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9 Nutrition Label Hacks: Get the Inside Scoop

Posted on June 13, 2021

9 Nutrition Label Hacks: Get the Inside ScoopDividerimage

 

I get it.

 

You don’t have to be a genius to read a product label.

 

And locating the ingredients and nutrition table are easy as pie.

 

But interpreting that information and how it applies to your health is something else entirely ...

 

At some point you have to ask yourself: has industry trickery pulled the high-protein wool over your eyes?

 

After all, companies can “tweak” some label information to make a product look better than it actually is.

 

And some tweaks are all perfectly legal according to the standards upon which labels are created: Food Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ).

 

Given the massive consumption of packaged foods and supplements in Australia, how we interpret the information on a label has a direct impact on our health and ultimately public health.

 

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And yes, nutrition is that influential.

 

In fact, the quality of your diet is probably the single most important determinant of human health.

 

To truly enhance public health, it is essential to improve the quality of the diet and make more informed supplement choices.

 

Sure, a rational approach to diet and supplements may not sound sexy or exciting.

 

But it’s scientifically sound and it works.

 

Nutrition is a hotly contended topic, with diets as opposing as vegan and carnivore. One can only guess what’s around the corner …

 

A gluten-free diet versus a pure gluten diet?

 

Hopefully not.

 

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One must assume that industry sponsored research and political lobbying are at the core of the mixed messages coming from government organisations, politicians and experienced healthcare practitioners.  

 

Certainly, we can all agree that making informed food choices has never been quite as important as right now.

 

Amino Acid Spiking

We all assume that when we’re checking out the protein per serve and per 100g on a nutrition label that it will be spot-on in terms of accuracy.

 

But as you’re probably aware, there’s protein and then there’s protein.

 

Take a serving of pea protein or whey protein versus carob bean protein. The former two offer a high bio-availability and ability to stimulate protein synthesis.

 

These are two separate biological processes, by the way.

 

Both of these tell us that pea protein isolate and WPI are high quality proteins. And there’s carob seed protein, which is high in non-essential amino acids and considered a low quality protein product.

 

Though when reading a label, despite these considerations, the protein level may appear similar.

 

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Image you’re a struggling manufacturer barely able to keep the electricity on. Keeping the price of your nutrition powder low, and at the same sale value, increase profits.

 

So why not introduce an inexpensive amino acid, like glycine, and add this to the protein quantity?

 

If glycine is cheap and readily available, costing around ¼ or less than your typical high quality protein powder, adding a small amount helps keep your costs down, right?

 

But is this ethical?

 

Is it even legal?  

 

Glycine is a non-essential amino acid, often added to pre-workout and intra-workouts, as it does have some natural performance enhancing benefits.

 

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Glycine is also a calming amino acid that is termed neuro-inhibitory and also needed for collagen synthesis, amongst other roles. 

 

However, when it comes to a quality protein powder that you’ve laid down your hard-earned dollars for, glycine is typically not added for consumer benefit.

 

And most glycine (certainly the cheapest), comes out of China from questionable sources.

 

Because glycine is an amino acid, and a constituent of protein, protein powder companies may add the glycine onto the protein portion of the nutritional table.

 

Even though the protein itself already contains glycine naturally in the amino acid profile.

 

Though a small amount of glycine is regarded as safe for long-term use, it does create some issues worth considering. Adding glycine to the protein content of a quality protein powder means you’re getting less essential amino acids per serve, and more glycine.

 

And in terms of the impact on quality of this questionable industry practice, a 5% glycine spike would equate to an approximate 5% decline in biological value or the protein powders ability to support your health.

 

This is because the essential amino acids are responsible for triggering protein synthesis. And adding anything dilutes these important amino acids in the finished product (the body recycles a lot of glycine, which is already present in protein powders anyway).  

 

However, just because we see an amino acid added to a protein powder, doesn’t mean that it has been “spiked”.

 

Some ethical companies add quality amino acids in small amounts to protein powders, sourced from reputable suppliers, with the good intention of creating a better product.

