What is the best egg white protein powder?
Written by Jack Schrupp and reviewed by Ella McGonagle, M.S. Nutrition
drink wholesome is the best egg white protein powder. It is additive-free, dairy-free, and made with real foods, not protein isolates – 99% of supplements fail to meet at least one of these criteria. This makes it perfect for people with gut issues and sensitive stomachs, as well as for people just looking to boost their protein intake without the processing and added junk. Order samples to see if our protein powder is right for you.
★★★★★
“It has ingredients you can actually pronounce and is freaking delicious.”
-Kallie
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drink wholesome is the best egg white protein powder.
What are egg whites?
Why use egg white protein?
What is the best egg white protein powder?
Why drink wholesome?
What are egg whites?
The egg white, also known as the albumen, is the clear liquid that surrounds the yellow yolk of an egg. It constitutes about two thirds of the egg by weight, and is made up of 90% water and 10% protein.
Egg white protein powder is made with dried egg whites. Spray drying is the most common way to dry (dehydrate) egg whites, and involves spraying pasteurized egg whites into a chamber through which hot air is passing. This process removes almost all of the moisture, leaving behind a fine white powder that is roughly 80% protein. Keep reading to learn why egg white protein is the best source of dietary protein.
Why use egg white protein?
First of all, egg whites are naturally high in protein. A dried egg white is 80% protein, which gives it, pound for pound, the heaviest protein punch of any whole food. Dried egg whites are basically nature’s protein powder! Most other dietary protein sources (peas, whey, etc.) have to be mechanically or chemically stripped of other nutrients (fats, carbs. etc.) before they can be used as protein powder.
Egg white protein is complete. A complete protein contains all nine essential amino acids that the body needs but cannot produce on its own. Many dietary proteins, including most plant-based proteins, are not complete.
Egg whites are easy to digest. Unless you have a sensitivity or allergy to eggs, egg white protein is the best protein for people with gut issues and sensitive stomachs. It is dairy-free, low in fiber, low-FODMAP, naturally alkaline, and has the highest protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) of any dietary protein. Our customers have experienced fewer digestive issues with egg white protein than with any other type of protein.
Finally, egg whites taste good. Most protein powders, on the other hand, have a chalky aftertaste because they are made with protein isolates, foods stripped of everything but the protein. If you have ever had to choke down a protein shake, you know exactly what I am talking about.
Keep in mind that 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. If possible, pick a brand like drink wholesome that breaks its eggs less than twenty-four hours from when they are laid. The result is a flavor without the “eggy” notes typical of other eggs.
I mention this last point because taste is not just about your taste buds. If using protein powder is a chore, it is not sustainable in the long term, which defeats the purpose of using it in the first place. Remember, a diet is not a six-week affair, it is for life.
What is the best egg white protein shake?
There are two types of egg white protein shakes: ready-to-drink (store-bought) protein shakes, and protein shakes made with protein powder. In order to make an egg white protein shake with protein powder, you have to mix the powder with milk or water. This requires a blender or a shaker bottle, and a little extra time and effort. Some people, prioritizing convenience, prefer to buy ready-to-drink protein shakes, but if they knew what they were drinking, they would probably feel sick to their stomach.
Ready-to-drink protein shakes are full of emulsifiers, stabilizers, thickeners, sweeteners, and flavors. Ingredients like these improve characteristics like taste, texture, and shelf stability, but can cause uncomfortable side effects and long-term gut damage. More and more research shows that disruptions to the composition and function of the gut microbiome (the collection of microorganisms that help you digest food) can play a role in the development of chronic diseases ranging from gastrointestinal inflammatory and metabolic conditions to neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory illnesses.
This is why I recommend that you make your own egg white protein shakes with egg white protein powder. That said, not all egg white protein powders are created equal either, and many contain the same additives found in ready-to-drink protein shakes!
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.
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.
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.
★★★★★
“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 powder 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.