Customers looking to add supplemental protein to their diet have more choices than the standard dairy and soy options. In an article for the News-Press, Elaine Hastings noted an increasing number of consumers are avoiding dairy, whether for personal reasons or to address concerns such as lactose intolerance. The latter is different than milk allergy, as it is a digestive disorder in which the body does not produce enough of the enzyme lactase to break down milk sugars. Unfortunately, whey is a common ingredient in many food products, even “non-dairy” items; it is labeled as sweet whey, whey powder, whey protein, whey protein concentrate and more.
However, as adults from athletes to active Boomers seek to add muscle or fight weight gain, they can turn to collagen to get the same protein boost as whey. Collagen proteins can be taken before or after exercise, either for a boost or to aid in recovery. Hastings noted some new collagen protein products, such as AminoRip, contain no dairy, no carbs, no soy, no whey, no gluten ... and the list goes on.
Another reason Hastings cited as driving consumers to explore alternative protein supplements was a recent Consumer Reports test that found some “protein shakes” exceeded USP standards for exposure to heavy metals.