Best Whey Proteins in India As Per Lab Reports

“BEST WHEY PROTEIN IN INDIA, ACCORDING TO ME AS A NUTRITIONIST & SOMEONE WHO HAS BEEN INTO FITNESS FOR A DECADE, IS THE ONE WHICH PROVES IT’S MERTIT IN THE INDEPENDENT LAB REPORTS. AFTER THOROUGH RESEARCH AND PERSONAL USE OF OVER A DOZEN WHEY PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS, I’VE COMPIED THIS IN-DEPTH DETAILED REVIEW. PLEASE CONSUME THE COMPLETE REVIEW, AND IT’LL HELP YOU TREMENDOUSLY IN MAKING AN EDUCATED DECISION ON YOUR PROTEIN CHOICES”

“Whey protein,” a supplement everyone has something to say about. I’ve never encountered someone who hasn’t heard of whey, irrespective of their affiliation with fitness and nutrition. 

More often than not people have ill-informed opinions about whey and two things are primarily responsible for it :

• Lack of knowledge
• Bad consumer experience because of fake supplements

My focus with this article is to educate people about what whey protein is and, more importantly, what determines a good whey protein supplement. By the end of it, you’d have a good understanding of what things to look for in a whey protein before buying one.

A simplistic definition of Whey protein

Have you ever made paneer/Indian cottage cheese in your home? You just add some lemon/vinegar in hot milk, and it’s separated into some lumps and liquid. The percentage of lumps and the separated liquid is based on the type and source of the milk. You’d get more liquid whey if you use sheep or buffalo milk compared to cow or goat milk as the percentage of whey protein available (g/L) varies depending on the source.

That liquid is mostly whey protein with a minimal amount of fat and carbohydrates. 

That extra fat and carbs are further separated from the liquid by some elaborate process, which I will not go into, and the result is whey protein, which is dried to make it into a powder form.

How to Choose The Best Whey Protein In India?

There are more whey protein brands out there now than ever before and they all claim to make the best whey protein in India.

Whereas this has ended the monopoly of some brands which used to charge obnoxiously, it has also given rise to the neverending list of fake whey protein brands crammed with cheap fillers like maltodextrin, psyllium, sugar, coconut flour etc.

It all boils down to 3 factors when choosing the best whey protein in India for you, and it’s subjective. I’ll go through each one in detail.

1. PROTEIN CONTENT

Whey protein comes in three different varieties viz; whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, and whey protein hydrolysate. I’ll talk about each one in brief:

Whey Protein Concentrate(WPC)

It is the precursor of all three types of whey protein. As detailed earlier, the whey liquid is separated and dried during cheese or yoghurt production; it undergoes further processing to increase its protein content. 

When the protein content reaches 70%-80% protein, it is called whey concentrate. The rest 20%-30% is fat and carbohydrates.

Who should choose whey protein concentrate?

• If you are someone whose goal is to lose weight, whey concentrate might be better suited than whey isolate or hydrolysate. Whey concentrate contains CLA(conjugated linoleic acid), which is a type of naturally occurring omega-6 fatty acid known to aid in weight loss.

• If you are someone who’s on budget, definitely go for whey concentrate as they tend to be a lot cheaper than the other two whey proteins. Typically if you’re in school/college and need a pocket-friendly dose of whey, this is the protein you should go for.

Whey Protein Isolate(WPI)

WPC is further processed to remove the excess fat, carbohydrate, and lactose to increase the protein concentration. 

The process does increase the protein concentration, but it also loses some natural nutrients along with the removed fat. Nevertheless, protein content increases by up to 90%; the rest 10% are fat, carbs, and minimal lactose.

Who should choose whey protein isolate?

• In the keto diet where there is no scope for extra carbohydrates, whey isolate is the ideal protein.
• For people who are lactose (milk sugar) intolerant and milk causes bloating, this could be a better choice as most of the lactose is removed while processing. 
• If you are someone whose goal is to stay lean all year round, while gaining lean muscle, isolate is better suited for you.

