Fitness Cure

Check out this cool explanation of sugar free protein powder, from my favorite fitness friend, Dave Slagle!

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QUESTION: “Does sugar-free whey protein exist?”

Answer: Whey protein is a derivative of milk. All milk derived proteins contain the sugar called lactose. It is an inherent part of milk-based proteins such as caseinate or whey. In the case of raw liquid whey, it starts off with about 80% lactose and milk solids. It is then filtered to remove these undesired portions. However, even the best filtration technology available now, can NOT remove 100% of the lactose. Filtration methods split proteins into two groups. Those filtered from 20% to ~85% protein are called whey protein concentrate (WPC). High-grade WPC such as that which is used in JSNitro XP™ is very low in lactose containing less than 6%. Proteins filtered to slightly over 90% are considered whey protein isolate (WPI). Some lactose remains in the leftover 8-10%. It may not be much but it is there. Take note though. Even though it would appear that WPI is better than WPC, WPC is actually better for growth, recovery and immune benefit. Click the link to the article below, “The Truth About Whey Protein” to learn more.

Frighteningly, the government gives manufactures quite a bit of wiggle room in their labeling guidelines. The FDA allows a company to have a 20% error to label claim amount. It also allows a company to label “a serving” of protein as sugar-free as long as there is no more than 500mg of lactose per serving. This means a whey protein can have 500 mg of sugar per serving and LEGALLY be labeled as sugar-free or zero sugar!

For example, to compare apples to apples, let’s do an exercise. A serving of XP protein is 2 scoops, which yields 50 grams of protein from micro & ultra filtered whey protein concentrate and whey protein isolate plus glutamine and colostrum, This blend has no sugar added but is labeled accurately to reflect the very small amount of sugar that is inherent in the protein at less than 3 grams. How much sugar would JSNitro be able to claim if we took advantage of the FDA fudge factor (which we absolutely don’t!)? Most whey protein products use a serving of 20 gms of protein per serving. If we reduce the serving size of XP to 20 grams of protein… The sugar less the 20% error rate = 2.2gm. 2.2gm * 60% lower serving size = .8gm. This means it could almost be “legally” be labeled sugar-free!

The bottom line here is that the physiological impact of a couple of grams of lactose is negligible. You should not feel any stomach upset. You should not hold any extra water nor gain any more bodyfat from this tiny amount of lactose. Read the rest here.

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