Protein powder, is this good, bad? Do you use it?

[PeterPan]

I kind of randomly ended up looking at this cookbook for men https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1641529083/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1  and he has a number of smoothie recipes with protein powder. So tell me, do you use this? Is it good for you or potentially bad? How do you know if the person is a good demographic for it or not a wise user of it? My dh is 50 and a little overweight with not so good control of his blood sugar (even though he thinks it is). For him, is protein powder just excessive and more calories or making him more acidic? Or is it good? He's also not as hungry as he used to be. He eats a large lunch when he's out working (typically protein heavy), so he eats lightly for dinner.

I used a nutritionist for myself, and she never had people on protein powder. That's why I was surprised when this nutritionist generated cookbook for me was all over it. What do you think?

[BlsdMama]

15 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

I kind of randomly ended up looking at this cookbook for men https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1641529083/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_2?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1  and he has a number of smoothie recipes with protein powder. So tell me, do you use this? Is it good for you or potentially bad? How do you know if the person is a good demographic for it or not a wise user of it? My dh is 50 and a little overweight with not so good control of his blood sugar (even though he thinks it is). For him, is protein powder just excessive and more calories or making him more acidic? Or is it good? He's also not as hungry as he used to be. He eats a large lunch when he's out working (typically protein heavy), so he eats lightly for dinner.

I used a nutritionist for myself, and she never had people on protein powder. That's why I was surprised when this nutritionist generated cookbook for me was all over it. What do you think?

In my opinion? Utterly dependent on the source.  My body is hypermetabolic.  I take Ancient Nutrition Bone Broth powder daily.  If I stop, I begin to lose hair until I worry I will be totally bald.  We've tried if a few times to see if it's a fluke or hormones, etc., and it is definitely the addition of the bone broth powder.  That said, these powders and their sources are remarkably different.  

Is he trying to build muscle? If not, bone broth powder is healthy, but perhaps not necessary.  He might want to use the Carb Manager app to chart where he's at and see if it is value added or just unnecessary.  Most people take in plenty of protein and plenty of carbs.  What they really need? Cruciferous vegetables, fermented veggies, and green salads.  

[PeterPan]

6 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

What they really need? Cruciferous vegetables, fermented veggies, and green salads.  

I know! LOL His theology on vegetables is a little different from mine. 

8 minutes ago, BlsdMama said:

see if it is value added or just unnecessary. 

Yeah I don't want to be paying for it and putting it in if it's unnecessary for him.

[Pawz4me]

Mine seems to be the unpopular opinion in recent years, but I think the emphasis on protein intake is going to turn out to be more harmful (or perhaps useless) than good or helpful. That's for reasonably healthy people. I do think there are appropriate instances where protein powders, drinks, etc. are helpful. Like for people with cancer or other medical issues that cause them to lose weight and/or have trouble taking in appropriate nutrients through regular food. I think your typical person would be much better served concentrating on consuming a wide variety of real, minimally processed foods. If you do that it's really hard to not get more than enough protein.

[jen3kids]

Protein powder is a great way to build muscle, so if your dh his trying to do that, or if he doesn't have time to eat a complete meal in the morning or at lunch, a protein shake with lots of leafy greens and less fruit is a good alternative to a bagel or an apple.  My favourite protein shake is cup of oat milk, half a banana (preferably frozen), 2 handfuls of spinach, and a scoop of plain protein powder (I use Ripple).  Protein shakes made with mainly fruit are very carb heavy due to the sugar in the fruit, so I avoid those.  

[PeterPan]

37 minutes ago, Pawz4me said:

Mine seems to be the unpopular opinion in recent years, but I think the emphasis on protein intake is going to turn out to be more harmful (or perhaps useless) than good or helpful. That's for reasonably healthy people.

See that's what I keep thinking and definitely what the nutritionist I used would have said. I was just trying to figure out what I missed, like whether it was a gender thing or something.

28 minutes ago, jen3kids said:

Protein powder is a great way to build muscle

Nope, he's not. I'd be in favor of it. 

22 minutes ago, Dreamergal said:

I stumbled upon using whey to make protein powder. I make my own

Ok, you are the woman! And I can see why this would taste way better (haha, way/whey) than store bought. Yes, if there's a wang to a store product, he would detect it. He has a pretty good taster. 

So if I make my own smoothies with *greek* yogurt (which is what I usually do), then that's *sorta* like adding protein powder to a regular milk based smoothie, yes? I'm googling the numbers here, and while it's not quite, it's actually a good bump up. So the logic is there that if I use greek yogurt to make him a smoothie, then I've done sorta the same thing but with a whole food product. That might be a good solution for us.