Whey Protein Hydrolysate

The third and final type of whey is hydrolysate or what it’s usually called hydrolyzed whey. It is the fastest digesting of all three types of protein.

As the name suggests, it’s the protein which undergoes the process of hydrolysis. The process yields the best whey protein, which is about 95% protein and only 5% fat & carbs while almost 0 lactose.

Who should choose whey protein hydrolysate?

• This type of protein is highly bioavailable, hence if you are someone with a digestion issue, whey hydrolysate is the obvious choice.

• Advanced athletes who are on a very strict diet and there is no scope of any added carbohydrates as staying lean throughout the year is a priority.

• It’s the best among the three, but it’s also the most expensive one, if money is not an issue, one can go for hydrolyzed whey. 

2. THE QUALITY

You might wonder, what exactly is the quality when it comes to whey proteins? Who decides if it’s good quality? Is there even a way to tell?

There is no straight answer to this question as it’s highly subjective, and opinions vary, but I’ll tell you the metric that I use to determine if the product is of high quality or not.

The protein content per serving

If it’s anything below 70%, you’re better off without it. For better understanding, consider-

A 30 gm scoop of powder must have at least 21 grams of protein, anything less than that is too less. 

It just means the protein has fillers such as excess carbs and fats to increase the weight of the product, and that’s not what you want. 

You’re buying a whey protein, not a carbohydrate supplement. 

Protein manufacturer, importer, and distributor

The life cycle of any whey protein supplement in India looks something like this:

Always do thorough research about the brand you’re buying whey protein from. A simple way to do this is to read the label and check the manufacturer and distributor info. 

If you do not find the relevant information on the label, do a Google search for the manufacturer and distributor, and if nothing pops up, or anything shady shows up, stay away from that brand. 

Not many people know, but over 90% of the manufacturers do not mention the source from where they procured their whey protein powder from. 

This is a shady practice, and companies should disclose their importers and be more transparent, it only builds consumer trust.

Most brands just generically mention in their label as ‘imported from the USA’ or ‘imported from Canada’, which is not a good practice. In that case, all you can do is go by the Indian manufacturer’s reputation. 

But just remember if the brand mentions the importer information on the label, it’s a plus. 

Ingredients of protein

While reading the label, always check the ingredients section of the protein. Following are the red flags:

• If you’re buying whey isolate or hydrolysate, make sure ingredients do not mention ‘whey concentrate.’ Many manufacturers add whey concentrate and brand it as whey isolate, save yourself from such cheaters.

• If you’re buying any type of whey protein, make sure the label does not mention soy as one of the ingredients. You can get a soy protein supplement separately if you want one. (do not confuse this with soy lecithin)

• If the ingredients mention maltodextrin and dextrose, you’re better off without them. They have a very high glycemic index(GI), even higher than table sugar. You don’t want that.

Mixability of protein

Every powder has its mixability, some mix better than others. To check the mixability of any powder, add one scoop of powder to 200 ml of water and shake for 10-20 seconds. If there are lumps in the mixture, the protein has poor mixability.

Lastly, the protein reviews

Always check what certified buyers have to say about their experience with the whey; it is not the best metric as reviews can be bought in this day and age, or the buyer themselves might not be as experienced. But if the opinions are primarily negative, it might be a good idea to stay clear of such products.

3. VALUE FOR MONEY 

This is very subjective. Different people have different definitions of what they consider cheap or expensive. 

But I’ll give a general guideline from a middle-class family’s perspective, which will help you conclude if something is overpriced or not.

Whey protein supplements imported from outside of India are generally more expensive as compared to the ones manufactured in India. (I’m talking about the complete product being imported not the raw whey, as all brands Indian/Non-Indian procure their raw whey from either US, Europe or Canada only)

The ballpark price range for an unflavored India-made whey protein

Note: ‘As is’ basis -> It is the form in which you will be consuming it. (This value is more important, brands deliberately show dry basis protein percent on the label to inflate the actual value)

 ‘Dry’ basis   -> The percent of protein based on total solids present, excluding water(But when you buy a protein it is with moisture, so this value is not important)

’Dry’ basis = ‘As is’ basis + 5 to 6%(by weight) 

The cost will also differ based on whether the protein is unflavoured or flavoured. Unflavoured ones are always cheaper than the flavoured ones, so if you’re on a budget, you can go for the unflavoured ones. 