 

These typically aren’t glycine, but include amino acids like arginine, glutamine or the BCAAs. Usually, these companies will list these free-form amino acids separately on the nutritional panel, and won’t count them towards the protein content per serve or 100g.

 

In the interests of transparency this is certainly the best method.

 

So, to wrap up, watch out for the amino acids that are added to your favourite protein powders.

 

Even though they may be located further down on the ingredients list, they can still detract from the quality of the product.

 

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“As Is” vs “Dry Basis”

This is an issue that should never have been an issue in the first place.

 

Big industry seems to have this belief that if it’s only a small ethical issue that results in making their product appear better, then it’s okay.

 

Well, few would say that it’s okay, only that it’s a less unethical than making an even worse decision.

 

So how does detracting 4% from your protein total sound?

 

It’s not the end of the world, right?

 

But it’s not exactly a fresh beginning either.

 

What’s this “as is” and “dry basis” all about then?

 

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It’s about moisture, and the inescapable fact that moisture is completely inescapable.

 

It’s in the air that we breathe, the food we eat, and yes, it’s even in seemingly dry protein powder.

 

Protein powder manufacturer’s issue something called a Certificate of Analysis (COA) with each batch. And on this COA are two protein powder amounts, one for “as is” and one for “dry basis”.

 

The “as is” basis shows how protein is actually in the product, whether it’s a whey protein isolate or rice protein powder.

 

The “dry basis” level indicates how much protein would be in the protein powder if there was zero moisture content (which there isn’t).

 

If you’re confused, it’s because you understand how odd this really is.

 

In fact, a COA typically tells you how much moisture is in the protein powder as well. Check out this example below.

 

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Of course, the “as is” protein level is always going to be lower that the “dry basis”, because detracting anything from a product bumps up all of the other figures as a percentage, whether it’s lactose, fibre or protein.

 

So why do they even use “dry basis” protein powder levels in the first place?

 

Who knows? It’s like stating on a protein bar how much protein would be in the final product if there was no added chocolate … even though the protein bar is coated in chocolate.

 

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Hmm, so if you’ve got a protein powder that is glycine spiked, let’s say at 5%, and they’re using the “dry basis” protein level, which overestimates protein level by around 4%, all of a sudden we are nearly having to detract 10% from our protein serve!

 

That turns a 24 gram protein hit into a realistic 21.6 protein quantity.

 

Though not every company is pulling these types of nutritional maneuvers, it’s certainly something worth being aware of.

 

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Ingredient Order

Everyone knows that it is the law under FSANZ to list ingredients in order of quantity, from greatest to least.

 

For instance, a protein powder that contains 95% whey protein concentrate, 4.5% vanilla flavour, 0.3% stevia and 0.2% whey protein isolate needs to list the ingredients as follows:

 

INGREDIENTS: Whey Protein Concentrate, Vanilla Flavour, Stevia, Whey Protein Isolate.

 

This is quite plain and simple, right?

 

Actually, it’s not.

 

Here enter the wonderful world of ingredient “grouping” and the use of brackets.

 

Maybe we want to call our protein blend something cool and catchy, like Extraordinary Protein Blend. Then we could group the protein ingredients together, just like this.

 

INGREDIENTS: Extraordinary Protein Blend (Whey Protein Concentrate, Whey Protein Isolate), Vanilla Flavour, Stevia.

 

All of a sudden, whey protein isolate appears to be a major ingredient in the product, when we know for a fact that it has only been added at 0.2%.

 

Pretty tricky, huh?

 

Here are some more examples of how ingredients can be played with to create a more “favourable” ingredients listing.

 

Generic Mass Gainer

 

INGREDIENTS: Maltodextrin (35%), Whey Protein Isolate (15%), Whey Protein Concentrate (15%), Micellar Casein (10%), Flavours, Sucralose.

