Stumbling upon a protein supplement with grass-fed whey and high dietary fiber content is a rarity nowadays. However, these same attributes make Orgain Whey Protein a unique product, as you’ll find out in this review.
Table of Contents
About Orgain Whey Protein
“Each serving of Orgain Whey Protein has 21 grams of grass-fed whey protein sourced exclusively from New Zealand. It has no added sugar, is low-carb, and it tastes amazing. Once you try it, no other protein powder will do,” per the manufacturer’s official website. Formula notes:
- Grass-fed WPC content from New Zealand. Top-notch grass-fed protein which helps keep free radicals at bay.
- Solid dietary fiber content. Gives you 20 percent of the daily value for dietary fiber.
- Expensive. One 1.82-lb. (825-gram) container costs $39.99.
Orgain Whey Protein Supplement Facts (Vanilla Bean, 825 grams) |
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Serving Size: 2 Rounded Scoops (41 G) Servings Per Container: 20 |
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Nutrient | Amount Per Serving | % Daily Value |
Calories | 140 | |
Calories From Fat | 20 | |
Total Fat | 3 g | 5% |
Saturated Fat | 1 g | 5% |
Trans Fat | 0 g | |
Cholesterol | 54 mg | 18% |
Sodium | 350 mg | 15% |
Potassium | 120 mg | 3% |
Total Carbohydrate | 12 g | 4% |
Dietary Fiber | 3 g | 20% |
Sugars | 1 g | |
Sugar Alcohol | 5 g | |
Protein | 21 g | 42% |
Vitamin A 0% Vitamin C 0% | ||
Calcium 10% Iron 8% | ||
INGREDIENTS: Grass Fed Whey Protein Concentrate, Organic Erythritol, Organic Creamer Base™ (Organic Acacia, Organic High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Organic Inulin, Organic Rice Dextrins, Organic Rice Bran Extract, Organic Rosemary Extract), Natural Flavors, Cellulose Gum, Xanthan Gum, Sea Salt, Potassium Chloride, Organic Stevia | ||
Directions: Mix two level scoops (41 g) with 10-12 fluid ounces of water, organic milk, or almond milk and shake in a shaker cup or use blender. |
Whey Protein Unlike Any Other
We’ve sized up many protein supplements here on B5. Along the way, we’ve stumbled upon some grass-fed whey protein products:
- PROMIX Grass-Fed Whey Protein
- Cellucor IsoPro
- Do Vitamins Wonder Whey
- Jay Robb Whey Protein
- ProteinSeries 100% Grass-Fed Whey Protein
Among these protein supplements, Jay Robb Whey Protein stands out the most: its 25 grams of protein per scoop, low fat and low cholesterol content, and awesome taste make for one impressive bodybuilding product. It’s a tremendous addition to any supplement stack.
On that note, let’s see if Orgain Whey Protein can do it one better. The manufacturer describes it as “Whey Protein Unlike Any Other,” per its official website.
“When we decided to make an Orgain whey-based protein powder, we had a very clear goal in mind: to create the best whey protein powder possible. We wanted an ultra-clean ingredient list and incredible taste and texture. It wasn’t easy, but we’ve finally created the whey protein of our dreams. Each serving of Orgain Whey Protein has 21 grams of grass-fed whey protein sourced exclusively from New Zealand. It has no added sugar, is low-carb, and it tastes amazing. Once you try it, no other protein powder will do,” per the same source.
That kind of description gets our attention. We love effective protein supplements with clean ingredients. It doesn’t matter if a protein powder has 30 grams of protein per scoop. If it contains fillers such as sucralose (an artificial sweetener which has links to obesity) and carrageenan (a food additive which has ties to carcinogenicity), it’s a deal breaker. We’re crossing our fingers Orgain Whey Protein lives up to the hype.
Formulation, 41 grams
A two-scoop serving (41 grams) of Orgain Whey Protein yields 21 grams of grass-fed whey protein concentrate. This much gives your muscles 42 percent of the daily value for protein (a minimum daily value of 15 percent is high). That much should help you muscle up, meet your daily protein requirements, and shorten exercise recovery time.
Whey protein concentrate (WPC) is roughly 25 to 85 percent protein (in contrast, whey protein isolate [WPI] is around 90 to 95 percent protein). WPC has more carbs, fats, and lactose than its WPI counterpart. The implication: WPI is the better choice if you have lactose issues and if you want to muscle up and lean out.
