Today I looked into soy protein isolate, soy and whey proteins at the request of SBF. It was an interesting quest (as all his requests are) that revealed a ton of info! Soy is a real good source of protein in the diet. It's very low in cholesterol and is considered a complete protein. This means that it gives the body all the essential amino acids it needs to be considered a protein. Soy is a great substitute for meat in this way and is sometimes used as a filler. Makes sense considering all the good it has and it's cost effective qualities...I personally like to use soy milk in my morning Shakeology. Less calories, same great taste!
Soy protein isolate is a refined purified form of soy. On the surface, it looks real good! The process takes the protein from the soy bean and extracts the fats so that the carbs and other non-protein components are removed. It gives a pure protein product that can be added to foods to enhance texture and protein levels without adding anything else. Sounds cool to me!
In walks Hexane
Well what the heck is that? Hexane is the process soybean companies use to extract the soy protein from the bean, thus creating soy protein isolate. Hexane is also a byproduct of gasoline refining, is classified as a neurotoxin and as a hazardous air pollutant! You can sometimes find soy protein isolate in products that claim to be "natural". There is no regulation of the word "natural" in the food industry by the FDA or any there government officials. It's sort of like chicken in that way. It can mean whatever they tell us it means! Now that doesn't sound cool!
I was very bummed to find soy protein isolate listed as an ingredient in my new found snack, Thinkthin bars. They are pretty tasty and packed full of protein and I enjoy them after a workout. I called the company and asked them if they used hexane in their soy protein isolation process. They confirmed that they do, then followed that by saying its commonly used in the soy industry. They say they are able to extract 99.9% of the hexane out of the final product. They say this like it's some kind of accomplishment to leave a mere .1% of toxic refined gasoline in the product! A pinch of toxins here.. a dash there.. it's okay society, if it makes you sick, we will sell you a daily pill to fix it! It boggles the mind!
Whey Protein
Is a product derived from the process of making cheese. You know, curds and whey? Yeah.. so they take the whey from the cheese process and remove the lactose and other ingredients leaving only the protein. This is a good thing for lactose intolerant people because they can get the benefits of whey from dairy without consuming the lactose. It's a good thing for all of us as we can add it to our meals to boost our protein ingestion while dieting. More protein, less carbs/fats/sugars gives you an increased longer lasting full feeling without the increase in calories. Whey, including whey protein isolate, is all natural and a great dietary substitute. It may cost a bit more to put in to a product than soy, but it costs much less to our health!
USDA certified organic foods do not allow unnatural methods of processing to display the organic seal. The organic label is government regulated and third party certified unlike "natural" labeling. No Hexane hiding under the organic label! No toxins means NO TOXINS. No manipulations! At least the government has done something to help us dooped consumers. Maybe someday, the USDA will regulate Montesano and their craziness in borg food as well! Until then.. buy USDA sealed organic products... with soy if you so choose! Nothing wrong with soy or any other product if the front of your potential package has that precious seal!
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