You can add some coffee and stevia/sugar-free or sugary drinks like Horlicks/Bournvita to the unflavoured ones if calories are not a concern to make it taste better. 

The biggest deciding factor which I have considered while compiling this list was the manufacturer’s reputation and lab report justifying the company’s claims.

Now that you know what to look for before buying a whey protein, here’s the list of the top 6 best whey proteins in India that I’ve personally used and which tick the most boxes. 

1. NATURALTEIN – Whey Protein Concentrate Unflavoured

Manufacturer

Saipro Biotech Private Limited established in 2010 in pune is a private company that works on a contract basis and mass produces goods for their clients. They deal in vegetable powders, conventional & organic fruit powders, spice powders & herbal powders, food, and dietary supplements.

Raw whey is still sourced from Germany from a global brand named Saputo.

Amino Acid Analysis Report From TUV Nord

NATURALTEIN is the only brand in the list that not only provided their lab reports but also their Amino Acid Analysis reports for all their protein supplements.

The protein is extremely high quality as it’s obtained from NON-GMO source, Its glyphosate-free and is India’s first and only product with a Cologne List certification. Along with that, it’s certified by Informed Choice as well as Trustified. Which makes it easily the best-ever protein available in the Indian market.

Not only this, but the product is tested for heavy metals as well and passed with flying colors. The report is added below.

2. AS-IT-IS Nutrition Whey Protein Isolate 90%, Unflavoured

Manufacturer

Asitis is a brand of Medizen Labs Pvt. Ltd was established in 2011 in Karnataka. Medizen labs are a big established producer of pharmaceutical goods with over 40 trademarks since its inception.

Asitis was made especially to market their range of whey proteins and mass gainers which later on added more supplements such as BCAA, Glutamine, Creatine, peanut butter, etc.

They import raw whey isolate from a non-disclosed US company, followed by lab testing for its quality from a third party lab and finally packaging and selling it to the end user.

Lab Report From Independent Facility

As you can see it’s rare to see any brand living up to its claims, especially a protein brand. 

Asitis whey isolate 90% has 90.26 g protein per 100 gm on a dry basis. 

This means if you add the average 6% moisture, it comes to 84.26 gm/100 gm on an ‘as is’ basis. This translates to 25.2 gm/30gm which is great protein content. 

3. NAKPRO PLATINUM Whey Protein Isolate 90%, Unflavoured

Manufacturer

Nakpro Nutrition is a brand of Nakoda Dairy Pvt. Ltd which was established in 1940 and turned Pvt. Ltd. in 2005. It is one of the oldest and biggest dairy brands in India dealing with butter, ghee, milk powder, and cheese.

Nakpro Nutrition is their daughter company formed to market their range of whey powder, mass gainer, creatine, glutamine, BCAA, and coffee beans.

They import raw whey isolate from Hilmar Cheese Company of the US, which is the largest single-site producer of cheese in the world. The company exports whey to over 40 countries.

Lab Report From Independent Facility

They don’t just live up to their claim but also exceed it, Nakpro whey isolate 90% has 90.56 g protein per 100 gm on a dry basis.

This means if you add the 5% moisture as reported by Hilmar on their product page of the whey protein, it comes to 85.55 gm/100 gm on an ‘as is’ basis. This translates to 25.67 gm/30gm. This is a great amount of protein per scoop.

4. MuscleXP Raw Whey Protein Concentrate 80%, Unflavoured

Manufacturer

MuscleXP brand comes from a new company registered in 2018 as Emmbros Overseas Pvt. Ltd. which also owns a few cosmetic and herbal care brands. 

MuscleXP only markets whey protein. The manufacturing work is outsourced to one of India’s biggest whey manufacturers which is Tirupati Wellness LLP. 

