um, got me buddy." Most people do not realize how important protein is for your body. Almost everyone that knows a little about protein knows that it is required in large quantities for athletes and bodybuilders. This is also the case for an individual with a physically demanding job involving heavy lifting and high levels of physical activity. Protein is important to everyone, but the amount a person needs, all depends on how much physical strain the individual is putting on the muscles in the body.

Importance

Protein is an essential nutrient that the body requires on a daily basis. Protein is essential in amino acids, and amino acids are the building blocks essential for human health. The large amounts that the body requires, 1.5 grams per pound of body weight, can be difficult for the body to digest. This amount increases depending on the person’s physical activity and the goal to gain lean body mass. Eating quality protein such as tuna fish, or chicken breast every 2-3 hours can be inconvenient and frustrating. With the busy schedule of today, a compromise has to be found and "super foods" need to be developed. This is where protein powder supplements play a large role in a physically active and demanding fitness lifestyle.

History

In the 1960’s, a man named Rheo H. Blair strategically headquartered his company a few blocks from Paramount and 20^th Century Fox Studios in Hollywood. His company formulated and sold high protein powder. He got the stars to try it and soon everybody that wanted to look like the stars was trying it.

Protein powders basically come in three different types. These types are Whey, Soy, and Egg Proteins.

Egg Protein

Egg Protein was the first protein made into powder. When Rheo Blair started his company, the protein powder he was selling was an Egg Protein. Egg protein is extracted from pure egg whites and has one of the highest Protein Efficiency Ratios. This is important because the higher the Protein Efficiency Ratio, the better the body uses the protein. Egg protein has the longest history of use among weightlifters and bodybuilders because of its high ratios of absorption and its proven results. It was also the only type of protein powder other than milk for many years. Like the Whey and Soy Proteins, Egg Protein offers the full range of amino acids in an efficient form that is readily used by the body while being fat and cholesterol free.

Soy Protein

The research found on the Soy Protein was mainly collected from two companies called Naturade and Genisoy.

The first company, Naturade is a company that was started by Nathan Schulman in 1926. He opened one of the first natural food stores in America. Nathan was dedicated to producing foods that were going to be better for people and the environment. He diligently studied under a herbologist who helped Nathan to make the world a naturally conscious place. Naturade is a company who claims to be committed to quality. All of the products that they make are natural. Naturade was one of the first companies to use jojoba oils that help save sperm whale oil. None of their products are tested on animals. Some of the products that Naturade makes are aloe vera products, supplements, cough and cold, glucosamine supplements, laxatives and digestive support, quick fizz effervescent products, soy protein products, soy-free protein boosters, and sports nutrition (which is weight gain products only). They have just come out with a new joint formula, fizz stomach soother products, menopause relief and their new ‘ready-to-drink’.

The Naturade Total Soy products come in the ‘ready-to-drink’ form in strawberry crème, their shake mix, calcium 100, menopause relief, and their meal replacement bar. All of these products can be found in the supermarket, drug store and mass merchandise outlets.

Their meal replacement drink comes in Bavarian Chocolate and Vanilla and is marketed as a cholesterol fighter. It is also sold as a heart disease fighter because heart disease is the number one cause of death for men and women in the United States and 25g a day of soy protein has been proven to reduce those risks. The meal replacement drink has high concentrations of soy protein. The drink may also help one to lose weight because it is low in fat and can be replaced for a meal or protein supplement. It makes customers, "feel great!"

The Naturade Total Soy Calcium 100 is similar to the meal replacement. It has 1000mg of calcium and so that aids in bone care and is 100% of the daily value. This drink also has 34mg of soy isoflavones.

The Meal Replacement drink does not contain aspartame, sucrose, artificial sweeteners, color, or flavors and no preservatives. There is also no m.s.g., lactose, yeast, gluten, egg, dairy or animal derivatives. The drink DOES contain Vitamins A, C, D, E, calcium, iron and thiamin. The drink is 140 calories and 15 of those are from fat; 1.5 g of total fat, 55mg of potassium, 15g of carbohydrates, 2g of dietary fibers, and 17g of protein. The drink is made with eight ounces of milk mixes with two scoops(36g) and shake or blend.

In smoothies with fruit and flavored soy milk I would rate this drink a 8.5 out of 10.

GENISOY Soy Protein Chocolate Shake-heart healthy product

This product is a natural, fat-free product owned by the Supro brand. It is IPP certified, and has NO GMO soybeans. Only IP (Identity Preservation) Supro Brand soybeans used which is an isolated soy protein. The growing of the plants was placed under a specially certified IP programs where it controls the planting, harvesting, transportation, storage, processing and production of soybeans. Genisoy uses only water based isolated soy protein that preserves natural levels of is flavones, and does not boost the is flavones. Because the levels of isoflavones varies from harvest to harvest the ’per-serving’ can be from 28mg-42mg. It is a vegan drink and has no artificial color, flavor, or preservatives. It has no yeast, wheat-gluten, egg, or dairy. It contains vitamins A, C, D2, E, B6, E12, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, folate, panthothenic acid, phosphorus, iodine, magnesium, zinc, and copper. There are 18 servings per container and each serving contains 120 calories, 0g of fat, 170mg of sodium, 230mg of potassium, 17g of carbohydrates, 2g of dietary fibers, and 14g of protein.

