Protein powders are added to shakes and other foods to increase the amount of muscle-building and cell-fueling protein in those foods. Some protein powders, however, contain large quantities of added sugar, making them less healthy for you. Read the ingredients on protein powders carefully.
Protein
Protein is one of the three macronutrient molecules -- the other two are carbohydrates and fat. Macronutrients are compounds the human body needs in large quantities each day to maintain normal function. Your cells get energy and the building blocks for making structural and functional components of cells from macronutrients. Proteins are made up of building blocks called amino acids.
Protein Powders
The many protein powders on the market contain different kinds of protein. Some contain nothing but powdered protein and anti-caking agents, while others contain protein in addition to flavoring, coloring, sugar and other chemicals. If you're just looking for a way to add protein to foods -- a powder you could add to the baking mix for cookies, for instance -- you might select a protein powder that's nearly pure protein, though it won't taste good on its own. Alternately, you could look for one that contains flavor and sugar, and add it to milk or juice to make a tasty shake.
Sugars
To determine whether a protein powder contains sugar, you need to read the ingredients. Sugar comes in many forms, but the most common words for sugar on nutrition labels are glucose, sucrose, fructose, corn syrup, brown rice syrup and cane syrup. If you're not certain whether an ingredient is sugar, check the product's nutrition facts label; sugars have to be listed on the label as a subcategory of carbohydrates. Protein contains no sugar naturally, so if your protein powder lists any sugar on the nutrition facts label, it's added.
Considerations
Some protein powders don't contain sugar, but do contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame. These sweeteners contain no calories, so they're not included on the nutrition facts label, but they do show up in the ingredients. Consuming artificial sweeteners can increase your desire for sweet foods, according to a study published in 1986 in "The Lancet," and so could cause you to eat more sugar and gain more weight.
References
- "Biochemistry"; Reginald Garrett, Ph.D. and Charles Grisham, Ph.D.; 2007
- "The Lancet"; Paradoxical Effects of an Intense Sweetener (Aspartame) on Appetite; J. Blundell et al; 1986
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