Products that were earlier launched for diabetics are slowly making entry into the mainstream, given that most of us are becoming health conscious and want to take preventive measures against lifestyle diseases like diabetes, blood pressure, thyroid issues, high cholesterol etc. Until 4-5 years back, artificial sweeteners were exclusively consumed by people with diabetes. But now, these artificial sweeteners are positioned for health-conscious, urban population, irrespective of whether we have diabetes or not. Many brands capitalize on this "fear factor" riding on the latest health fads. "High protein" seems to be the most popular fad these days.
What used to be a health drink for diabetics is now repositioned for the general population. As mentioned in the pack, Protinex Diabetes Care is now Protinex Lite.
Ingredients:
Skimmed milk powder,
Stabilizer [gum arabic [acacia gum]]
soya protein isolate,
maltodextrin,
corn flour,
soya fibre,
maize starch,
wheat bran,
stabilizer [guar gum],
vitamins [ascorbic acid, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate, retinyl acetate, nicotinamide, ergocalciferol, calcium pantothenae, thiamine hydrochloride, pyridoxine hydrochloride, riboflavin, folic acid, d-biotin],
minerals [magnesium oxide, ferric pyrophosphate, zinc sulphate, cupric gluconate, potassium iodate, sodium molybdate, chromic chloride, sodium selenate],
- This drink contains 30% protein. More than the quantity of protein (gms) in these protein drinks, we should be concerned about the source of protein - based on the ingredients, protein is from skimmed milk powder and soya protein isolate.
- As I had mentioned in my earlier post on meal replacement bar, more than 93% of soy planted in the United States is genetically modified. In India, only cotton is genetically modified as of now. Unless brands explicitly confirm that soy used is non-GMO or they mention that the source country of soy is India, I'm extremely skeptical of consuming soy products.
- Given that most commercial milk is adulterated and the cows raised in large-scale dairy farms are given antibiotics, growth hormones and what not, I don't consider "dairy products" procured from a commercial large-scale industry as a reliable nutrition source for protein (or calcium). I would urge all these protein supplement brands (that use skimmed milk powder/whey protein isolate/whey protein concentrate as their protein source) to first prove that their supplements are free from antibiotics/growth hormones residues.
- The second ingredient is gum arabic which is mainly used as a bulking agent. According to Noshly, a bulking agent is a filler substance that increases food bulk without increasing available energy value significantly. Gum arabic or acacia gum is a possible allergen, triggering asthma and skin rash.
- There are so many unwanted ingredients such as maltodextrin, corn flour and maize starch. Many such protein drinks use maltodextrin, a starch-derived food additive that raises blood sugar levels rapidly. If we are neither extremely active nor participating in sports/athletics etc, then regular intake of maltodextrin may eventually lead to insulin resistance.
The sugar-free claim might be true, as sugar (sucrose) is not present in the ingredients list. But there are other ingredients that have a high glycemic index, which are equally detrimental to our health like sugar.
Protein is an important nutrient, no doubt. But I would rather get my dose of protein (vitamins and minerals too) from natural, plant-based sources than from such chemical concoctions.
Mother's day is nearing. And I see many "mom bloggers" and "food influencers" promoting this pack, saying how their energy levels have spiked up by consuming this drink and how they are able to multitask and handle various responsibilities. Please, what a boatload of lies! (I wanted to write a different phrase, but prefer to keep my blog space clean without any swear words). Social media la indha maadhiri promote panradhellaam periya responsibilityaa??
Fellow moms, eating simple, homecooked, real foods, being physically active, getting a good night's sleep and taking care of emotional self are the clear shot ways to boost one's energy levels. Please don't fall for such traps.