Tag: protein

Is Plant Protein Better than Animal Protein?

Posted on by Damien Sutanto

Many people avoid animal products for a variety of reasons including religion, empathy towards animals, or desire to be more environmental friendly. And it is perfectly acceptable for everyone to exercise their own personal conviction in this issue. What is unacceptable using false pretenses and fake science to push a certain agenda.

As an avid reader of Popular Science, I was quite intrigued when they recently publish an article stating that plant protein is healthier than animal protein. After all, any highschool biology student should know that there are 9 essential amino acids that the human body cannot produce. Amino Acids is the building blocks of protein used to build our muscles, joints and internal organ repair. All animal sourced protein contains all 9 essential amino acids while excluding soy, all plant derived protein do not have all 9 essential amino acids. Latest research indicated that children on a soy protein diet will develop abnormal secondary sexual organs. Another fact is that in comparative study between casein, soy and whey protein, soy simply came dead last in terms of efficiency in building muscle and strength. So what is the argument that plant protein is better than animal protein? Let us dwell deeper:

1. Plant Protein Has More Nutrients and Fiber

This is the first argument put forth by Popular Science. Interesting as the article writer agreed that plant based protein sources lacks Vitamin B complex, Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Thiamine, and Niacin. Last time I checked, these are all considered nutrients. And if you order a grass fed rib eye meal set, it usually comes with a salad bowl appetizer and some more veggies on the side of the steak. Hence I consider this point to be invalid.

2. People Who Eat Plant Protein in Part Have Healthier Habits

No actual study was cited for this. It is simply a meta-study that does not factor in geography, demography or even smoking habits, all which are significant contributing factor. Let me explain why. In West Java, Indonesia, majority of the locals are vegans. Compared to Okinawa, Japan, majority of the locals consume seafood regularly. If we simply compare these two the meat eater will simply comes ahead. We can also compare the Dalit population in new Delhi, India, poorest of the poor, living in one of the most polluted city in the world and majority vegan with the Amish in Pennsylvania, USA, majority omnivore. Both population have no access to modern medicine. And the Amish population are far healthier. This is why controlling factors are very important. There was even a study that correlates being vegetarian with increased risk of getting colon cancer.

3. Meat Has More Saturated Fats

What kind of meat? What kind of saturated fats? And why is it necessarily bad? After all, many people believed that extra virgin coconut oil is healthy regardless the fact that its mostly made of saturated fat. I recently had a meal with a vegetarian friend that insisted we ate in a vegetarian restaurant. Most of the food were rich in refined carbohydrate or deep fried. Unlike saturated fats in which there is still ongoing debate how some of the naturally sourced saturated fat are healthy, all dietitians now agreed that refined carbohydrate and deep fried food are bad for you. What is statistically proven in USA is that animal fat consumption is not correlated with heart attack.

4. Processed Red Meat is Carcinogenic

So what about non-processed red meat, i.e. medium rare, grass fed rib eye steak? The WHO classified processed meat as being carcinogenic due to increased risk of getting cancer in their study. What is most often not mentioned is the actual percentage of risk increase of eating processed red meat and what it all meant. And the answer is 0.0072% if you belong to the high risk population bracket. The risk of getting hit by a lightning is 0.0083%, which means you have higher chance of getting hit by a lightning.

Conclusion

When it comes to the diet and nutrition world, always maintain a healthy skepticism. When it said “research shows”, always try to find the source research, how it was done, who done it, and how it was funded. Fact is, nutrition industry is just like the cosmetic industry, mostly using “in house research” that was never proven objectively. And if you are a meat eater, just have a balanced diet to stay healthy!

Why Magnus Whey?

Posted on by Damien Sutanto

Currently there’s so many protein supplement product on the market. Do they actually do anything? Are they all the same?

Of course every brand will claim that their “patented mix” of protein is the best available on the market. But do they have independent research to prove that is actually the case?

5 Reasons To Choose Magnus Whey

  1. Helps Protects The Heart

Research done by University of Reading UK, showed that whey protein consumption lowers your risk of heart disease.

  1. Can Be Used for Fat Loss and Maintenance

Increased protein consumption has been proven to help people in achieving their ideal body weight and maintaining them via different mechanisms, all scientifically proven by different leading universities.

  1. Better Than Leading Vegan Proteins

Consumer Research recently did a study on over 150 leading protein brands globally and found that that using whey protein actually contains the lowest amount of heavy metal contaminants while those from vegetable sources had the highest heavy metal contamination.

