What is protein powder?

Protein powders are powdered forms of protein that come from natural sources like eggs, milk or plants. These powders usually include other ingredients such as added sugars, artificial flavouring, and thickeners, meant to enhance texture and taste.

Protein powders may seem like a quick and easy fix to fulfill your protein requirements, but they come with their own set of problems, posing a number of health risks.

Hence a number of doctors advise against them or recommend that they are consumed under supervision.

Here are the key dangers of protein powders:

1. Imbalanced Nutrition
   Consuming protein powders can cause diet imbalance by disproportionately increasing the protein intake at the expense of other vital nutrients. This may actually result in nutritional deficiencies, resulting in you having to consume more supplements or even medication to restore equilibrium.
2.  Digestive Problems
   Protein powders may cause digestive problems in cases when they aren’t fortified with dietary fibre. A high protein diet devoid of fibres can cause digestive ailments such as constipation, diverticulitis and other problems. Additionally, milk-based protein powders cause gastrointestinal discomfort in people who suffer from dairy allergies or lactose intolerance. Whey milk contains concentrated doses of compounds like lactoferrin which may cause gut flora, leading to an upset stomach and gastric problems.
3. Kidney issues
   Protein supplements can cause kidney problems. The kidneys are responsible for filtering out toxins and waste products from the bloodstream. High protein consumption increases the acid load on the kidneys and increases the chances of getting kidney stones. Over the long term, consuming protein supplements may negatively affect kidney function.
4. Toxins and heavy metal contamination
   A report released by a non-profit group called the Clean Label Project indicates that a number of protein powders available in the market contain traces of heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, cadmium, and mercury, proven to be toxic to the health of an individual.
5. Weight gain
   Protein powders, being high in added sugar, can add to the amount of calories being consumed on an everyday basis. Some powders have as much as 23g of sugar per scoop, in turn, adding as much as 1200 calories to a glass of milk. This can lead to unhealthy weight gain and also spike the blood sugar levels.

While protein powders do have their set of benefits, they can be a cause of concern too. Instead of opting for artificial supplements, you can choose 100% organic and authentic ingredients which do not just meet your protein needs but also improve your overall health. 24 Mantra offers a range of certified organic products. Know more here: https://www.24mantra.com/products/