Ask the Expert: Supplements

Q. I'd like to add a protein supplement to my diet, what is the difference between soy, whey and egg protein? Is this different from the protein you get from meat?

A. First of all, the best place to get protein is from “real” food first.
Secondly, the typical American diet generally provides far more protein than is typically needed for health. If you’re a vegetarian and meeting your energy needs while getting a variety of foods, chances are high you are still consuming enough protein. In case you don’t already know, protein is found in much more than just meat and milk. It’s found in grains, vegetables, nuts, and beans too. And, keep in mind that protein is an energy source like carbohydrates and fats. So, if you get too much protein, you can gain weight. (Non-athletes need under ½ gram of protein per pound of body weight. So, if you weigh 150 pounds, than 75 grams of protein per day should be a healthy daily maximum guideline.)

Now, for your specific question, if you actually do need help getting extra protein in your diet due to the inability to eat sufficient food sources of protein, than an animal-based protein source, such as egg, will be the most usable source—since eggs provide protein most similar to our own body protein. Besides the difference in usability by the body, protein supplements vary in amino acids (building block of proteins) provided. Animal sources will provide all your essential amino acids, just as meat provides all of them. However, there may be other health benefits associated with the proteins found in soy and other plant-based proteins.

Most importantly, when you take a potentially beneficial component within food and use it by itself in a supplement, you may not get all of its benefits. Often, a beneficial food component is such due to a variety of inter-working factors within the food. So, repeat after me: food first.

Q. How do I decide whether to take a multi-vitamin?

A. In general, if you’re not meeting all the minimum recommendations of the Food Guide Pyramid, you might need to take a vitamin-mineral supplement that provides approximately 100% Daily Value (DV) of the vitamins and minerals. But remember, supplements should be considered just that, supplements, not replacements for whole food. Your best health bet is to set goals to meet the daily Pyramid recommendations through your diet. Then, reserve your supplement for just those occasional days you don’t quite meet your goals. It’s ok—those days will occur from time to time. If you’re not sure how your diet stacks up with the Pyramid, or have specific nutrition-related health issues, seek the advice of a registered dietitian.