The company, GENISOY, is based out of Fairfield, California. The company is dedicated to creating healthy soy based products. Genisoy has been around since 1997. Genisoy’s owner Supro has been making protein powders and sports nutrition bars for 35 years (since 1964.) On the website, you can even experience their recipes with their products. Their products consist of bars, shakes, soy milk, soy nuts, and soy crisps. It is proven that soy reduces the risk of heart disease and all of Genisoy’s products are pumped with it. The water process which Genisoy produces their products to preserve the is flavones, also has antioxidants which will help reduce the risk of heart disease. It is also proven to reduce menopause discomforts, cancer and osteoporosis. The products can be found at health food stores and the health food section of the supermarkets.

There are two similar products, one is the original and the other is the Soy Ultra-XT. The Original comes in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry-banana, and natural. This drink has added vitamins and minerals. It also contains antioxidants, vitamin E and Selenium. Fructose is used as a sweetener. It has no added fiber and contains 25% of your calcium daily value.

The second, the Ultra-XT, has no boost or enhancement, and no added vitamins and minerals. It is high in fiber with 5g of soy fiber added, and with 50% of your daily calcium value. This ones sweetener is cane juice solids and comes in chocolate, vanilla, and original. Both of the protein powder mixes are vegan, all natural, fat free, Non-GMO and heart healthy.

One would go about making this drink by adding one scoop of powder to eight ounces of milk and mixing it in a blender. Other liquids can be added.

Whey Protein

Whey protein was discovered as a by-product of cheese production 25 years ago. Whey contains the purest amount of high quality protein. It is derived from milk protein and is loaded with amino acids, including branched chain amino acids which help them bond together better. It is soluble and consequently far more digestible taken as a shake. Whey contains a better amino acid profile than an egg white. Whey protein accounts for only about 20% of the total protein found in milk.

Whey Protein Isolate (WPI) is another Whey Protein. Unlike HWPI, WPI tastes good and is extremely digestible. Isolate is manufactured by drying the material resulting from the removal of sufficient non-protein constituents from pasteurized why so that the finished dry product contains 90% or more protein. The non-protein constituents are removed by physical separation techniques such as precipitation, filtration or dialysis. Fat is almost entirely non-existent in WPI, and it is lactose free. This kind is a popular choice, and a price is between HWPI and WPC.

The third type of Whey Protein is Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC). This Whey Protein has a variety of different problems associated with it. Symptoms include bloating, gas and in some cases diarrhea. Concentrate is manufactured by drying the material resulting from the removal of sufficient non-protein constituents from pasteurized whey so that the finished by product contains 25% or more protein.

The protein content varies considerably. The content can go from twenty-five percent to eighty percent. This is a result on the quantity and the cost. By comparison, whey isolate is better because it is higher in pure protein, but also more expensive. It contains 90-98% protein while whey concentrate contains 70-85%.

If you were to compare WPI to WPC, you will find that WPC has higher concentrations of fat, carbohydrate and lactose. The absorption is also reduced due to the lower digestion in the stomach and the intestines. Due to the lower cost of manufacturing this is the most economical of the three Whey Proteins. However, the quality and quantity of protein content is reduced.

Some benefits of Whey protein is that it has the ability to enhance endogenous Glutathine production, which is the body’s most powerful naturally occurring antioxidant. Whey contains Quadra peptides, which are shown to have pain-killing effects. Whey has a powerful function that helps decrease the sensation of muscle soreness following an intense workout. It is also used to repair and build muscles.

Whey has been shown to reduce cholesterol by inhibiting LDL, which is bad cholesterol, production. Whey digests faster than most proteins. Because of its speedy digestion the amino acids aid in rebuilding the body. Whey is also found to prevent breast cancer. It is twice as effective as soy protein. It may help T-cell activity and decrease wasting tissues during illness and increase the well being and the speed of overall recovery. Elderly people and people with HIV have decreased glutathione levels and weakened immune systems. Whey has become a high interest in immune suppressed populations.

A person can spend form $16 on a 32oz. container all the way to $80 or more on bigger containers with more protein quantity. On average, the product will contain about 21g. of protein per serving to 55g. per serving. Servings are either one or two scoops depending on the product. To some, this is expensive and not worth the potential benefits of the product. If one buys a 32 oz. container of Whey protein for $21, this calculates to $o.65 per serving. When was the last time you paid $0.65 for a hamburger or chicken sandwich?

Some recommendations for Whey Proteins might be that you will see many companies marketing their products by discussing filtration methods (ultra-filtration, ion-filtration, cold-filtration, micro-filtration, and cross-flow-filtration). According to a number of research consultants, it is all the same. In addition, if a company does not state what type of protein is used (on the label) it is best to assume that the primary protein source is most likely Whey Protein Concentrate and is the cheapest version. I personally recommend that you try to stay away from Whey Protein Concentrate because of the side effects. Some people can take it and have no side effects. If you are going to use a protein supplement, I suggest you find a store that offers samples. You will save yourself a lot of money by sampling the products and finding out what works best for you. Rather than suffering through an expensive and large container that may not work for you.

As part of my research, I tested a Whey Protein Concentrate made by Sci-Fit. I could not get any information about the company or anything about the product worth writing about. Depending where you bought it the cost ranged from $21 to $29. There are 22g. of protein per serving and one scoop is a serving size. You can purchase this at most health food stores and a number of websites offer the product as well. I have tried Sci-Fit products and I have never had a problem with them.