First, there are no natural “products” or versions of powdered, supplemental BCAA’s (branched-chain amino acids) or protein powders.

In order to make them, the proteins and amino acids have to be chemically rendered and heated at least; many are processed much more. 

This process denatures and fragments the proteins and amino acids, changing how they are absorbed and the metabolic/hormonal reaction they cause in the body compared to a natural whole-food-sourced protein.

Both protein powders and BCAA’s dramatically raise insulin compared to natural protein, some more than table sugar. 

BCAA’s have been associated with insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome directly. And that result was testing natural BCAA’s, isolated commercialized versions have a more profound effect still.

Denatured proteins strongly stimulate insulin, have an increased Mtor (protein regulation pathway) and incretin (insulin priming) effect, and are more easily glycated. 

Each of these has independently been shown to turn off our long-lived genes, speed up the aging process, and promote degenerative diseases. 

Imagine what happens when all four of those actions are activated at once!

Please don’t underestimate this one, my friends.

I have a client, a natural health care practitioner for over 15 years, a very educated guy who is in incredible shape and competes in obstacle races all over the US, who found himself in the hospital with a severe metabolic reaction with blood sugar around 400. 

He was having what would be considered a diabetic episode, felt terrible, enough for an anti-hospital guy to self-admit to one, and his vision was severely blurred. 

As it turns out, he eats a very healthy diet and trains hard, and his incorporation of protein products (shakes and BCAAs) was the culprit. 

After some minor diet alterations and cutting out all processed protein products, six months later, he has no blood sugar issues or any of the other health issues related to it. And yes, he is still competing, better than ever!

I know the gym lore stating that we have all heard the hype that BCAAs shuttle amino acids into the cells, insulin is anabolic and “builds” muscle, you need “X” amount of protein to grow, etc. 

But when you look at it, take a step back. Things are NOT what they seem. 

Repair (think gym gains) is very different from growth (think body fat… and worse), and in the big picture, these “techniques” might do more harm than good.

We can do better!

Dr. Don