  1. Free from Artificial Sweeteners

Browse the whey protein rows on your favorite supplement store and look at the ingredients label. You will find exotic names like Sucralose, Ace-K, Aspartame etc that are all artificial sweeteners and have been linked to Obesity, Type-2 Diabetes, even Stroke and Dementia. The latest research shedding these horrendous side effects being done by Boston University. This is why Magnus Whey is free of artificial sweeteners.

  1. Best To Grow Strength

If it’s one thing both young men and seniors both want, it is more strength, especially for seniors where loss of strength leads to less mobility and hence quality of life.  Northern Illinois University has proven that Whey protein is the best supplement to enhance strength and lean muscle mass.

Hence why you should choose Magnus Whey to help you achieve your healthy ideal body.

Why Choose Magnus Breakfast Mix

Posted on by Damien Sutanto

Waking up late in the morning, you need to rush out the door to head to work.

So what do you eat for breakfast?  Perhaps a quick stop somewhere that consists of bread rich in preservatives and softeners, combined with ham abundant in nitrates, gelling agents, fillers and preservatives.  Or how about those liquid meal replacements on the market?

Not much of a breakfast for champions, but better than none right?

Now there’s a better option for you on the move.  Magnus Breakfast Mix is convenient, natural and has everything the body needs to give you a breakfast for champions.

Below are the reasons why Magnus Breakfast Mix is the ideal breakfast replacement for you:

Rich in Fiber and Whole Grains

Not all fibers are created equal simply because their basic chemical make up is called cellulose. Our digestive tracts are simply not designed to digest wood chips.  However, fiber and whole grains contain a unique blend of bioactive components including resistant starches, vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and antioxidants. All of these components are essential in fighting obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.  Different fibers also have different functions. This is why our breakfast mix contains whole grain rolled oats, chia seeds and coconut to ensure adequate consumption of fibers and while grains.

High in Protein

Whey protein is undeniably one of the most crucial anti-aging ingredient. It is essential for fat loss, best for muscle and strength growth, and is even good for your heart. The breakfast mix contains up to 18 grams of protein, more than half are from whey, which is guaranteed to help powers up your day with quality meal

Low in Calories

The reason why you feel hungry so soon after you had your McBreakfast is due to the amount of refined carbohydrate in the meal. Bad for your waistline as they are still high in calorie and cause you to crave for a snack and bad for your pancreas as the unstable level of blood sugar from the meal can cause diabetes. The our breakfast mix will fill you up with only 320 calories per serving, one fifth of the recommended daily calorie intake according to British National Institute of Health. Hence the perfect meal for those that are on a calorie deficit diet.

Easy to Prepare

Simply pour one sachet to a water bottle, add 300 ml of warm water, shake well, before putting it to the fridge the night before. In the morning, grab your healthy breakfast mix and enjoy it either on the way, or at the office.

Makes You Chew

Magnus Breakfast Mix is not just any kind of meal replacement. It is designed to be in a porridge form such that during consumption, the user will still need to chew before swallowing.  This might sound trivial, but the human digestion system was designed with chewing as the first step.  According to research done by researchers of University of Leeds and University of California (Davis), when we chew, the jaws send signals to the brain and the stomach that will reduce your feeling of hunger and food intake.

Choose Magnus Breakfast Mix and start enjoying the benefit of a healthy, balanced nutritional breakfast today!

Does Whey Protein Cause Heart Attack?

Posted on by Damien Sutanto

You hear it in the news every other day about another bodybuilder getting a heart attack. And these bodybuilders consume large quantities of whey protein to grow their muscles. So by extension, many people think that taking too much whey protein consumption will increase the risk of getting heart attack.

But how true is that? After all, among the bodybuilding circle, the use of steroid stacking, HGH, DNP, insulin and other chemicals are also common, something that most people are not even familiar with. What happens if there’s a proper research on the effects of whey protein consumption among the general population and see the effect on the main markers of cardio vascular disease?

The Premise

Researchers at University of Reading in UK conducted an experiment in 2016, precisely regarding the effect of whey protein consumption on the general population. Unlike the typical research done by supplement manufacturers, this is a high quality research that was double-blinded, randomized, 3-way-crossover using cassein and placebo in the form of maltodextrin with controlled intervention. The study was done over 8 weeks separated by 4 week washout.