 

this could be presented as follows …

 

INGREDIENTS: Extraordinary Protein Blend (Whey Protein Isolate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Micellar Casein), Maltodextrin, Flavours, Sucralose.

 

Just remember, whenever you see brackets, these grouped ingredients have been counted as a single ingredient.

 

This means, the ingredients within that ingredient may not stick to the normal laws of ingredient quantity from greatest to least.

 

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Total Carbs & Fibre: USA vs Australia

You may have noticed some North American packaged products finding their way onto the shelves of Australian stores.

 

Though most American companies release their products in Australia with packaging specifically designed to suit our requirements, some sneak in without these adjustments.

 

One of the most noticeable differences to watch out for is the total carbohydrate and fibre content.

 

You might have noticed that in Australia the fibre content is listed separate to the total carbohydrate content, which is a smart move.

 

Though American labels list the fibre content under the total carbohydrate heading, along with sugar.

 

This means that labels made for USA have the fibre added to the total carbohydrate content.

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So to get the correct total carbohydrate content from American packaging, simply subtract the fibre content.

 

Fibre and carbohydrates play very different roles in the body, with fibre offering very little caloric content and minimal glycemic impact.

 

Fibre supports healthy digestion, with soluble fibre promoting the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria that live in our digestive tract.

 

The microbiome is essential to good health, with science confirming it affects our mood, digestion, immunity and much more.

 

Fibre can also lessen the glycemic impact of carbohydrates and sugars, placing less stress on the pancreas and reducing the risk of insulin resistance.

 

It’s important to discriminate between fibre and carbohydrates so you know exactly what you’re getting yourself into!

 

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Active Ingredients

When is Enough, Enough?

Next time you find a pre-workout that looks like it’s going to be the answer to all your training woes, flip it over and check out the ingredients and nutrition panel.

 

Then, ask yourself one simple question: does this contain the ingredients that can make a difference at high enough levels.

 

Or are the actives included at low or “marketing” levels?

 

Let’s take a popular ingredient found in many pre-workout supplements in Australia: Citrulline Malate.

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Given that the bulk of the research on this ingredient is around the 6g to 8g daily, you would expect a sports nutrition company would stick the vicinity of this dosage.

 

However, citrulline malate is not cheap and a full 8 gram dose adds considerably to the sale price of a product.

 

And maybe you’re creating a budget pre-workout. So let’s say you create your cutting-edge pre-workout with 500mg or 0.5 grams of citrulline malate.

 

This creates a small serving size and a cheaper product.

 

And guess what?

 

It’s still got Citrulline Malate in it.

 

Then you see phrases on the front label like “muscle pumps” and “insane vascularity”.

 

For most consumers who aren’t aware of what characterises a “therapeutic” citrulline malate dosage, just the mere mention of this ingredient is enough to trigger some sort of recognition.

 

Maybe the consumer has heard this ingredient gives a good pump, boosts performance or even enhances nitric oxide synthesis.

 

And the pre-workout may still be marketed as such, with extraordinary packaging and a nice glossy sticker, even though it contains around 1/12th to 1/16th of the needed quantity.

 

So ask yourself, is 500mg of citrulline malate a therapeutic quantity or a “marketing” quantity?

 

Will it actually enhance your training in any way at all?

 

What about 1 gram of beta-alanine?

 

Or 2 grams of micronised creatine monohydrate?

 

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Hydrolysed Whey Protein: Real Deal?

Steadily but surely, hydrolysed whey protein has become less popular over the past few decades in Australia.

 

This may be due to a combination of factors, such as:

  1. High price.
  2. Concerns over use of chemicals in processing.
  3. Lack of scientific evidence indicating greater benefit over standard WPI.
  4. Use of hydrolysed WPC instead of WPI.
  5. Many products contain protein blends, with an undisclosed amount of hydrolysed protein.
  6. Last but not least, a new wave of protein powders that claim to be hydrolysed, when in fact they’re actually … not.

 

Firstly, what is hydrolysis?