On the flip side, WPC has more lactalbumin and lactoferrin content than WPI (that’s because it undergoes a special process to filter out the extra fats and carbs). Lactalbumin is a protein which is rich in cysteine, an amino acid which helps produce glutathione (a powerful antioxidant).
For its part, lactoferrin is a protein which has a multitude of health benefits:
- Wards off free radicals, bacteria, and inflammation
- Regulates the immune system
- Reduces insulin resistance
- Enhances cognitive function
- Increases fat loss
- Strenghtens bones
As hard evidence, the journal Beverages’ July 5, 2017 issue (via MDPI.com) says, “Lactoferrin, if administered orally, exerts several beneficial health effects on humans and animals, including anti-infective, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammatory effects.” If that doesn’t grab you, we don’t know what will.
On the other hand, consuming whey protein prior to or after a hard training session at the gym will work wonders for your body. The secret: they are a tremendous source of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs).
“BCAAs are needed for the maintenance of muscle tissue and repair to preserve muscle stores of glycogen, the storage form of glucose, and may help prevent muscle protein breakdown during exercise. Consequently, taking whey as the protein source for pre-exercise and post-exercise, along with a carbohydrate source, may exert a beneficial effort to the training muscles,” per registered dietician Marjorie Geiser of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) (via WheyProteinInstitute.org). On that note, consuming Orgain Whey Protein before and after a grueling workout can produce excellent results.
WPC also has two more advantages: it’s cheaper and tastes better than WPI (it tends to have a slightly bitter taste). No knock against WPI, it also has certain advantages (more protein content and better for lean-muscle-building goals), but we’re glad this product has WPC (if you want a solid WPI supplement, try EFX Sports Training Ground Isolate or AllMax IsoFlex).
In a nutshell, we’re confident you’ll reap WPC’s benefits when you supplement with Orgain Whey Protein. Twenty-one grams of top-notch WPC content should do the trick.
This supplement also has other positive attributes: it’s low in fat (five percent of the daily value), saturated fat (five percent of the daily value), and carbs (four percent of the daily value). It’s also high in dietary fiber (20 percent of the daily value).
We love the Orgain Whey Protein’s high dietary fiber content. It should support long-term cardiovascular function. “Fiber’s role in preventing heart disease is thought to stem from its ability to lower both blood pressure and cholesterol. It also fills you up, which helps you eat less and perhaps lose weight,” per Harvard Medical School’s official website.
All the while, we thought Orgain Whey Protein is a heart-friendly bodybuilding product (just like its protein bar counterpart, Orgain Organic Protein Bar). It turns out it isn’t: it has high cholesterol (18 percent of the daily value) and sodium (15 percent of the daily value) levels. The American Heart Association’s official website says high cholesterol “is one of the major controllable risk factors” for cardiovascular issues. The manufacturer should’ve toned down on this product’s cholesterol levels more.
For its part, sodium helps boost brain function, maintain normal heart contractions, regulate renal function and fluid levels in the body, and keep muscle cramps at bay. It also helps replenish depleted electrolyte stores after a hard training session. Taking moderate amounts of sodium certainly has a place in one’s balanced nutrition plan.
However, the American Heart Association cautions the general public against excessive sodium intake, as it may adversely affect blood pressure. With that, it would’ve been better if the manufacturer included no more than five percent of the daily value for sodium.
Our first impression: Orgain Whey Protein is an all-natural protein supplement which should help you achieve your fitness goals. It has a few flaws (high cholesterol and sodium levels), but it it’s still worth a shot.
Let’s check out the formula ingredients:
- Calories, 140: Many protein supplements give you 100 to 150 calories per serving. Orgain Whey Protein is within the industry average. It shouldn’t compromise your nutrition goals.
- Calories from fat, 20: At just 20 calories from fat per scoop, Orgain Whey Protein is a bona fide low-fat protein supplement.
- Total fat, 3 g: This product is low in fats at measly five percent of the daily value.
- Saturated fat, 1 g: Orgain Whey Protein is also low in saturated fats at just five percent of the daily value. The American Heart Association encourages limited saturated fat intake for better cardiovascular function. We’re glad Orgain Whey Protein complies with this particular guideline.