All the test subject would reduce their protein intake from other sources such that the total amount of protein consumed still reflect the average person’s normal protein intake. This is to ensure that any changes observed would be based on the type of protein consumed, not the total amount of protein.

Every test subject will consume 2 scoops of supplement per day. A typical value among bodybuilders but higher than the average population.

The Result

Unhydrolized milk proteins (56 g/d) consumption for 8 wk improved vascular reactivity, including biomarkers of endothelial function, and lipid risk factors. Whey-protein supplementation also lowered 24-h ambulatory SBP and DBP. Although both whey protein and calcium caseinate significantly lowered total cholesterol [−0.26 mmol/L (P = 0.013) and −0.20 mmol/L (P = 0.042), respectively], only whey protein decreased triacylglycerol (−0.23 mmol/L; P = 0.025) compared with the effect of the control.

The Conclusion

The next time your girlfriend / wife / mom complains that you are taking too much whey protein, feel free to show them how this study proves that not only would whey protein not cause heart disease, it will actually lower your risk of getting one. The only caveat is that the total protein consumption on all research subjects remains the same. If you are a potato couch thinking that you can maintain your current diet and lifestyle and simply chug some whey protein to help you lower your cholesterol, you might ended up with a kidney failure instead.

The Soy Debate

Posted on by Damien Sutanto
Some people became vegan and vegetarian due to religious reason. Some people avoid any milk product due to extreme lactose intolerance. This is all fine. People should be free to make their own choice based on the best option available to them.
Some vegans insisted that everyone should turn vegan, and that being a vegan will lead to optimum health. Fruits and vegetables are indeed necessary part of a healthy diet, but some of these people would go on lengths fudging scientific facts to force you to become a vegan. Fact is that all animal protein contains all 9 essential amino acids our body produces. Many vegans loved to argue that soy also contains all 9 essential amino acids while being healthier than animal protein. So this article would like to dwell deeper into this claim, especially the later part.

Heavy Metals and Protein Drinks

Its been proven statistically that to improve your strength, other than optimal rest and training program, you should also consume more protein than the US recommended daily intake of 0.8 gram of protein / kg body mass. And of course most people want to be stronger.
And its also well known that since the 1980’s where we put heavy metals including lead in everything from kids toys, paint, to fuel additive, heavy metal now exists at varying level in the environment. Hence completely avoiding heavy metal exposure is impossible. What we can do, is try to minimize it to reasonable level to minimize the risk.
Now what is interesting is the most recent study done by Consumer Research that sampled over 150 different brands of protein supplement on the market. The research discovered that brands that has the lowest level of heavy metal content were the whey protein supplement while the ones with the highest level were actually the vegan protein supplements. And having the said supplement labeled as organic or not makes no difference on the heavy metal content.
So there you have it, if you want to be a vegan, that’s fine. If you want to be a vegan and become stronger by consuming vegan protein, you are increasing your risk of getting a load of chronic diseases. What is interesting is that there’s no shortage of vegans bragging about one or two vegan powerlifter or bodybuilder, never mind the fact that as a percentage of population, these vegan athletes make up a minority compared to the omnivore athletes.

Soy Milk Just as Nutritious as Cow Milk

Soybean is cheap, rich in protein, and readily available. Soy also contains complete protein. Something that is rare among vegan protein sources. Hence soy is a very popular protein source among vegans. Yet, soy is also rich in a type of isoflavones that is similar to estrogen on the human body. This compound is commonly referred to as phytoestrogen. And yes, estrogen is the female sexual hormone that is responsible for secondary sexual characteristics in humans.
Some vegans love to argue that these phytoestrogen actually competes with our own naturally produced estrogen and would behave differently once they are bonded with the estrogen receptors, i.e. they would act as estrogen blocker. This is a rather brave hypothesis considering the conflicting research results that are available.
Interestingly, most recent research run by the US National Institute of Health at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia actually showed that babies fed with soy based formula actually showed differences in their reproductive system tissues relative to the babies fed with mother’s milk or cow milk based formula. Of course this study is done on babies, most sensitive to these chemicals.
You can argue that adult humans are less sensitive to phytoestrogens than babies. But if you want to increase your protein intake by increasing your soy consumption, you will also increase your exposure to phytoestrogens. And you can’t argue that this increased exposure has no effect, or just as healthy as cow milk.