Are protein supplements better than protein foods?

When protein manufacturers throw around fancy words like cross flow microfiltration, oligopeptides, ion-exchange, whey isolates, biological value and they list numerous scientific references, it sure sounds convincing.  But don't forget that the supplement industry is big business.  The truth is that as long as you eat a sufficient quality of whole food proteins at frequent intervals throughout the day, it’s not necessary to consume any protein supplements whatsoever to get outstanding results.

The main advantage of protein supplements is convenience.  Whey-based protein powders are an excellent way to get protein if you’re not consuming enough from whole foods, but they’re NOT better than whole foods.  The human digestive system was not designed to process liquids all day long; it was designed to digest food.  By over- consuming liquid protein supplements you’re only short-changing yourself on the thermic effects that solid food provides.  Similarly, amino acid tablets provide no benefit that food cannot. Amino acids are nothing more than an extremely expensive way to get extra protein.