[Rosie_0801]

16 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

So if I make my own smoothies with *greek* yogurt (which is what I usually do), then that's *sorta* like adding protein powder to a regular milk based smoothie, yes? I'm googling the numbers here, and while it's not quite, it's actually a good bump up. So the logic is there that if I use greek yogurt to make him a smoothie, then I've done sorta the same thing but with a whole food product. That might be a good solution for us.

If you can use cottage cheese, there's more protein in that.

[PeterPan]

5 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

If you can use cottage cheese, there's more protein in that.

I'll have to google that! I don't eat cottage cheese, but dh likes it.

[PeterPan]

6 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

If you can use cottage cheese, there's more protein in that.

Oh wow, you're right that's crazy high!

[PeterPan]

7 minutes ago, Rosie_0801 said:

If you can use cottage cheese, there's more protein in that.

Ok, I'm kinda liking that. It's something I can do with what I already have.

https://fromscratchfast.com/cottage-cheese-smoothie/  This seems kind of promising.

[Clemsondana]

I have a teen boy athlete with a very high metabolism...if he didn't have protein smoothies we'd have to load him with carbs constantly to keep him full - he'd think nothing of eating 1/2 lb of meat per meal if he was hungry.  We do whey plus milk plus fruit in smoothies, but his favorite is peanut powder, which is just dried ground peanuts.  He has 3 bananas plus 2-3 scoops of protein powder plus milk to make a quart as a snack before bed many nights.  

That being said, my daughter is the carb queen and I think that fluctuating blood sugar can create mood swings.  She doesn't put the 2-3 scoops of protein that workout boy uses, but a 1/2 scoop of protein powder seems to keep her satisfied.  I don't really know of a reason why it would be worse than eating 1/2 of a chicken breast or cup of yogurt, which would both be fine.  I am careful to get ones without a lot of additives - we use stuff from Naked Whey (we get the 'almost naked' which has sugar and vanilla since I'm not worried about some sugar for the kids, both of whom are active and much less likely to want a junk snack after having a smoothie).  

[mathnerd]

I use Greek Yoghurt or Cottage cheese or almond butter for protein boosts to smoothies. Many people use peanut butter, but, I don't like the taste. I occasionally use Moringa Powder in my smoothies because they have high protein content but the texture is weird to me.

[PeterPan]

2 minutes ago, Clemsondana said:

I have a teen boy athlete with a very high metabolism...if he didn't have protein smoothies we'd have to load him with carbs constantly to keep him full - he'd think nothing of eating 1/2 lb of meat per meal if he was hungry.  We do whey plus milk plus fruit in smoothies, but his favorite is peanut powder, which is just dried ground peanuts.  He has 3 bananas plus 2-3 scoops of protein powder plus milk to make a quart as a snack before bed many nights.  

That being said, my daughter is the carb queen and I think that fluctuating blood sugar can create mood swings.  She doesn't put the 2-3 scoops of protein that workout boy uses, but a 1/2 scoop of protein powder seems to keep her satisfied.  I don't really know of a reason why it would be worse than eating 1/2 of a chicken breast or cup of yogurt, which would both be fine.  I am careful to get ones without a lot of additives - we use stuff from Naked Whey (we get the 'almost naked' which has sugar and vanilla since I'm not worried about some sugar for the kids, both of whom are active and much less likely to want a junk snack after having a smoothie).  

That makes a lot of sense!  My dh is definitely not that hungry, haha. 

2 minutes ago, mathnerd said:

I use Greek Yoghurt or Cottage cheese or almond butter for protein boosts to smoothies.

Interesting! Well I'm definitely going to try using the cottage cheese. I like almond butter stirred into yogurt, but I don't recall liking it when I tried it in smoothies. I guess it's just very individual. 

[Lecka]

If your husband is lifting weights, he is in the market for those shakes.

I have a son right now who is eating tuna for protein.  He’s not eating an unreasonable amount, but he doesn’t actually like it and is just eating it for the protein.

That is my exposure to protein shakes and powders.

People force it down because they are trying to eat a certain amount of protein.  
 

The ones that taste “good” are just not disgusting.

Eggs and chicken breast are also popular.  
 

Edit:  my husband thinks tuna is the cheapest and it’s popular.

Edited January 5, 2021 by Lecka

[BeachGal]

Most people don't have a problem getting enough protein. If your husband is eating enough during the day, there’s no need to add more. Avocados and other healthy fats would be good choices, though. Guac is a staple in our house.

If you want to read more, here’s an interview with gerontology researcher and growth hormone expert Valter Longo where he discusses how long-term excess protein activates certain pathways that can cause too much inflammation and lead to cancer, heart disease and other problems.

https://www.bluezones.com/2016/04/fasting-for-longevity/

2. You’ve found that a low-protein diet is healthier for people. Can you tell us why?

Yes, well it’s healthy for people before 70. In fact, a high protein diet is bad for you. Growth hormone pathways, including TOR and IGF-1, are controlled by proteins and they are accelerators of the aging process. So, if you have a low-protein diet you might live longer and healthier.