Tirupati Wellness LLP is part of the Tirupati group established in 2005. Tirupati group incorporates Tirupati Lifesciences, Tirupati Medicare, and Tirupati Nutramax which is a generic whey manufacturer having over 60% share in the Indian market. 

If you see the client list of Tirupati wellness, they manufacture whey protein for Optimum Nutrition(ON), QNT & MuscleBlaze. In Fact, they have their own whey protein brand known as Proburst(Powerus whey). Tirupati Wellness might just be the best whey protein manufacturer in India.

Lab Report From Independent Facility

MUSCLEXP raw whey concentrate 80% claims to have 80 gm of whey protein per 100 gm which is justified by the lab report, it was found to have 80.36 gm per 100 gm which is 0.36 % more than what the company claims.

After calculations, it comes out to be 24.1 gm per serving on a ‘dry’ basis. This would be 22.31 gm per serving on an ‘as is’ basis after taking out the 6% moisture. 

5. MUSCLEBLAZE Fuel One Whey Protein, Chocolate

Manufacturer

Bright Lifecare Pvt Ltd (blife.in) established in 2011 is the parent company of the MuscleBlaze brand which was launched in 2012 with a focus on the whey protein segment in Indian market. Blife.in also owns brands such as healthkart.in, Nouriza, TrueBasics, and Gritzo.

But, Blife does not manufacture whey, they merely market it, MuscleBlaze fuel one is manufactured by Sapiens Labs Pvt. Ltd. which is a Punjab based pharma company that has existed since 2001. They make medicines, multivitamins, and syrups, and have their own protein brand known as SP-G.

Many people swear by Muscleblaze and claim that they are the best whey protein in India but without knowing where they procure their whey protein from it’s very debatable.

As they do not disclose their raw whey source, this information is not available in the public domain, if you are interested in that information, maybe try dropping them a mail, who knows they might tell you. 

Lab Report From Independent Facility

MUSCLEBLAZE fuel one claims to have 75 gm protein per 100 gm but as you can see in the lab report, it was found to be 77 gm which is 2% more than what the company claims.

After calculations, it comes out to be 25.6 gm per serving on a ‘dry’ basis. This would be 23.6 gm per serving on an ‘as is’ basis after taking out the 6% moisture. 

This is not bad at all given the brand value and protein cost.

The Good

6. Abbzorb Nutrition Whey Isolate, Chocolate

Manufacturer

Abbzorb Nutrition established in 2019 is the newest brand on the list. It is marketed by a wholesale company also registered in 2019 in Assam, known as Protrition Products LLP.

Like most brands, they do not manufacture their own whey supplements but instead, outsource them to a third party. 

Abbzorb whey is made by a contract based company known as KAG industries or  Continental Milkose India Ltd which started as a dairy company in 1992 in Himachal Pradesh.

Continental Milkose India has a huge manufacturing facility in Noida, UP where they manufacture products on a contract basis in the field of dairy, malted drinks, cereals and fortified goods. 

Talking about their clients, they make products for the Indian Army, Indian Paramilitary, Pantanjali, Grofers, Walmart and the likes. 

Although they do not disclose where they procure their whey from, it simply states on their product that it’s sourced from one of the leading US brands. 

Lab Report From Independent Facility

ABBZORB nutrition whey isolate claims to have 83 gm of protein per 100 gm but the lab report discloses it to be 84.66 gm which is 1.66% more than what the company claims.

After calculations, it comes out to be 27.9 gm per serving on a ‘dry’ basis. This would be 26 gm per serving on an ‘as is’ basis after taking out the 6% moisture. 

This is not bad at all given the brand value and protein cost.

Final words

Whey protein is a great supplement only if your training & nutrition is on point, and one must use it as a supplement that it is, instead of solely depending on it for results. If you found this buying guide and compiled list of “top 6 best whey protein in India” useful, do not shy away from sharing it with your friends and whoever you think this might be useful for. a lot of hard work went into this. Also, Do let me know in the comments, which protein supplement you find the best ?