There are various types of protein powder available in the market. The most common term that is been used for protein powders is Whey Protein. But do you know there are other types of Protein powder as well available in the market namely Plant Protein, Egg Protein and Beef Protein? Although there could be a chance that all these protein powders might not be available everywhere. So without any further due let’s understand various types of protein powders that are available in the market. We will be comparing Whey Protein vs Plant Protein vs Egg Protein
Why Do You Need Protein Powder?
Before understanding Protein powder, it is necessary to understand why you even need protein powder in the first place.
Protein powders are basically a supplement to your diet which helps in fulfilling the protein requirements of your body. A normal adult needs approx. of 1 g of protein per kg of body weight. This means if your body weight is 60 kg then you need an approx. of 60g of protein intake per day through your diet. We usually don’t measure the calories and nutrient intake, but If you are able to get 60g of protein from your everyday diet then you don’t need to intake protein powder. But usually, our normal diet lacks to fulfil nutritional needs of body and thus we need a multivitamins and supplements.
But wait apart from your daily diet requirement, there are several other reasons why people prefer to focus more on protein powder intake.
Proteins are the building blocks of the body which is used to build muscles, organs, hormones etc. Thus along with fulfilling your basic protein requirement if your goal is to build and develop muscles then naturally your body’s requirement for protein will increase and you will need protein supplements.
Another popular reason why protein powder is taken is to reduce body weight. Protein makes your stomach feel full easily. Thus you will naturally intake lesser calories as compared to the normal diet without compromising with appetite.
Types of Protein Powder
Whey Protein
Whey Protein is a supplement extracted from dairy products and is the most commonly available protein in the market. Since whey is a by-product of dairy products, it is also a good source of high-quality protein and has high availability.
High-quality protein is also referred to as complete protein. It basically means the protein has all the essential amino acids required by the human body. Out of many sources of protein, only a few sources are considered high-quality or highest-quality protein sources.
The process to extract whey protein from dairy products is by acidifying the milk by mixing acidic substances. One of the most commonly used acidic substances at home to replicate the process is by using citrus fruit juice. If you squeeze lemon juice in the milk and boil it for some time, the milk will turn into a curd and whey liquid.
Now to turn down the liquid whey into whey isolates, it needs to be dried and filtered. So that unwanted nutrients can be removed or minimised and turned into protein powder.
Since dairy product does not make everyone happy and many people are also lactose intolerant which can also lead to problems like constipation. There are several other types of protein powder available.
Plant Protein
Unlike Whey Protein, Plant Protein does not have a single source of protein. In fact, there are several sources that are been used to produce plant protein. As the name suggests Plant Protein means a protein that is extracted from plants.
Popular plant-based proteins are Soy Protein powder, Pea Protein powder, Brown Rice, and Quinoa. Most of the time you will also see a mix of various plant proteins in a single product.
Although plant protein is not considered the best source of protein as compared to whey or animal-based protein sources, Plant protein powder is made by mixing various plant sources to meet the requirements. Plant protein is a good option for vegans and people with allergies to dairy products.
Whey Protein vs Plant Protein
When we compare whey and plant protein, there is no doubt that whey protein has a higher quality of protein as compared to plant-based protein. This is because whey has more essential amino acids than plant sources. But since Whey is a dairy by-product and not everyone likes it. In that case plant protein is a better choice. The protein quantity in all of the protein powders are almost same if both of them are isolates.
Isolates is referred to protein powder that has very negligible quantity of other nutrients such as Carbs, Fats etc and is the full of proteins.
Egg Protein
As the name suggests Egg Protein powder is made up of Eggs, precisely Egg whites. The Egg whites are separated from the yolk and crushed into a fine powder and dried. Egg whites are also liquified for easy storage and transport and dried at a very later stage of processing.
Although Eggs are considered one of the best sources of protein, Egg protein powder is difficult to mix with water and milk. It also has a very unfavourable smell which makes it a less preferred choice when it comes to protein powder.
People choose to eat whole egg instead of going for egg protein powder.
Conclusion
There are various types of protein powder available in the market and is not limited to whey, plant, and egg. But it is your choice to choose the best possible protein powder that meets your requirement.
Hope you liked this article. Also, read more such topics from Wellness.
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