Each company obviously claims their meal replacement shakes are the best, and has a long list of reasons why you should purchase theirs and not their competitors. This information is often misleading and can make it very difficult to make an informed decision. That’s where we come in to provide you with in-partial and honest 3rd party facts, allowing you to choose the product that’s right for you.
People are always asking us which type of protein is best for people who want to lose weight, and the answer is it depends!
Protein is probably the most important element in a meal replacement shake so its really important you understand what to look for and how to find the one that’s right for you.
What are Amino Acids?
When you consume protein, your body breaks it down in to different kinds of amino acids (there are 20 in total). Our bodies can naturally make 11 amino acids, but the other 9 essential amino acids have to come from our foods. Some types of protein contain all 9 amino acids and some only a few and the levels of each amino acid vary between each type of protein as well.
Most animal proteins like Whey are complete proteins and contain all 9 essential amino acids, most plant proteins are not complete, however one exception to the rule is Soy which does contain all 9 amino acids.
Not all protein is created equal
Not all protein is the same and it is often the quality of the protein that is the issue rather than the type. Low cost manufacturing techniques often use heat, acids and other processes which can destroy the delicate natural balance of proteins, resulting in a poor amino acid profile and a lower quality protein.
High quality products use more expensive techniques that makes use of the latest advances in manufacturing to create an un-denatured product that is still the way nature intended it. These proteins have a strong amino acid profile and provide significantly more benefits than the same weight of a low quality product.
Quality of the Raw Ingredients
You also have to consider the quality of the raw ingredient.
If you are considering a product that used a whey protein find out if the cows that produced the milk grass fed and grown in an area with no pollution? Or alternatively were the cows fed grain and injected with growth hormones?
With Soy protein find out whether the Soy is genetically modified or not and establish whether a cocktail of pesticides and herbicides was sprayed on the crop.
These factors will signficiantly affect the quality of the end product.
Which is better, Whey or Soy?
The majority of meal replacement shakes are either Whey based or Soy based, although there are a number that have a pea based protein as well. There are many different opinions on which is best, however there was a recent study done which showed that Whey Protein was superior when it came to burning fat.This study showed that whilst both Soy and Whey protein stimulated the body to burn fat, the effects of Whey Protein last longer.
Whey protein is considered the premier source of protein by most athletes, body builders and premium quality health supplements/diets.
However don’t discount Soy, as it does have a decent amino acid profile, it is low in fat and contains many antioxidants. It is also a good choice for people who cannot tolerate milk or whey based shakes or are vegans and don’t want to consume animal products.
Which one is right for you?
We suggest choosing the product which uses a high quality raw ingredient (Soy or Whey) and advanced manufacturing techniques to extract the maximum nutrient value from the protein.
Personally we use Whey based products, espesically with studies coming out like the one we mentioned above, but having said that we don’t have anything against Soy proteins and suggest trying a few products until you find the one that’s right for you.