By Previnex®
Quick Answer
The quality of your protein powder depends on four things: where the ingredients come from, how the product is manufactured, whether it's been third-party tested, and what additives are in it. Look for protein powders that are third-party tested, have no sugar alcohols or gums, and use transparent sourcing and clinically studied protein forms.
Protein Powders: Is Yours Really Good For You?
The supplement industry is largely unregulated, which means companies set their own standards for ingredient sourcing, manufacturing, and product claims. Some use that freedom responsibly. Others use it to cut corners in ways that aren't obvious unless you know what to look for.
Theoretically, that means that a company with no moral compass could full up a few containers with sand from the beach, label those containers "protein powder," and be in business tomorrow. This is an extreme example, of course, and that company likely wouldn’t be in business very long. But the point is that supplement companies can use the lack of regulation in our industry to prey on consumers in more subtle ways.
The quality of your protein powder comes down to four things: where the ingredients come from, how the product is manufactured, whether it's been third-party tested, and what additives are in it. Here's how to evaluate each one to find a protein that doesn't cut corners.
1. Ingredient Sourcing and Manufacturing: Where Should Protein Powder Ingredients Come From?
Where and how a company sources and manufactures ingredients directly affects what ends up in your body. Many popular supplement companies source their ingredients from China, where the soil quality tends to be poor due to heavy metals and other contaminants that find their way into crops.
At Previnex, we source our pea and rice protein from high-quality farms in Canada and Southeast Asia. Learn more about our sourcing, manufacturing, and testing here.
2. Types of Protein: Which is Best?
Previnex's Nourify® PLUS protein powder is a vegan protein powder made from pea protein and rice protein, which form a complete protein when combined. Whey protein is highly popular, as well. Some common differences between vegan and non-vegan protein powders are:
Vegan Protein
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Made from plant sources like peas, legumes, soy, rice, or nuts
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Forms a complete protein, containing all nine essential amino acids, by combining different incomplete plant proteins
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Commonly gluten- and dairy-free
Whey Protein
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Isolated from whey, a milky liquid that’s a byproduct from making cheese
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Complete protein on its own—meaning it has all nine essential amino acids
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Contains lactose
Learn more about complete and incomplete proteins here.
Ingredient manufacturing, protein level and type, nutrient level, vitamins and minerals, etc. all have an impact on how healthy your protein is. Whether you use vegan protein or whey protein, it’s crucial to find a protein that is clean and contains a wide variety of nutrients.
3. Why Third-Party Testing Is Non-Negotiable in a Protein Powder
Finding a protein powder that has been tested is crucial to ensuring its quality. It’s equally as important to consume products that have been third-party tested, meaning they have been tested by a lab unaffiliated with the supplement company itself. Here at Previnex, we do three types of testing:
- Raw Material Testing: Each ingredient that comes through the doors of our company is tested for contaminants like heavy metals, microbials, bacteria, and more. If an ingredient fails the testing, our raw material suppliers are responsible for pulling the ingredient and providing a new, passing ingredient.
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Product Run Testing: During manufacturing, we pull product to perform US Pharmacopeia testing. This tests for stability, hardness, thickness, dissolution, disintegration, etc. It’s important that supplements can dissolve in your body in 45 minutes or less to ensure the nutrients reach your small intestine. On average, Previnex supplements dissolve within 20 minutes, giving you maximum nutrient absorption.
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Finished Product Testing: Once products pass the first two testing runs, we use this stage to finalize everything, create Certificates of Analysis, and ensure that everything you read on the label is in the product. If it’s not on the label, it’s not in the product.
Finding supplements and protein powders that undergo testing is crucial. Without third party testing of some kind, protein powders and supplements are subject to contaminants and other additives.
4. What Additives Should You Avoid in Protein Powder?
Protein powder should be clean, meaning, it should not have any unnecessary additives, gums, emulsifiers, or ingredients that do not directly contribute to the quality of the product or your health. Additives like sugar alcohols, gums (xanthan gum, guar gum, etc), or carrageenan can cause GI issues, stomach upset, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and the feeling of being constantly full. Additionally, some sugar alcohols are considered fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs), which are carbs that your gut is unable to properly absorb and has a hard time breaking down. Finding a protein powder without these additives helps ensure your body is able to access all possible nutrients.
Find a High-Quality Protein Powder
When you combine ingredients sourced from reputable farms, testing, science, and nutrient value, you get a high-quality protein powder designed to give you a wealth of nutrients. Nourify® PLUS vanilla and Nourify® PLUS chocolate are packed with nutrients, digestive enzymes, probiotics, vitamins, minerals and, of course, protein. Both flavors are gluten-, dairy-, free-, and soy-free, and completely free of artificial sweeteners, or other additives.
Nourify® PLUS is formulated to clear every bar this article describes: sourced from high-quality Canadian and Southeast Asian farms, three-stage tested, and completely free of gums, sugar alcohols, and artificial sweeteners.
