Wheat Protein Isolate Powder, anybody tried it?

[paulcats02]

The other day a friend and me were looking at the bodybuilding.com site for veg proteins and he said wheat protein isolate when i thought he meant to say whey protein isolate. but no it was in fact wheat protein isolate. http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/un/isolate.html

 

so i ordered up a jug of it Vanilla Creme flavor and... it was good. although at first something funny happened when i made the pudding a la Veg Princess style. it turned into like a ball of chewing gum meets mozzarella dough. and i tried to eat it but no matter how much i chewed it it just wouldn't break down. so i mixed it with a frozen banana and water and vitamixed it into a smoothie (it then did break down).

 

i mean i know of and eat the wheat meat aka seitan aka wheat gluten but prior to this i never heard of wheat protein in a powder; price wise it's decent and spec-wise it's nutrionally sound, too.

 

of course if one was gluten intolerant, this would not be good for them.

[Fallen_Horse]

Actually I just bought some of that a few weeks ago because the sale was too good to pass up. I don't mind the taste, but it's too sweet for me; it tends to overwhelm my smoothies. I mixed it 50/50 with my Gemma protein, and that's a much better taste. Also the nutritiondata amino acid score is 32, which didn't impress me much, but life goes on...

[veggieprincess]

thanks paulcats!!!

 

always intrigued by new Vegan protein supplements on the market, so I'll ad this one to the list.

[paulcats02]

fallen horse you're right it is a bit sweet i may try mixing it 50/50 with the gemma, too.

 

veggie princess if ya do get it just make sure not to make the "pudding"... unless you want to chew it like gum

[chrisjs]

I wonder if this is any different than what you find in a box of vital wheat gluten.

[Fallen_Horse]

Ingredients: Wheat protein isolate, natural & artificial flavors, Ultimate Enzyme Blend

(protease, papain, bromelain, and peptidase), sucralose, acesulfame potassium and soy

lecithin.

 

It's VERY different in texture to gluten. Gluten turns to instant chewy when mixed with any liquid, while this breaks up mostly like a regular powder...

 

http://www.ultimatenutrition.com/catalog/protein/protein_isolate.html#

[IronRonin]

Sucralose?!?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo...............!!!!!

[Fallen_Horse]

??

 

Sucralose, stevia, aspartame, they are all the same, no? (plant extract or not, splenda is risky just like the others)

[chrisjs]

Sucralose?!?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooo...............!!!!!

I'd be more worried about the Ace-K.

[Marcina]

??

 

Sucralose, stevia, aspartame, they are all the same, no? (plant extract or not, splenda is risky just like the others)

 

Stevia is a plant, and is natural. Aspartame is a man-made chemical, and sucralose is sugar that's been treated with chlorine so it doesn't get absorbed in the body.

[Fallen_Horse]

Well you find me some researched studies that show stevia is healthier than the others and I will believe you. But the fact is, no one has done studies on stevia, so we really don't know how safe it is. And 'natural' doesn't mean safer. There are hundreds of plants that are toxic to humans in nature...

[cubby2112]

There have been studies on stevia and they are INCREDIBLY conflicting. Some show that it will only harm you if you take insane amounts of it in isolated (steviosides) form. Others show that a small amount can cause some trouble. This is one of those things that is going to be hard to sort, like soy, since so many special interests are railing against it.

[veggieprincess]

I believe it is a plant... similar to an aloe vera plant, so it would make sense that it would be more healthful than chemically treated or altered foods.

 

But to be 100% honest...it doesen't taste as good as Splenda. I use it cuz its healthy, but I prefer the taste of Splenda.

[Sergiy]

I wonder if this is any different than what you find in a box of vital wheat gluten.

Yeah, it does sound like a further-refined form of gluten/seitan -- just with extra branding so they can charge more for the same thing.

[veggieprincess]

I wonder if this is any different than what you find in a box of vital wheat gluten.

 

Usually I would disagree with this, but looking up the stats of Vital Wheat Gluten and Seitan and you may have something there.

 

I like doing isolates and powders of things I don't get much of in foods I eat such as the Artichoke Protein, Hemp Protein and Pea Protein. I eat a good amount of Seitan so I don't think I want to add more wheat to my diet

 

Good call Chris. I wouldn't have thought of that without that post.

