We’ve seen it a million times. Folks get their fitness groove on, start supplementing with whey protein powder, and suddenly their digestion goes off the rails. Bloating, gas, stomach discomfort…why is this happening?
You don’t need to be lactose intolerant to have trouble with animal protein powders like whey or casein (which are extracted from cow milk). All it takes is a lactose sensitivity—which you may not have noticed until you started to really load up your diet with scoops of lactose-related proteins every day.
Don’t let this obstacle turn you away from the benefits of protein powders, though. Whether you’re in it to build muscle mass or just to power a healthy exercise routine, it’s been proven that plant protein powders are just as effective as whey. And they have none of the dairy allergens that can risk upsetting your stomach!
4 Benefits of Protein Powder Without Whey or Dairy
1. Build muscle
A lot of health and fitness enthusiasts wonder: can you build muscle with plant-based nutrition? The answer is a resounding yes, yes, yes. Let’s put the rumors to bed.
A recent study in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Medicine (JISSN) determined that plant protein powder works “just as well as meat-based options, such as whey protein,” even for elite athletes and MMA fighters! The study tracked a group of fighters that used high-volume, high-intensity training to gain and maintain fat-free muscle mass. Some used whey, some used rice. The results showed that there was no benefit to choosing whey protein powder over whey-free protein powder—the effects on muscle mass were statistically the same (1).
2. No cholesterol, lactose, or animal-based ingredients
Whey and casein proteins come from milk. While the idea is to isolate dairy proteins into a powdered form, it’s a well-established fact that whey concentrate does contain lactose. This is no surprise, really—whey is a byproduct of the cheese-making process.
High levels of whey protein can present a number of threats to your digestive system that are not present in a lactose-free protein powder. For example, whey can lead to stomach discomfort, bloating, nausea, allergic reactions, and even interfere with your body’s ability to absorb antibiotics (and other drugs) properly.
A plant protein powder without whey or dairy ingredients, by comparison, is:
- Lactose-free
- Cholesterol-free
- Animal product-free
- Animal byproduct-free
Pea protein and rice protein are hypoallergenic—extremely unlikely to cause allergic reactions. When combined, they are a robust source of complete protein with tons of additional benefits.
3. Rich in essential nutrients and vitamins
You can take your pick of the popular plant protein powder options…they’re all rich in the essential amino acids, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals your body loves.
- Brown Rice Protein: A diverse profile of essential nutrients (like thiamin, niacin, pyroxidine, magnesium, manganese, iron, and calcium) has made brown rice into “nature’s perfect protein.”
- Pea Protein: The protein extracted from split yellow peas is highly bioavailable and increases the production of the hormone “ghrelin,” which makes you feel full and satisfied.
- Sacha Inchi Protein: There’s nothing like a plant protein that can also give you 17 times the omega-3 fatty acids as an equivalent serving of salmon. No other nut or seed protein compares.
We include all of the above in our GO PRO Plant Protein Powder Blend. The more, the merrier!
4. Tastes great
A plant protein powder without whey or dairy must rely, instead, on delicious plant ingredients that tickle your tastebuds—what luck! Plant proteins are well known for anchoring the ingredients lists of protein bars that actually taste good.
At Healthy Truth, we developed our GO PRO Plant Protein Powder Blend with taste as a top priority. It’s not only a highly effective mixture of plant protein powder without whey, but also a yummy blend of ingredients like monk fruit extract and cacao that taste great without any refined, processed, or added sugars! And we’re confident that it won’t upset your stomach.
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