Does Protein Burn Fat? Protein Isolate vs Concentrate? If You Use Protein Shakes Or Are Thinking Of It, You Should Read This First!

Does Protein Burn Fat?  

Protein Isolate vs Concentrate? 

If You Use Protein Shakes Or Are Thinking Of It, You Should Read This First!

The are various forms of protein, the three most common ones are whey, soy, and casein protein. Whey is the most commonly used because it is a water-soluble milk protein. Whey is also a complete protein which contains all nine of the essential amino acids necessary for the human body.  Vegans usually prefer may soy, rice, pumpkin seed or hemp protein. I prefer hemp personally.

Many people are supplementing with protein powder, but do you know which kind of protein you should use... whey protein isolate or concentrate? Some body builder sites claim that whey protein isolates are better because they contain 90-95% pure protein while whey concentrates contain only 75-85%. They also say that the Isolates contain less fat, which is true because it has been chemically remove from the whey and that is where I have a problem. The process that removes the fats from the protein is not natural and removes other important nutrients. 

So which is better? Whey Protein Isolate or Whey Protein Concentrate?.....Here is what I have found out....

The Whey Protein Institute claims that whey protein isolate is the most pure and concentrated form of whey protein. It contains 90% or more protein and very little fat (if any) and lactose. But this is because of the process the whey protein must go through. 

Dr. Mercola believes that whey protein concentrate is better. Here are some of the reasons Dr. Mercola is NOT in favor of using whey protein isolates in any protein powder. 

Whey isolate…

1. Is derived from pasteurized dairy and processed with heat and acid.
2. Goes through a process to remove fat which also removes important components of whey’s immunological properties, healthy properties such as phospholipids (which are important for brain health), phosphatidylserine, and cortisol. 
3. Cheats you of IgG immunoglobulins, which are excellent sources of glutamine and cysteine bound to fat globules. 
4. Hinders your body from effectively assimilating proteins in this isolated form. 
5. Is deficient in key amino acids and nutritional cofactors. 

This over processing of protein and the removal of fat and the removal of important immune boosting nutrients from protein bothers me and I find that I prefer whey concentrates from unpasteurized milk, from grass fed cows that are not pumped with chemicals, and cold processed to avoid any over processing and heat damage. The grass fed cows produce whey that contains important amino acid and immune supportive nutrients and is rich in healthy good fats such as lipolic acid and CLA. I also recommend that it comes from hormone free cows as many farmers inject hormones into cows to increase milk product. 

Your protein should be cold pressed to protect the nutrients in their natural state. Most whey protein goes through a heating process that makes the whey acidic and nutritionally deficient and damages the immune supportive micronutrients and amino acids. 

Your whey protein should not be processed through acid/ion exchange processing. It should be acid free processing. If your protein is acid/ion exchange processed, it has been denatured of amino acid profiles by using acids and chemicals to separate the whey from the fat. Also, your protein should be sweetened naturally not artificially and should be low in carbohydrates. 

I agree with Dr. Mercola on the subject of whey and the concerns with the processing of it. Your whey protein should be easy to digest and not cause any digestive stress and it should contain all its biological value and contain the key amino acids and micronutrients present in its natural state. 

There is also Charles Poliquin who is world renown for his training of elite athletes and knowledge of training and supplementation. His protein is also a concentrate. When so many of the reputable gurus in training and fitness recommend concentrates, that should tell you something. 

You must be vigilant when exploring the different brands of protein. Not all are being honest about their protein content or fat content. Do your best to investigate the differences because there is a difference and unfortunately some manufacturers lie. 

Does Whey Protein Go Bad?
Everything good for you has a shelf life and will go bad if left too long. I personally like to use up my protein powder within 3 months of opening it. Anything good for you in its natural form will go bad. That is really why many manufacturers remove the fat from products (I am referring to the good fats) as it extends the shelf life. So if you have had your protein powder in the cupboard for a couple years now and have decided to get back to supplementing with protein, you should toss it out and go get a new quality protein. Remember that 85% or more of your protein intake should should come from real food. 

Proteins may be a great way to supplement your diet however it can never replace real food. It doesn’t take that much protein to achieve the required intake of protein. Most people already get about 15% of their daily calories in protein. To build a pound of muscle experts say the body needs between 10 and 14 additional grams of protein per day and that is not very much. Powder that show claims of high amounts of grams of protein are really just expensive pee and can be very taxing on the kidneys and your liver. So keep this in mind when deciding wether to supplement with a protein powder.