No Sugar Diet | No Sugar Protein Powder | Fast Protein
Is Your Whey Protein Powder a Protein-Powerhouse or a Sugar-Bomb?
Chances are, if you are looking to incorporate a whey protein powder into your no sugar diet, you are trying to improve your overall health and nutrition. You probably know that added sugar is bad for you. What you probably didn’t expect is that countless whey protein supplements claiming to be healthy actually contain added sugars! In a quest to up your protein intake, you may accidentally be sabotaging your health and fitness goals. To truly reap the benefits of a protein supplement, without encountering additional health problems, you need to avoid added sugars in whey protein and choose a supplement with zero fillers, and no sugar protein powder such as Fast Protein
According to Harvard Health, some protein powders contain as much as 23 grams of added sugar per scoop. Some protein powders can even turn a glass of milk into a calorie-bomb with over 1,200 calories per serving! Furthermore, most whey protein powders contain around 20-25 grams of protein per scoop, meaning you may actually be ingesting more sugar than protein every time you have a protein shake! With the American Heart Association (AHA) recommending 24 grams of added sugar or less for women, a single serving of your “healthy” protein supplement may actually contain nearly your entire day’s worth of added sugar!
The Dangers of Added Sugar
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends a limit of 24 grams of added sugar for women and 36 grams for men on a daily basis. The average adult in America consumes almost double this amount! Too much added sugar causes a whole host of health problems including weight gain, disease, diabetes, skin problems, mood defects, and more.
May Cause Weight Gain
Excess sugar that is not used by the body for energy is converted and stored as fat. Most sugar added into beverages is fructose, and is even more likely to cause weight gain. Excessive fructose consumption causes resistance to a hormone called leptin, which regulates hunger. Healthline cites research that shows that people who drink sugary drinks consistently weigh more than those who do not. Even worse, sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to an increase in visceral fat, the type of deep-belly fat linked to health conditions like diabetes and heart disease. If you are looking for a whey protein to support a healthy weight-loss plan, be sure to read the label and avoid any added sugars!
May Lead to Disease
Diets high in added sugar are associated with an increased risk for several diseases. One of the greatest risk factors is heart-disease, with one study finding that those who consumed 17–21% of calories from added sugar had a 38% greater risk of dying from heart disease, compared to those consuming only 8% of calories from added sugar. High sugar diets have also been associated with certain types of cancer, fatty liver disease, kidney disease, and more. This can likely be attributed to added sugars increasing risk of obesity, inflammation, and insulin resistance, which are all risk factors for a host of health issues.
Increases Risk of Diabetes
There is an undeniable link between the overconsumption of added sugars and Type 2 Diabetes. Excessive sugar consumption leads to a resistance to insulin, the hormone which regulates blood sugar levels. When you consume sugar or carbs (which are converted into sugar by your body), the amount of sugar in your bloodstream increases. High blood sugar can have toxic effects on your body Insulin is designed to regulate blood sugar levels by signaling other cells in your body to pick up sugar from the blood. However, cells can eventually stop responding to insulin correctly, resulting in high blood sugar levels and more insulin in the blood. Added sugars, especially in the form of fructose, have been linked to insulin resistance.
Sabotages Your Skin
Did you know that a diet high in refined carbs, including sugary drinks, has been linked to a higher risk of developing acne? Foods that cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin result in changes in hormone secretion, oil production and inflammation, all of which can cause acne. Not only this, but added sugars may also cause your skin to age faster! Collagen and elastin are proteins in your body that help skin stretch and maintain its youthful appearance and poor food choices can result in damage to these crucial compounds.
Negatively Impacts Your Mood
Beyond the physical impacts, added sugar also takes a toll on your emotional and mental health! A diet high in sugar and processed food may increase your risk of developing depression and may increase your risk of developing dementia. This is likely due to blood sugar swings, inflammation and irregularities in brain function. Blood sugar swings also affect energy levels, and products with added sugar cause brief energy boosts that are quickly followed by sharp drops, or a “crash.”
Choose a Whey Protein With Zero Added Sugar
There are countless negative impacts associated with excessive amounts of added sugar. When incorporating whey protein into a healthy diet, you want to select a supplement that will support your health and fitness goals, not set you back or lead to other health issues down the line! That is why you want to make sure that each scoop of your whey protein is protein-packed, with no unnecessary ingredients, like added sugar. Fast Protein is committed to producing high-quality, clean protein products with clean ingredients and zero fillers. That is why Fast Protein Whey Supplements contain zero added sugars. The 100% Whey Protein Isolate contains 0 grams of sugar and 30 grams of high-quality unflavored protein powder. This means no blood-sugar spikes, and you are getting the most bang for your calorie buck with low sugar, low fat, and easily-digestible protein supplements!
Written by Amber Chien, a Fast Protein blog contributor
