When it comes to trending buzzwords, there is none more powerful than those associated with the low carb movement. There are a number of medical studies that prove low carb diets can certainly be effective for those looking to lose or manage weight, as well as manage blood sugar. There are even some studies that show it may have beneficial effects in the realm of slowing cancer tumor growth. Low carb dogma, however, may not be such a healthy thing. The villainization of vital carbs has caused a great many people to subject themselves to extreme diets. When it comes to gaining muscle, carbs can be a vital contributor during the post-workout phase.
My Isopure Zero Carb review looks at a protein supplement that attempts to also latch on to the low carb trend. Does Isopure Zero Carb offer any real benefits or are they just living off the hype of no carb mania?
The answer is more complicate than you might think.
About The Isopure Company – Isopure Zero Carb’s Manufacturer
The Isopure company is the manufacturer of Isopure Zero Carb protein, however, this company is also a subsidy of the more popular brand, Nature’s Best. Their products are sold online at Amazon and BodyBuilding.com and at GNC and Vitamin Shoppe stores. They have a good reputation with consumers. Isopure is one of the larger protein powder supplement companies around.
Isopure Zero Carb Ingredients
Isopure Zero Carb is clearly living off of two major components in their ingredient section.
- No Carbs
- 50 Grams Protein Per Serving
So let’s get into the real dirty details.
Any product that claims “zero carbs” yet doesn’t taste like tar is typically using some sort of artificial sweetener. I can’t find a valid list of Isopure Zero Carb ingredients, however, my intuition and common sense tell me there is something of an artificial sweetener present.
Now, most people don’t know this, but artificial sweeteners due indeed cause insulin spikes. In other words, based on science, your artificial sweetener found in your diet coke or your protein supplement can make you fat. That’s according to valid science. As stated, I can’t confirm that Isopure Zero Carb uses an artificial sweetener, but I’m not sure how they’d get it to taste good otherwise.
50 grams of protein is great, until it isn’t. The protein used is whey protein isolate, which is good, but not the best version. In fairness, only Hydro Whey 100 uses only whey protein hydrolysate, so we can’t knock Isopure Zero Carb too, too much on this one.
Isopure Zero Carb isn’t the only protein supplement that uses a subpar protein version and uses artificial sweeteners. However, in both cases, it’s a little egregious.
Additionally, they have a low BCAA count and a high sodium rate. Now, they do have 810 mg of potassium, which certainly regulates/balances that high sodium amount. But the lack of BCAA density is a bit of a problem considering that most of the competition on my top protein powder supplement list do indeed contain good amounts of BCAA.
Pros
- Heavy Protein Serving Sizes
- Name Brand Manufacturer
- Low Carbs (kind of)
- Can Be Bought In Stores
- The Protein Used Is Decent
- High In Potassium
Cons
- I Suspect They Use Artificial Sweeteners For Taste
- The Protein Is Average or Decent (this is good and bad, depending on your perspective)
- Low BCAA Count
- High Sodium
The Final Shot
The clock has run out on this Isopure Zero Carb review. This is an above average protein powder supplement experience. You could definitely do worse, but you could also do better. The high sodium count is balanced out by a good amount of potassium. The “no carb” aspect of this is questionable at best. I suspect that artificial sweeteners are used to make it taste good. Many studies have found that artificial sweeteners have similar, or worse, effects on increased obesity. I was unable to find their label to confirm the exact sweeteners used.
In the end, you have better options in an overall competitive protein powder supplement market. You can find a wealth of protein supplement information here.