 

But I do like to know about all the powders out there, so thanks again Paulcats.

[paulcats02]

personally, i live vegan primarily for ethical reasons... so as long as the above mentioned questionable ingredients are vegan, they are aok in my book. by the same token i'd never force 'em down anybody elses throat.

my feelings, which may or may not be shared here and that is perfectly fine either way, is that the small amounts of artificial (and or natural) sweeteners, colors, flavors, etc are a small price to pay to stay on the vegan life.

ditto for pesticides, if i could i'd eat only organic i would... but i'm quite sure that eating a mix of organic and conventional produce is still less toxic than eating junk food. and so if i get a miniscule amount of pesticides hopefully they are getting cancelled out by my healthier lifestyle choices.

anyway, for vegans, it remains a challenge to get high protein eating only unprocessed foods since nuts & seeds have a high calorie count, beans & legumes are also pretty high in carbs (fiber) in comparison to protein content, and fruits & veggies that all have protein in them in some amount will need to be eaten in huge volumes... so that's why i am using the processed foodstuffs (protein powders currently i have the gemma, the wheat protein, the buckwheat protein, the nitrofusion, etc and meat analogs such as wheat gluten, riblets, tofu, tempeh...).

to each their own...

[veggieprincess]

anyway, for vegans, it remains a challenge to get high protein eating only unprocessed foods since nuts & seeds have a high calorie count, beans & legumes are also pretty high in carbs (fiber) in comparison to protein content, and fruits & veggies that all have protein in them in some amount will need to be eaten in huge volumes... so that's why i am using the processed foodstuffs (protein powders currently i have the gemma, the wheat protein, the buckwheat protein, the nitrofusion, etc and meat analogs such as wheat gluten, riblets, tofu, tempeh...).

to each their own...

 

I couldn't have said it any better myself. I agree 100%!!!!!!

[paulcats02]

anyway, for vegans, it remains a challenge to get high protein eating only unprocessed foods since nuts & seeds have a high calorie count, beans & legumes are also pretty high in carbs (fiber) in comparison to protein content, and fruits & veggies that all have protein in them in some amount will need to be eaten in huge volumes... so that's why i am using the processed foodstuffs (protein powders currently i have the gemma, the wheat protein, the buckwheat protein, the nitrofusion, etc and meat analogs such as wheat gluten, riblets, tofu, tempeh...).

to each their own...

 

I couldn't have said it any better myself. I agree 100%!!!!!!

 

But if one was trying to get bigger than they needn't worry about their caloric input; it's just those (us?) who are trying to approach single digit bodyfat who may have the challenge of caloric reduction thru diet and exercise.

 

Yet fellow posters here such as Lean and Green and I'm Your Man seem to be intaking huge volumes of food/drink at times, losing pounds and dropping BF% in the process.

 

I mean maybe it's just a perception that one needs a certain amount of protein or training per day/week/etc.?

 

My challenge has always been when losing weight, it being primarily fat not muscle and conversely when gaining weight not gaining fat but merely putting on muscle...

[Im Your Man]

anyway, for vegans, it remains a challenge to get high protein eating only unprocessed foods since nuts & seeds have a high calorie count, beans & legumes are also pretty high in carbs (fiber) in comparison to protein content, and fruits & veggies that all have protein in them in some amount will need to be eaten in huge volumes...

 

To me, that's a hint from nature telling we're not supposed to eat foods that are very hign in proteins. If we would need high amounts of proteins per day, we would instinctly eat like wolves, lions, hyenas, et cetera, meaning we would love to devour bloody guts and even rotting meat, obviously it's not the case. We're doing fine on low protein diets, in fact the nations that live the longuest eat only 30gr of proteins per day (high protein diet accelerates aging process). This vegan bodybuilder Avi Lehyani eats only 150 gr proteins per day, which is about the minimum possible considering the amount of calories he takes. His diet consists mostly of high carb foods: "whole wheat bread, brown rice, oats, and beans. I consume very little soy (...) I do not consume oils per se but I will always include fat containing foods like tahini, olives, avocado, nuts etc. I don't concern myself with calories except making sure I eat enough for the day. Vegetables are a must (...)"

