Egg protein powder vs whey?

Egg protein powder vs whey? Here are 4 reasons why egg protein is better than whey protein.

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Why egg protein powder is better than whey.

Egg protein powder vs whey.

Why drink wholesome? 

Egg white protein powder vs whey.


Whey protein is celebrated as the gold standard for protein supplementation. It is abundant, cheap, and has helped people boost their protein intake for decades, long before there were any alternatives. Today, however, there are many other ways to supplement protein. One of them is egg protein powder. By egg protein powder, I mean egg white protein powder. Egg whites are roughly 80% protein by weight, and make for a great protein powder when dehydrated. 

Here are 4 reasons why egg protein is better than whey protein: 

Digestibility. 

Dairy-based proteins like whey, which is a byproduct of cheese and yogurt production, are known to cause digestive issues, especially for people with lactose intolerance and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). People with lactose intolerance and IBS are unable to fully digest lactose, the sugar in dairy. Partially digested food feeds the bacteria in your gut, which produce gas that can cause bloating, constipation, and stomach pain. 

Unless you have a sensitivity or allergy to eggs, egg white protein is easy to digest. Egg whites are low in fiber, low-FODMAP, and have the highest protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) of any whole food. Our customers have experienced fewer digestive issues with egg white protein than with any other type of protein. 

Acne. 

Whey protein is bad for your skin. Dairy indirectly stimulates insulin production, which regulates sebum production. Sebum, an oily, waxy substance produced by your sebaceous glands, can clog your pores and cause acne. Dairy can also hinder your ability to process blood sugar efficiently, which can cause inflammation in your skin. This matters because acne is an inflammatory disease, that is, clinical evidence shows that inflammation occurs at all stages of acne development. Egg whites, on the contrary, will not make you breakout. 

Sustainability. 

The environmental impact of egg production is considerably lower than that of dairy production. Although whey protein, a byproduct, does offer a way for farmers to reduce waste, it is a lucrative part of an industry that has an enormous environmental footprint. Dairy cows and their manure produce tons of greenhouse gas emissions, the poor handling of manure and fertilizers pollutes local water resources, and feed production leads to the loss of ecologically important areas such as prairies, wetlands, and forests. This is not to say that the amount of feed it takes to raise a chicken is insignificant. The point here is simply that egg protein is more sustainable than whey protein. 

Taste. 

Many whey protein powders have a chalky aftertaste because they are made with protein concentrates and isolates, foods chemically or mechanically stripped of everything but the protein. Protein concentrates and isolates are listed on the ingredients list as “whey protein” as opposed to “whey.” Unlike real foods, they are missing the nutrients that make food taste good. 

Egg whites, on the other hand, are simply pasteurized, and dried before becoming protein powder. They have a natural, delicious aftertaste. Our eggs are also broken less than twenty four hours from when they were laid. Some eggs sit for days, sometimes weeks before being processed. As a result, they begin to decay and release a chemical called hydrogen sulfide, which has a potent sulfur odor. 

Remember, protein powder should taste good because if consuming protein powder is a chore, it is not sustainable in the long term. A diet is not a six-week affair, it is for life, so think twice before spending your hard-earned dollars on a protein powder that tastes like chalk.

What about cholesterol? 

If you are worried about cholesterol, you will be happy to learn that egg whites contain almost no cholesterol. Of the 180 milligrams of cholesterol in an egg, almost all of it is in the yolk. Egg white protein powder is therefore, across the board, a better choice than whey protein powder.

Why drink wholesome


drink wholesome is additive-free.

One of the reasons why we make the best egg white protein powder is that we do not use food additives. Most protein powders, on the other hand, are full of food additives. Although not necessarily bad for you in small quantities, additives can add up quickly (especially if you drink a protein shake every day), and cause gastrointestinal (GI) side effects like bloating, constipation, diarrhea, gas, and stomach pain.

Food additives are hard to digest, and sit in your gut for longer than food should, which gives your gut bacteria more time to eat. As they eat, these bacteria produce gas, causing bloating and stomach pain. Gas also slows colonic transit (the amount of time it takes food to travel through the colon), which can lead to constipation. In the long term, food additives can disrupt regulatory pathways in the intestine and trigger the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and systemic inflammatory disorders.

unflavored protein powder lifestyle image 1
unflavored protein powder lifestyle image 2

Here is a list of the most common food additives in protein powder:

acacia gum, artificial flavors, carrageenan, cellulose gum, dextrin, dextrose, gellan gum, guar gum, gum arabic, inulin, locust bean gum, “natural” flavors, maltodextrin, rice syrup solids, soy lecithin, silica, sunflower lecithin, xanthan gum

When it comes to identifying food additives, go with your gut. 😉 As a rule of thumb, additives are ingredients that you cannot pronounce. Food additives are not the only thing to avoid when buying protein powder, however. There are several other ingredients that can upset your stomach.

the alternative:

Protein Matrix Comprised of (Whey Protein Concentrate,  Whey Protein Isolate, Calcium Caseinate, Micellar Casein, Milk Protein Isolate, Egg Albumen, Glutamine Peptides), Polydextrose, Sunflower Creamer (Sunflower Oil, Corn Syrup Solids,  Sodium Caseinate, Mono- and Diglycerides, Dipotassium Phosphate, Tricalcium Phosphate, Soy Lecithin, Tocopherols), Natural and Artificial Flavor, MCT Powder (Medium Chain Triglycerides, Nonfat Dry Milk, Disodium Phosphate, Silicon Dioxide), Lecithin, Cellulose Gum, Salt, Yellow 5, Sucralose, Acesulfame Potassium, Papain, Bromelain.

*This is the actual ingredient list of one of the best-selling protein powders in the United States.

drink wholesome is made with real foods.

A final reason why we make the best egg white protein powder is that we do not use protein isolates. As you just learned, protein isolates undergo heavy mechanical and chemical processing before becoming protein powder. 

If you think about it, your gut was designed to digest naturally occurring foods, not laboratory formulated imitations, so if you feed it anything but real food, it might get upset. The long term implications of eating processed foods are still not well understood, but more and more research is finding that it can alter the composition of your gut microbiota, and lead to permanent damage to your gut microbiome.

Your gut does more than just help you to digest food; it protects against pathogens, educates your immune system, and affects directly or indirectly most of your physiologic functions. Disruptions to the gut microbiome have therefore been linked to the development of many chronic diseases. It follows that it is in your best interest to avoid protein powders made with protein isolates. 

unflavored protein powder serving suggestion

Instead of using protein isolates, we make the egg white protein powder with whole egg whites. Whole foods contain a variety of enzymes and other digestive aids that help to break down the food, making it easier for the body to absorb the nutrients. Protein isolates and concentrates, on the other hand, have been stripped of these digestive aids, making them harder for the body to digest and absorb.

Unless you have a sensitivity or allergy to eggs, egg white protein is the best protein for your gut. Egg whites are low in fiber, low-FODMAP, naturally alkaline, and have the highest protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) of any whole food. Our customers have experienced fewer digestive issues with egg white protein than with any other type of protein. 

★★★★★

easy to digest

“I have ulcerative colitis and this is the only protein powder that doesn’t upset my stomach. The flavor is neutral and you can barely notice it in smoothies.” -Mia

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drink wholesome is the best egg white protein powder.

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This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. drink wholesome is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

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