The protein number on your whey tub isn’t a direct measurement of protein.
Labs measure the total nitrogen in the sample and use a standard conversion factor to estimate protein content.
That method has been used for over a century and is still the basis for labeling.
The problem is that the test can’t tell nitrogen from real protein apart from nitrogen in other things.
In 2008, Chinese suppliers added melamine (high in nitrogen) to diluted milk so it would pass protein tests; hundreds of thousands of infants got sick.
In 2014, some U.S. protein powder brands were sued for adding cheap amino acids and creatine that register on the test but aren’t complete protein.
A more accurate method measures the actual amino acids that make up protein, and that’s how the 2014 cases uncovered the shortfall. It costs more and takes longer, so most products still rely on the simpler nitrogen test for the number on the label.
With the current price of whey protein you can be certain it’s not as pure as you think it is.
Scan the ingredients for free-form amino acids.
**Be wary if glycine, taurine, creatine monohydrate, glutamine, arginine**
Prefer products that show a full amino acid profile.
Legitimate whey typically has roughly 10–11% leucine and ~25% total BCAAs of the protein content.
The sum of the amino acids should roughly match the labeled protein grams.
Unusually high glycine/taurine or a shortfall relative to the claim is a red flag.
Stick with established brands that have a track record of transparency and publish lab data.
Extremely low prices relative to protein content and serving size often correlate with corners being cut. 🌻
Labs measure the total nitrogen in the sample and use a standard conversion factor to estimate protein content.
That method has been used for over a century and is still the basis for labeling.
The problem is that the test can’t tell nitrogen from real protein apart from nitrogen in other things.
In 2008, Chinese suppliers added melamine (high in nitrogen) to diluted milk so it would pass protein tests; hundreds of thousands of infants got sick.
In 2014, some U.S. protein powder brands were sued for adding cheap amino acids and creatine that register on the test but aren’t complete protein.
A more accurate method measures the actual amino acids that make up protein, and that’s how the 2014 cases uncovered the shortfall. It costs more and takes longer, so most products still rely on the simpler nitrogen test for the number on the label.
With the current price of whey protein you can be certain it’s not as pure as you think it is.
Scan the ingredients for free-form amino acids.
**Be wary if glycine, taurine, creatine monohydrate, glutamine, arginine**
Prefer products that show a full amino acid profile.
Legitimate whey typically has roughly 10–11% leucine and ~25% total BCAAs of the protein content.
The sum of the amino acids should roughly match the labeled protein grams.
Unusually high glycine/taurine or a shortfall relative to the claim is a red flag.
Stick with established brands that have a track record of transparency and publish lab data.
Extremely low prices relative to protein content and serving size often correlate with corners being cut. 🌻
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