- Trans fat, 0 g: Trans fats lower good cholesterol (HDL) levels and increase bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. This doesn’t bode well for long-term heart health. We are pleased Orgain Whey Protein has no trans fat content whatsoever.
- Cholesterol, 54 mg: This is where things get a littler trickier. This supplement has 18 percent of the daily value for cholesterol, which is high. Granted, we didn’t see any particular component which is a source of bad cholesterol. Even if Orgain Whey Protein’s total cholesterol content is predominantly good cholesterol (HDL), it would’ve been better if the manufacturer toned down on the former.
- Sodium, 350 mg: This mineral helps enhance cognitive function, maintain normal heart contractions, boost kidney health, regulate fluid levels in the body, ward off muscle cramps, and replenish depleted post-exercise electrolyte stores. Orgain Whey Protein’s 15 percent of the daily value for sodium is a high value. If you’re monitoring your sodium intake, try a low-sodium protein supplement (such as NutraBio Muscle Matrix) instead.
- Potassium, 120 mg: Orgain Whey Protein is not a significant source of potassium at a paltry three percent of the daily value.
- Total carbohydrate, 12 g: This supplement’s low carbohydrate content (just four percent of the daily value) should help complement any low-carb nutrition plan.
- Dietary fiber, 3 g: Three grams of dietary fiber per serving gives you a solid 20 percent of the daily value. That much should help promote regular bowel movement, keep cholesterol levels in check, and improve long-term cardiovascular function.
- Sugars, 1 g: Orgain Whey Protein has low sugar content at just one gram per scoop. Better yet, it has organic stevia, a natural sweetener which helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels. We give that a huge thumbs up.
- Sugar alcohol, 5 g: Orgain Whey Protein’s five grams of sugar alcohol per serving comes from its erythritol content. This is a natural zero-calorie sugar alcohol which helps ward off free radicals. It also has impressive absorption properties. These are awesome, to say the least.
- Protein, 21 g: Orgain Whey Protein has 21 grams of grass-fed whey protein concentrate (WPC) per serving. This amount gives you a solid 42 percent of the daily value for protein for increased muscle mass and shorter exercise recovery time. It should also help you meet your daily protein requirements and fill those nutrition gaps.
- Vitamin A, 0 percent DV: Orgain Whey Protein has no vitamin A content whatsoever.
- Calcium, 10 percent DV: Orgain Whey Protein has moderate calcium levels at 10 percent of the daily value. This mineral helps strengthen bones, regulate blood pressure levels, and boost cardiovascular function.
- Vitamin C, 0 percent DV: Orgain Whey Protein has no vitamin C content whatsoever.
- Iron, 8 percent DV: This supplement’s moderate iron content should help regulate body temperature, form hemoglobin, and boost brain function.
Formula Analysis
Orgain Whey Protein is one all-natural protein supplement which should give you a good return on your investment.
First off, it has a solid 21 grams of grass-fed whey protein concentrate (WPC) per two-scoop serving (41 grams). It bears repeating: that much can help you muscle up, shorten exercise recovery time, fill nutrition gaps, and meet your daily protein requirements. You can’t go wrong with 42 percent of the daily value for protein.
Consuming whey protein concentrate is an excellent way of shoring up your immune system (due to its high lactoferrin and immunoglobulin content) and warding off free radicals (it helps raise glutathione levels – a powerful antioxidant – in the body). However, it does have lactose. If you have issues with this component, please steer clear of Orgain Whey Protein.
Let’s also not forget about the grass-fed aspect of Orgain Whey Protein. “Several studies suggest that grass-fed diets elevate precursors for Vitamin A and E, as well as cancer-fighting antioxidants such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase activity as compared to grain-fed contemporaries,” per the March 10, 2010 issue of Nutrition Journal (via NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov). Long story short, Orgain Whey Protein’s grass-fed WPC content gives it a distinct edge over the competition.
This supplement is also a solid source of dietary fiber at 20 percent of the daily value. This component helps promote regular bowel movement, keep cholesterol levels in check, and improve long-term heart health. Many protein supplements have impressive calcium levels (such as the aforementioned EFX Sports Training Ground Isolate, which has 15 percent of the daily value for calcium). However, it’s rare to stumble upon one which is teeming with dietary fiber. Could Orgain Whey Protein represent a massive paradigm shift among protein supplements? We certainly hope so.