*************

More technical articles if youre interested:

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&hl=en-us&ei=3Nn0X8GoKZKxtQbZ8ZaIAQ&q=protein+mtor+longo&oq=protein+mtor+longo&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBQghEKABOgQIABBHOgIIKToFCAAQzQI6BQgAEMkDOgUIIRCrAlCKGli0LmDMMmgAcAF4AIABfIgB0gSSAQM2LjGYAQCgAQHIAQjAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

[prairiewindmomma]

For me, protein powder is bad.  I have some lab work to prove it.  High protein diets put a ton of strain on my kidneys.

Dh handles protein powder completely differently.  For him, he has a morning breakfast smoothie with veg and powder. It's a way for him to hide veg that he wouldn't normally eat.

Either way, both of us have a sugar problem. We'd do better if we could leave off processed grains and sweets altogether.

[J-rap]

I think some types of protein powder are fine.  Just pay attention to the ingredients.  Things that look healthy can have weird side-effects.  I have a family member who was taking a protein powder "plus" (more than just protein) that had some ingredient in it -- a vasodilator (I can't remember what it was exactly), that increased his nitric oxide production.  That affects your vascular system, and his heart couldn't keep up with his enlarged vessels.  It was really weird!  He got terrible headaches and dizziness from it, until he figured out what the connection was.

 

[PeterPan]

2 hours ago, BeachGal said:

Most people don't have a problem getting enough protein. If your husband is eating enough during the day, there’s no need to add more. Avocados and other healthy fats would be good choices, though. Guac is a staple in our house.

If you want to read more, here’s an interview with gerontology researcher and growth hormone expert Valter Longo where he discusses how long-term excess protein activates certain pathways that can cause too much inflammation and lead to cancer, heart disease and other problems.

https://www.bluezones.com/2016/04/fasting-for-longevity/

2. You’ve found that a low-protein diet is healthier for people. Can you tell us why?

Yes, well it’s healthy for people before 70. In fact, a high protein diet is bad for you. Growth hormone pathways, including TOR and IGF-1, are controlled by proteins and they are accelerators of the aging process. So, if you have a low-protein diet you might live longer and healthier.

*************

More technical articles if youre interested:

https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&hl=en-us&ei=3Nn0X8GoKZKxtQbZ8ZaIAQ&q=protein+mtor+longo&oq=protein+mtor+longo&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEAMyBQghEKABOgQIABBHOgIIKToFCAAQzQI6BQgAEMkDOgUIIRCrAlCKGli0LmDMMmgAcAF4AIABfIgB0gSSAQM2LjGYAQCgAQHIAQjAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

Yes! This is where the nutritionist was. She didn't want people chugging lots of protein. And yeah, ds and I eat avocado, etc. Dh has his own way and does what he wants. 

So I guess I basically just wanted to see it, because I figured that was probably the case. 

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, prairiewindmomma said:

For me, protein powder is bad.  I have some lab work to prove it.  High protein diets put a ton of strain on my kidneys.

Dh handles protein powder completely differently.  For him, he has a morning breakfast smoothie with veg and powder. It's a way for him to hide veg that he wouldn't normally eat.

Either way, both of us have a sugar problem. We'd do better if we could leave off processed grains and sweets altogether.

Oh that's interesting, because something I had read in googling tried to claim that a whey based protein powder was a miracle and reversed blood sugar problems, which didn't seem quite probable to me.

 

[Arcadia]

We bought a few cans when I was going through chemotherapy and neither my husband nor I like them. We also have a hard time dissolving them to make a smooth drink.
I prefer jerky for protein and iron. As a treat while grocery shopping, we buy protein laden coffee to drink on the way home  e.g. 

https://www.bolthouse.com/product/plant-based-protein-keto-mocha-truffle-latte/

https://www.stokbrew.com/cold-brew/cold-brew-coffee/protein-espresso-cold-brew-coffee-48oz

[jen3kids]

1 hour ago, Arcadia said:

We bought a few cans when I was going through chemotherapy and neither my husband nor I like them. We also have a hard time dissolving them to make a smooth drink.
I prefer jerky for protein and iron. As a treat while grocery shopping, we buy protein laden coffee to drink on the way home  e.g. 

https://www.bolthouse.com/product/plant-based-protein-keto-mocha-truffle-latte/

https://www.stokbrew.com/cold-brew/cold-brew-coffee/protein-espresso-cold-brew-coffee-48oz

I've tried both of those and they are gritty!  I'm much happier with my smoother protein powders!