There is no doubt that protein is a necessary part of our diets. But are protein supplements good for you? How many of us really need the extra? And are protein supplements even safe?
Protein is one of the most important things we consume. Our body uses it to build and repair our muscles, to keep our bones strong, and maintain our immune system function, and even to improve our brain, heart, and skin health.
In short, we simply wouldn't survive without protein.
So it should be good to supplement some more of it, right?
Many athletes and health-conscious individuals have concerns about getting enough protein. Taking protein supplements is a popular way to ensure you’re getting enough protein in your diet to keep your body in top shape.
In fact, the global protein powder market was valued at 17.55 billion USD in 2019.
There is no doubt that protein supplements are popular, but are protein supplements good for you? Should you actually be using them?
Today we will discuss if protein supplements are safe, if the supplements are actually good for you or not, and how to find the very best protein supplements out there.
Are protein supplements safe?
Before we discuss whether protein supplements are GOOD for you, let’s discuss if they are even safe.
The unfortunate fact is that not all protein supplements are safe for consumption. But that doesn’t mean they are all bad! It just means you need to do a little bit of research when finding a supplement to purchase.
Here are some of the reasons your protein supplement might not be good for you if you just grab one off the shelf:
Protein supplements aren’t FDA regulated
Protein supplements are not considered medical supplements, but dietary supplements. And because of this, they are not regulated by the FDA.
This means the FDA leaves it completely up to manufacturers to evaluate the safety of their products. They can also say whatever they want on their labels without having to back up their claims.
As such, there is no way of knowing how safe a supplement really is unless you truly trust the company. That’s why it’s so important to do your research into the company.
Look for companies that back up their claims with scientific studies. Read through lots of customer reviews to see if anyone had side effects.
Or, best yet, look for a medical-grade protein supplement. This is a supplement that IS regulated by the FDA and is trusted by doctors for use in medical facilities. That way, you KNOW your protein supplement is safe.
Some supplements contain harmful additives
Because the grand majority of protein supplements are not regulated, some of them contain some seriously questionable ingredients.
Of course, when you buy a protein supplement, you want to ensure it isn’t doing you any harm – but some of them might be!
Ingredients vary wildly from supplement to supplement. Some protein powders contain high amounts of added sugars and flavorings to make them more palatable to users, but these can cause spikes in blood sugar and weight gain.
Some protein powders have as much as 23 grams of added sugar per scoop, which is honestly terrifying. That’s almost your daily limit in just one scoop!
But sugar is the least of your concerns when it comes to harmful additives.
Recently, a nonprofit group called the Clean Label Project released a report about toxins found in protein powders.
Researchers tested 134 products for 130 types of toxins and found that many protein powders contained heavy metals like mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium.
If you weren’t aware, arsenic is highly toxic and has been proved to cause cancer.
Mercury can cause headaches, difficulty breathing, and many other side effects.
And lead poisoning is commonly known to cause impairments to your brain, kidney, and reproductive functioning.
Would any of that be worth it for some extra muscle gains?
Absolutely NOT.
On top of heavy metals, some protein powders were found to contain bisphenol-A (BPA, which is used to make plastic), pesticides, and other additives with links to cancer. One protein powder even contained 25 times the legal limit of BPA.
So are protein supplements safe? Should you swear off protein powders altogether?
This article is not to scare you, but to highlight the importance of doing your research before choosing your supplement.
Not all supplements tested by the Clean Label Project contained toxins, and many of them were perfectly safe for consumption. But unless you do your research, you don’t really know what you’re putting into your body.
Protein supplements may cause digestive distress
Even if your supplement is perfectly safe, it may not be the right supplement for your body. Even a safe supplement can cause side effects. The most common of which is digestive distress.
But why does your supplement cause bloating and stomach aches?
There are two possibilities.
You may be dealing with a “too much protein stomach ache.” There is a recommended dose on the packaging for a reason. Your body can only digest so much protein at once.
If you take more protein than that, thinking it will give you additional gains, think again. Your body won’t be able to absorb the protein and it will simply pass through your digestive tract and be wasted. But not before giving you some bloating and cramps.
Make sure to follow the directions on your protein supplement carefully to avoid this unwanted side effect.
If you are using whey protein or casein protein, the other possibility is that you may be lactose intolerant to some degree. While most of us could drink milk as babies, the majority of people lose their ability to digest milk protein (lactose) properly as they age.