[chrisjs]

To me, that's a hint from nature telling we're not supposed to eat foods that are very hign in proteins. If we would need high amounts of proteins per day, we would instinctly eat like wolves, lions, hyenas, et cetera, meaning we would love to devour bloody guts and even rotting meat, obviously it's not the case. We're doing fine on low protein diets, in fact the nations that live the longuest eat only 30gr of proteins per day (high protein diet accelerates aging process).

I see your point but want to make two observations:

 

1. I think in nature we'd be walking/running and performing virtually nonstop physical labor the whole time the sun is up. Civilization has given us conveniences that allow us to avoid that daily routine and our bodies may not have caught up in terms of digestion. For that matter, there's unfortunately no longer much of an evolutionary advantage to be strong (we have tools) and physically healthy (we have drugs). For those of us that are working out intensely for a few hours a day, it is still nothing compared to the 16 hours of daily labor we undertook while evolving to this state. Deviating from the natural way of eating *might* make sense since we're deviating in our natural daily activities.

 

2. We can do fine on low protein diets, but those longest living people taking in 30g protein/day probably have different goals than someone doing squats and deadlifts, as illustrated by the bodybuilder you mentioned. They don't need to take protein supplements, but that doesn't mean strength trainers won't benefit. (Doesn't mean they would either.)

[cubby2112]

Just eating a diet high in legumes and green vegetables will get you to a far higher level of protein than those long lived people attain; and judging by the health results from people following the Eat to Live diet, a diet like that which is high in protein may even offer better health benefits than a traditional rural Chinese diet, etc.

[Im Your Man]

It depends what we define as a diet high in proteins. A diet high in legumes, grains and green vegetables can be considered high in proteins compared to someone eating only fruits. But less high than someone taking protein powder supplements.

We can compare the physical activity level of a modern bodybuilder with the lifestyle of Egyptian workers building the Great Pyramids. Archeologists found many fish bones around the pyramids so we presume the slaves were eating a diet rich in proteins. Or we could compare bodybuilders' nutritional needs to antic gladiators, strong warriors, ect; there was no protein powders or any supplements during those times. They were just eating enough calories, vegan or not, and that was enough proteins. And when we think about it, a carnivorous diet is very similar to a vegan eating lots of seeds and nuts... Low carb, high protein, high fat. A diet with fatty fish, whole eggs, milk and dairies, meat, etc, or the Atkins diet, is just like eating lots of seeds, nuts, avocados. But the second is healthier because there's no cholesterol, no animal sources, less saturated fats and more healthy fats.

[cubby2112]

I remember seeing some on gladiators on the Discovery channel or some similar. They analyzed what their diets likely were based on certain scientific methods and were blown away to find that they ate pretty much 95% plants.

 

Like you said, yeah, high protein is a subjective notion. I would consider a diet that is 20% or so protein to be quite high in protein, because at the level of calories I require to maintain a certain weight, that puts me at about 1g/lb of protein. Others might consider that low, such as the types who insist you need at least 2g/lb. I have not come across any legitimate study that shows any benefit to an amount beyond .4-.5g/lb, but I usually go higher for "safety margin" reasons and because to go lower would actually hurt the nutrient density of my diet and cause me to eat too many fruits. Going lower is actually difficult to do if you like to focus on green veggies, fruit and legumes.

[Im Your Man]

Exactly, when the calorie intake is suffisant or high, the amount of proteins will necessarily be suffisant or high too. But when you lower the total calorie intake, it is safer not to lower too much the proteins, because there's a minimum required. That's why on cutting period proteins is the nutrient that we need to check carefully.

 

About the utility of protein powders, my thought is : if it's not found in nature, it's not necessary. But there's one good thing about protein powders or TVP, seitan, etc... It's useful when we want to meet our protein requirements with LESS calories than with normal, natural foods. But few people see protein powders like that, they mostly use them just to have MORE proteins then they would normally get with grains, legumes, seeds, nuts, etc.

[cubby2112]

I certainly agree. I know protein powders and such seem to really help some of the women on here when they are on an extremely calorie restricted diet and still need to meet a certain level of protein.