Other pluses: Orgain Whey Protein has low fat (five percent of the daily value), saturated fat (five percent of the daily value), sugar (one gram per serving), and carb content (four percent of the daily value).
Orgain, Inc. prides itself in its products’ organic and all-natural ingredients. Orgain Whey Protein is no exception. Among its other components which caught our eye are organic erythritol (a natural sugar alcohol which helps keep free radicals at bay) and organic stevia (a natural sweetener which helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels). We can only hope other bodybuilding supplement manufacturers follow suit.
The manufacturer also scores high marks in terms of transparency: the manufacturer breaks down all of the ingredient amounts. You won’t find any shady proprietary blends in Orgain Whey Protein. We love it.
Customers have also given Orgain Whey Protein high marks online – they say it exceeded their expectations. They also love its taste. There are some customers who don’t like the taste. However, they’re in the minority. As for us, we like it. It’s not as superb as, say, Quest Protein Powder, but it’s good.
Orgain Whey Protein has a few chinks. We already told you about its high cholesterol (18 percent of the daily value) and sodium (15 percent of the daily value) content. If you’re monitoring your intake of these two nutrients, please skip Orgain Whey Protein.
Finally, this product is somewhat expensive at $39.99 for a 1.82-lb. (825-gram) container. It’s a bit surprising, considering whey protein concentrate (WPC) supplements are generally cheaper than whey protein isolate (WPI) products. However, when you consider the fact this product features top-notch grass-fed whey protein, it shouldn’t come as a shock anymore.
Is Orgain Whey Protein unlike any other (like the manufacturer claims on its website)? Yes, it is: it’s rare to find a grass-fed whey protein concentrate supplement with high dietary fiber content and all-natural ingredients such as this one. While it’s not perfect, it’s still a good investment.
Orgain Whey Protein Benefits
“Each serving of Orgain Whey Protein has 21 grams of grass-fed whey protein sourced exclusively from New Zealand. It has no added sugar, is low-carb, and it tastes amazing,” per the manufacturer’s official website.
We agree with these claims. Orgain Whey Protein is a natural protein supplement which should help you achieve your fitness goals.
Who Takes It?
The manufacturer intended Orgain Whey Protein for healthy and active individual who want to increase muscle mass, meet their daily protein requirements, fill nutrition gaps, shorten exercise recovery time, and achieve their daily fitness goals.
Any Side Effects?
Orgain Whey Protein has high cholesterol (18 percent of the daily value) and sodium (15 percent of the daily value) levels. The American Heart Association urges the general public to monitor consumption of these two nutrients for good long-term cardiovascular function.
If these, or any other ingredient, make you feel doubtful, please consult your doctor before buying Orgain Whey Protein.
Orgain Whey Protein Review Summary
Pros
- Twenty-one grams of WPC per serving. Equal to 42 percent of the daily value.
- Grass-fed whey protein from New Zealand. Top-notch protein content which helps regulate immunity and ward off free radicals.
- Solid dietary fiber content. At 20 percent of the daily value, this protein supplement’s dietary fiber content is a rarity among this product line.
- Low in fats, saturated fats, sugar, and carbs. These bode well for long-term health.
- All-natural ingredients. You won’t find any fillers in this product.
- Excellent transparency. Manufacturer breaks down all of the ingredient amounts.
- Great reputation. Customers have given this supplement high marks online.
- Flavor options. Comes in Vanilla Bean and Creamy Chocolate Fudge flavors.
Cons
- High cholesterol and sodium content. May be detrimental to long-term heart health. Check with your doctor first.
- Expensive. One 1.82-lb. (825-gram) container costs $39.99.
Pricing & Where to Buy
- 1 825-gram container (20-Day Supply): $39.99
- Available online and in retail
Final Word on Orgain Whey Protein
Orgain Whey Protein is a protein supplement unlike any other because of its grass-fed WPC and high dietary fiber content. This combo is a rarity among protein supplements, so Orgain Whey Protein is unique in this regard. You also can’t overlook its all-natural ingredients.
Despite its flaws, we recommend you buy Orgain Whey Protein. We’re sure it will make a difference in your training and overall health. If the manufacturer can come up with an advanced version with lower cholesterol and sodium levels, much better.
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