I found this great article on Protein Bar Ingredients on Dr. Laura Bomback’s web site...she’s a Nutrition Response Testing(R) Practitioner and Chiropractor in Fall River, Mass.

5 Worst Protein Bar Ingredients

By Whole Lifestyle Nutrition

Protein bars…so convenient yet so full of garbage. They hold the promise of being healthy, easy and full of muscle-building protein.  But have you ever taken a few minutes to look at what’s actually IN them?

I think you’re going to be in for a shock when you read the TRUTH about the ingredients in some of the most popular protein bars on the market right now.

Let’s get right to it:

1 – Soy Protein Isolate (SPI)

This is, unfortunately, one of the most prevalent protein sources you’ll find in protein bars, especially those marketed to women. This marketing would have you believe that soy is an excellent protein source for women because of the isoflavones found in it. In reality, studies have indicated that these soy isoflavones can actually be TOXIC because of how the soy is processed (fermented soy products such as tofu are fine, just FYI). In addition, SPI was actually considered a WASTE product in soy processing until recently, when it was discovered that money could be made by passing it off as a protein source. It’s cheap and definitely NOT a high-quality protein. It should be avoided.

And the final nail in the soy coffin: GMO. A very high percentage of the soy grown in the United States is from genetically modified organisms (GMO). They don’t currently have to be labeled as such, but if you’re buying any sort of processed food, chances are very good you’re getting a GMO-sourced product.

2 – High Fructose Corn Syrup

This is an easy one to figure out…the adverse health effects of it are well documented (contrary to what the commercials from the Corn Growers Association claim – those are truly among the most annoying commercials in existence, trying to make people who question corn syrup look stupid). It’s one of the WORST things you can eat and yet there are still bars that use it as a primary ingredient.

3 – Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil

Palm kernel oil is a cheap, unhealthy fat. Unlike plain palm oil, palm kernel oil can’t be obtained organically. Instead, the oil must be extracted from the pit with a gasoline-like hydrocarbon solvent. The fractioned form is the most processed…if you see that in the ingredients, you should definitely avoid it.

4 – Sugar Alcohols

This includes ingredients like Maltitol Syrup, Xylitol, Sorbitol, Lactitol, Mannitol, and Erythritol. Sugar alcohols are included in bars for sweetness…especially in bars that are “carb controlled”. Sugar alcohols don’t impact blood sugar as much as regular sugar because they’re not well absorbed in the digestive tract…and when things aren’t well absorbed in the digestive tract, things happen (if you know what I mean).

In small amounts, sugar alcohols aren’t a big problem, but if you start getting into the double digits of grams of sugar alcohol (and many low-carb bars are in the 20 gram range), THEN you can start to see unpleasant digestive issues.

5 – Artificial Sweeteners

I won’t get into the whole debate about whether artificial sweeteners are bad for you or not and what they turn into in your body, etc. Personally, I’m of the mindset that if it’s created by science, chances are good your body won’t recognize it and won’t be able to metabolize it into something actually good for you. Therefore, I try and stay away from artificial sweeteners as much as I possibly can. I find the actual natural flavor of real food to be pretty good :). In Summary…

Those are the top 5 worst protein bar ingredients…and you will actually find bars that contain ALL of these ingredients in them.

The main problem I have with the vast majority of protein bars today is that at their most base level, they’re deceptive. The bars are put forward as convenient, healthy alternatives to food for “on the go” people. Yet when you take a close look at the ingredients, they’re actually WORSE for you than most candy bars.

Obviously money is the biggest factor…companies that use high-quality ingredients in their bars have to charge more for them in order to stay in business. Hence the brick-like slop sold in bar form that you’ll find in the grocery store aisles today.

Click here to read more posts on Nutrition.

Blog Categories

Talk to a Practitioner

Before you take the leap to get started, see if we can help you first! Sign up for a free 15-minute phone consultation and talk with a practitioner to learn if this unique program is right for you.

steps to improve your thyroid health

7 Steps to Improve Your Thyroid Health

Read more natural health articles

Sleep Issues and Chronic Disease

Sleep issues and chronic disease. Is the lack of a good night’s rest the simple answer to your problems? The Consequences of Poor Sleep Did you know there is such thing as World Sleep Day? This important day falls in March to draw attention to the issue of sleep...

read more

Why Can’t I Lose Weight?

Why can’t I lose weight?  I hear this question all day long, so I decided to write a pointed answer to this common question. Common knowledge is that is you cut calories, you will eventually lose weight.  The thought is that if you burn more calories than you consume,...

read more

Introduction to Thermography

History of Breast Thermography In 1982 the FDA approved breast thermography as an adjunctive diagnostic breast cancer screening procedure. Since the late 1950s, Breast cancer thermography has been the subject of extensive research. For example: more than 800...

read more

Stress: Adrenal Fatigue

Could You Be Suffering From Stress and Adrenal Fatigue? "Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency." -Natalie Goldberg Do you wake up in the morning feeling tired? Does your boost of energy dwindle as the afternoon approaches; causing...

read more

Natural help for Type 2 Diabetes

Do you, or a loved one either have type 2 diabetes or have what is called Pre-Diabetes, AKA Syndrome X?  I have a lot of patients coming in with these two disorders, so before I talked about it, I decided to look into exactly what the American Diabetes Association is...

read more

Menopause, Hormones, and Osteoporosis

After practicing Nutritional Response Testing and Functional Medicine for the past 23 years, I have found a hierarchy of things that cause, or contribute to symptoms of menopause, hormonal dysregulation, and osteoporosis.  I use Nutrition Response Testing and...

read more