Ghost Protein Review
Written by Jack Schrupp and reviewed by Ella McGonagle, M.S. Nutrition
This in-depth Ghost protein review covers the ingredients, Nutrition Facts, and much, much more. Find out whether or not Ghost protein is right for you.
An in-depth review of Ghost protein powder.
Ghost protein powder Nutrition Facts.
Ghost protein powder ingredients.
Ghost protein powder taste and texture.
Ghost protein powder vs drink wholesome.
Ghost protein powder Nutrition Facts.
Ghost makes several different flavors of whey and pea protein powders. For the sake of simplicity, I am going to review their whey-based Cereal Milk Flavor, which is one of their best sellers. Although every flavor/type of Ghost protein powder is different, their Cereal Milk flavor will give you a good idea of what to expect from their other products.
Ghost protein is a protein supplement, so I am going to start my Ghost whey protein review by talking about the Nutrition Facts. 1 serving of Ghost Cereal Milk Whey Protein Powder contains 130 calories, 1.5g of total fat, 4g of total carbohydrates, 2g of sugar, and 25g of protein. From a nutritional standpoint, this looks like a healthy source of dietary protein. There is a high protein to calorie ratio, meaning you get a lot of bang for your buck, and no Added Sugar. The Nutrition Facts are really only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to protein powder, however. In order to understand if a protein powder is actually good for you, you have to look at the ingredients.
Ghost protein powder ingredients.
The ingredients list is by far the most important indication of whether or not a protein powder is good for you. There are over 10 ingredients in Ghost Cereal Milk Whey Protein Powder, which is not a good sign. Generally speaking, when it comes to protein powder, the fewer ingredients the better.
whey protein
The first ingredient is whey protein, which is a blend of 90% whey protein isolate, 10% whey protein concentrate, hydrolyzed whey protein isolate, and sunflower lecithin (food additive). Whey protein isolates and concentrates are made by removing the non-protein components of milk, thereby concentrating the protein components to higher levels. The difference between isolates and concentrates is that isolates have more protein and fewer carbs (lactose) and fat per serving. Hydrolyzed whey protein is a re-digested form of whey that is supposed to be easier to digest.
Because they contain less lactose (the sugar in dairy), protein isolates are less likely to cause digestive issues, especially for people with lactose intolerance. That said, protein isolates, especially hydrolyzed isolates, undergo more processing than concentrates, which means that what you end up putting into your body looks nothing like real food. This is a problem because the less an ingredient looks like food, the harder it is to digest (more about this soon). Basically, whey protein is not good for you gut, and can cause a number of uncomfortable side effects. Before we talk more about the gut, I want to touch on sunflower lecithin.
To put it simply, sunflower lecithin is a group of fatty substances derived from sunflower seeds. It is added to processed foods like protein powder to create a smooth, creamy texture, to prevent separation, and to improve mix-ability. In this case, it appears that Ghost is using lecithin to help the whey proteins dissolve in water more easily. This may sound great, but food additives like sunflower lecithin are bad news for your digestive system.
food additives
Most of the ingredients in Ghost Cereal Milk Whey Protein Powder are 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. This is because 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), and can lead to constipation. Worst of all, in the long term, food additives disrupt regulatory pathways in the intestine, which can result in the development of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and systemic inflammatory disorders.
When it comes to identifying food additives and artificial sweeteners, go with your gut. 😉 As a rule of thumb, they are the ingredients that you cannot pronounce. In this case, the food additives include Sunflower Lecithin (emulsifier), Natural and Artificial Flavors, Cellulose Gum (thickener), and Xanthan Gum (thickener).
Did you know that while food manufacturers are required to disclose their ingredients, flavor manufacturers are not. They can add solvents, preservatives, emulsifiers, carriers and other additives to a flavor that qualifies as “natural” under current regulations. This means that the Natural Flavors in Ghost protein could just be a catch-all term for everything that a manufacturer would rather not spell out on the ingredient list.
artificial sweeteners
All Ghost protein powders shakes are sweetened with artificial sweeteners like Sucralose, which are among the most harmful additives in the long term as they alter the composition of your gut microbiota (the collection of microorganisms that help you digest food). This can lead to serious, chronic GI problems, widespread inflammation, and permanent damage to the gut microbiome. Some sweeteners are also poorly absorbed by the gut (meaning they feed those hungry gut bacteria), and cause diarrhea because they draw water into your intestine. Now you finally have something to blame for those post-protein shake trips to the bathroom!