In fact, 68 percent of the world’s population cannot process lactose properly. Since whey and casein protein are made from milk, this could be a serious problem for your stomach. If you are part of the 68 percent, you may want to look into a dairy-free protein option.
So after all that, you may be wondering: are protein supplements good for you? Are they even worth it?
Let’s look into the benefits of adding a protein supplement to your routine.
Are protein supplements good for you?
There is no doubt that protein is good for you. But are protein supplements good for you?
Who actually needs them?
The answer depends on your age, health, and exercise routine.
Ask any nutritionist and they will tell you that it’s best to look to your diet for protein requirements before turning to supplements. Whole foods are really the best way for your body to receive its protein.
You can get protein in your diet from meat, fish, eggs, milk, yogurt, lentils, soya, nuts, and seeds.
But scientist Stuart Phillips from McMaster University in Canada argues that the recommended daily protein levels might not actually be high enough for everyone.
We know that protein from diet builds muscle, keeps our bones strong, and even protects our immune system, so wouldn't more protein be better?
And not everyone can get all the protein they need from diet alone.
One prime example is endurance athletes. If you are an endurance athlete, you need more protein than the average adult.
And that’s when protein supplements can be so good for you! In the gym and on the field.
Protein supplements help athletes build muscle
Protein supplements are good for athletes and gym-goers because they are proven to help build muscle. Of course, simply taking the supplement won’t bulk you up – you have to put in the work for the results.
Protein supplements only build muscle if you also do some form of resistance exercise, such as lifting weights. If you don’t exercise your muscles, the extra protein you are giving your body won't do a thing.
Studies have found that protein powder makes a difference with gains in both lean body mass and in lower body strength when used alongside resistance exercise. There was also a slight improvement with bench presses.
If you’re hoping to build muscle as quickly and safely as possible, a protein supplement is good for helping you to do that.
But protein can do more than just build muscle.
Protein supplements may improve your health
There is some evidence that protein supplements are good for you in more ways than one. Nine randomized controlled trials found the people given protein powders lost more weight and saw an improvement in blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
There are really interesting findings. It seems like protein supplements are good for you not only for building muscle, but for fat loss, blood pressure regulation, and more!
Of course, you have to find the right supplement for your body. As noted above, some protein supplements are not good for you because of the harmful additives.
Then there is also the debate of the best time to drink a protein shake and which type of protein is best to take.
Truly, the timing of your supplement is a personal choice and dependent on your workout goals. But as for the types of protein, there are definitely some things to consider. So let’s discuss how to find protein supplements that are good for you.
How to find the best protein supplements
Here are some tips for finding protein supplements that are good for you both in and out of the gym.
Look for a complete protein
If you don’t know about complete vs incomplete proteins, it’s time to learn. Complete proteins contain all nine essential amino acids that your body needs to create new protein fibers.
Incomplete proteins are missing some of those amino acids. The majority of plant based proteins are incomplete proteins, which means you will need to mix and match plant proteins in order to create a complete protein for your workout.
Without having a complete protein, your body can’t utilize your supplement to its fullest!
Consider collagen
Are protein supplements good for you if they are made from collagen? Absolutely! So long as you are getting your supplement from a trusted source, collagen is one of the absolute best supplements an athlete could take.
That’s because there are so many collagen benefits beyond simple muscle gain. Collagen can also help with injury prevention, joint pain, and faster muscle recovery after workouts – just to name a few.
The top collagen supplements are even used to speed up healing after injury or surgery, and of course, they can make your skin and hair look better than ever before as an added benefit.
Choose hydrolyzed supplements
When looking for protein supplements that are good for you, you want to choose a hydrolyzed supplement.
Hydrolyzed supplements are where the protein molecules are broken down into smaller pieces that are easier for your body to absorb and utilize. This is important, because if your body can’t fully digest your supplement, a lot of the protein will simply go to waste.
Frog Fuel collagen protein is actually a nano-hydrolyzed protein supplement. That means it has gone through the process of hydrolysis more than once to make it fully absorbable in just 15 minutes or less.
It also has tryptophan added to make it a complete protein, so your body can put it straight to use.
Best yet, we offer liquid protein shots in single serving pouches that are easy to throw in your pocket or gym bag and use whenever you need them most.
Our formula is FDA-regulated and used for medical healing by thousands of doctors. It’s also trusted for use by some truly elite athletes. So, are protein supplements good for you? When you buy Frog Fuel, you can rest assured that they are.