Protein Bars Might Not Give You the Health Boost You Think

Have you ever needed a quick snack and filled when you head to work or hit the gymnasium? You have probably caught a protein bar.

These packaged foods have become synonymous with convenience – and with their packaging praising their high levels of protein, they are often considered to be synonymous with nutrition. But a new paper cast doubt on the nutritional value protein bars.

The study, published in March Scientific relationships (nature)revealed that many of the more than 1,600 bars tested I did not contain as much protein as you might think. In addition, the protein that most bars included It was not the best quality, which has an impact on absorption.

“This means that counting on these bars for your protein needs may not support muscle growth and maintenance as well as better quality sources,” said Eliza Whitaker, MS, RDN, LDN, CDN, Cyt, founder of Nouriss Nutrition and Fitness, Health.

Using data from an online database generated by consumers called OpenFoodFacts.org, researchers began with a list of around 4,600 protein bars, the author of the László Abrankó study of the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, said Health. Although the research team is based in Europe, around 46% of the initially studied entries came from the United States, he said, which makes it likely that at least some of the 1,641 bars are finally tested are available on the American market.

After finalizing the list of bars, the researchers divided them into groups according to the type of protein they used:

• Plant protein only, like peas and rice proteins
• Animal proteins only, like milk proteins
• A mixture of milk, egg and soy protein
• A mixture of milk, collagen and soy protein

The researchers then traveled the bars through a digestive simulation called Infogest, which analyzes the composition of amino acids and the amount of protein is really absorbed by the body. Two key results emerged:

• By the benchmarks of the researchers, many of the bars were not rich in protein: While 81% of the bars obtained at least 20% of their calories from protein, 19% did not do so, which led the authors to note that a good piece of the bars were not sources rich in protein. It should be noted, however, that this standard is higher than that implemented by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States, which considers nutrient sources as “good” and “excellent” if they contain at least 10% and 20% of the daily value of this nutrient by portion, explained Monica Amburn, MS, RDN, LDN, International Information Council.
• The digestibility of certain proteins in the bars was low: Digestibility scores for protein bars varied considerably, ranging from only 47% to 81%. Surprisingly, some of the lower score bars contained animal proteins or soybeans – both considered as “high quality” or “complete” proteins. “High quality proteins contain all essential amino acids that the body cannot produce alone,” said Whitaker. “These proteins are often well digested and absorbed, which makes them effective in supporting muscles repair, growth and overall health.”

According to Abrankó, the poor digestibility of proteins in bars – even those made with full proteins – was probably due to interactions with other ingredients. “We believe that other components present in the food product – such as dietary fibers or fats – can influence the digestibility of proteins,” he said.

Because proteins have become such a dietetic sweetheart, with almost half of us adults trying to consume more, it is easy to group all the protein bars in the “healthy” category.

But the new study creates an important truth at home: The quality of nutrition cannot always be captured by an isolated component like protein, Abrankó said. Even if the bars contain high quality proteins (such as milk, soy, quinoa or buckwheat), this protein may not be entirely digestible.

It should also be noted that protein bars are often highly treated. Assembly evidence indicates that a high supply of so-called ultra-transformed foods can have deleterious effects for health, such as an increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

On the other hand, Amburn pointed out that protein bars fill the need for many groups of people. “For people with higher protein needs, protein bars offer a Practical option which provides a protein boost in a small portion, “ She said. “This can be incredibly useful for people with deleted appetites, such as those who can take weight management drugs or those who deal with a disease.”

But even then, she said, the bars should not be the only source of protein in a diet, but rather a Additional source.

Protein choices such as Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, hard eggs, jerks, nuts and seeds offer high quality proteins in a less transformed form, said Whitaker. “These also provide additional nutrients such as calcium, healthy fats and fibers.”

Do you want to choose a bar better for you? Although added ingredients can affect protein digestibility, it is always intelligent to opt for bars with a Higher protein contentWhitaker said: “Ideally of Animal sources like whey, casein or milk, or Plant sources like soy or pea protein. »»

She also encouraged to look for bars with Sugar with low added content. Although the FDA does not currently have a specific threshold for “low” sugars, it recommends 50 grams per day on the basis of a daily diet of 2,000 calories and that less than 10% of total daily calories come from added sugar.

Whether or not the bars provide as much high quality protein as said, they can be well as an occasional snack. Do not forget not to count too much on them to meet your daily nutritional needs, warned Amburn. “Most protein bars are intended to be additional snacks or foods, which is acceptable in the context of a diversified diet,” she said. “It is the overall quality of the diet that counts the most.”