It is worth mentioning that Ghost puts the following warning on all of its protein powders:
WARNING: This product is only intended for healthy adults. Immediately discontinue use and consult a licensed, qualified healthcare professional if you experience any adverse reaction to this product.
Protein powder is just food, and food products should not contain warning labels like this. The fact that Ghost feels the need to warn its customers about possible side effects is not a good thing. It reinforces the idea that their protein powder is more science experiment than real food.
Ghost protein powder taste and texture.
Taste is so subjective that I hesitate to include it in this Ghost protein review. A protein powder that one person loves might make another person gag, so if you read product reviews on Amazon, you will find both 5 star reviews and 1 star reviews of the same exact recipe. For the sake of this Ghost protein powder review, however, I will share my thoughts on how Ghost protein tastes and mixes.
Ghost Cereal Milk Whey Protein Powder does not taste half bad. It is less chalky than a lot of protein powders, and although it contains Sucralose, it does not have a bad aftertaste. The flavor is not very pronounced, but it does remind me of cereal milk. It also mixes really well (thanks sunflower lecithin), as is the case with every protein powder, tastes better when mixed with milk than with water. If it were not for the heavily-processed ingredients, I would drink Ghost protein.
Ghost protein vs drink wholesome.
Ghost protein powder is one of the most popular protein powders due to its fun flavors like Oreo and Chips Ahoy. As you just learned, however, it is not good for you. Its biggest weakness, which is a weakness for most protein powders, is that it is so processed that it hardly resembles real food.
This is the point in the article where I shamelessly pitch my own protein powder company, not because I just want to sell you something, but because it is a better-for-you alternative to Ghost. Hi! My name is Jack, and I am the founder of drink wholesome. A few years ago, I was sick and tired of protein supplements that upset my stomach, so I made my own with simple, real food ingredients.
Instead of protein concentrates or isolates, I use egg whites and almonds. Egg whites are simply pasteurized and dried before becoming protein powder. Almonds are just roasted, pressed, and ground. Minimally-processed ingredients like these are a gut-friendly, natural alternative to protein concentrates and isolates. Moreover, 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, and naturally alkaline. Our customers have experienced fewer digestive issues with egg white protein than with any other type of protein. If you cannot eat eggs, our almond protein powder is easy to digest too, and a great option for vegans.
Ghost Cereal Milk Whey Protein Powder ingredients:
Whey Protein (Whey Protein Isolate 90% (Sunflower Lecithinated), Whey Protein Concentrate 80% (Sunflower Lecithinated), Hydrolyzed Whey Protein Isolate), Natural and Artificial Flavor, Salt, Digestive Enzymes (Proteases, Bromelain, Lactase), Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sucralose.
As you can clearly see, drink wholesome is additive-free and dairy-free, which is great new for you gut. The “gut,” also known as the gastrointestinal (GI) system, is made up of several organs including the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and colon. The term “gut microbiome” refers to the microorganisms living in your intestines, and the term “gut health” describes the function and balance of these organisms. You may not have known that the gut does much more than just help you to digest food. It also protects against pathogens, educates the immune system, and affects directly or indirectly most of our physiologic functions.
Several recent studies have examined the role of the gut in diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of a variety of diseases, and have concluded that it plays an integral role in overall health. Given the important role that your gut plays, you should consider the ways in which the foods you eat affect it. You should also consider the potentially enormous impact that protein powder can have on your gut microbiome. Protein powder is not just any food, it is a food that you probably consume regularly, if not daily.
★★★★★
“I’ve had Crohn’s disease for 20+ years and it’s always been hard to find a protein powder my stomach can handle. I’ve had no problem digesting drink wholesome AND it tastes great. I highly recommend this protein powder if you have IBS or Crohn’s.” – Jesse
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drink wholesome is a healthy alternative to Ghost protein.
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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.