 

Proteins are made up of chains of amino acids joined by peptide bonds. In order to absorb these protein into our system, our digestion has the task of first denaturing the protein with acids and then hydrolysing it with enzymes.

 

This leads to the creation of free-form amino acids, dipeptides and tripeptides from the protein, which are small enough molecules to “slip” through the cracks in our gut and intestinal wall and into our system.

 

To break the peptide bonds that joint together amino acids, proteolytic enzymes are needed, such as pepsin and protease.

 

There are plant-based enzymes that do this as well, such as papain (from Paw Paw), bromelains (from pineapple) and actinidin (from Kiwi Fruit).

 

The real benefits of a hydrolysed protein powder are that they are pre-digested, and as a result rapidly absorbed.

 

This means that once the hydrolysed protein is consumed, the stomach, pancreas and brush border enzymes are not relied upon as heavily to break down the protein molecules, preparing them for absorption.

 

There are a wave of new protein powders that are referred to as hydrolysed. They contain standard whey protein and digestive enzymes.

 

However, this is very different to a hydrolysed whey protein product, that is carefully hydrolysed in a manufacturing facility. Typically, the amino acid, peptides and protein composition are verified after production to be sure the finished product is in fact hydrolysed adequately.

 

Sprinkling a little proteolytic enzymes into a dry protein powder and hoping the finished product will be hydrolysed is a very different thing indeed.

 

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Digestive Enzymes: Gimmick or Relevant?

When it comes to supplement creation, not all companies have a team of food technologists, medical doctors, nutritionists and sports and exercise scientists.

 

So not all supplementation mishaps occur as a result of the direct intention to mislead a consumer and make more money.

 

Sometimes it happens as a results of dabbling in areas that are highly complex, such as the addition of digestive enzymes to protein powder with the belief that they will significantly impact digestion for the better.

 

Here’s the problem.

 

It is essential that enzyme quantity be taken into consideration when addressing the relevance of enzymes in products, just like every other active ingredient.

 

For instance, a healthy human pancreas produces 1 litre of enzymes each day.

 

Needless to say, the quantity required to make any appreciable difference to digestion is high indeed.

 

An undisclosed sprinkling of plant-based digestive enzymes may have about as much impact on digestion as a gentle breeze blowing a thousand miles away.

 

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What the Heck is Lecithin?

If you’re old enough, you might have strolled into a health food store some 20 years ago to retrieve a bag of lecithin granules.

 

Lecithin was much more fashionable two decades ago, when it was primarily derived from soy and added to smoothies, shakes and more as a powerful health tonic.

 

You may have noticed this ingredient popping up here and there in your protein powders as the last ingredient on the label.

 

Lecithin is quite a miraculous substance, and these days can be obtained from sunflower, though it is naturally found in a range of foods, such as egg yolk and yoghurt.

 

Lecithin is made up of specialised types of fats, called phospholipids. “Phospho” refers to phosphorus, which is a part of the molecular structure.

 

A breakdown of the structure of phospholipids can be seen below, with its “head group”, phosphorus, glycerol and fatty acid tails.   

 

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The “head group” determines the type of phospholipid, whether it’s a phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylserine or phosphatidylethanolamine, etc.

 

Phospholipids form an essential structural and functional part of every single cell in the human body, and profoundly impact the health of the liver in a positive way.

 

Due to the fact that lecithin can bind to both water and fats, it is often added to powdered products to improve their mixability in water.

 

However, lecithin also offers health benefits, particularly for the new type of sunflower lecithins that are appearing in the marketplace.

 

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Omega 6 Values

Omega 6 or linoleic acid is an essential amino acid, meaning that we need to obtain it from our diet in order to maintain health.

 

However, the typical diets of westerners contain far too much Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3.

 

Much of this massive increase in Omega 6 intake has been as a result of diet containing plenty of vegetable oils or seed oils.

 

Firstly, it is important to elevate our Omega 3 intake with foods and supplements, such as fish oil, algae oil, krill oil, flaxseed, linseed and walnuts.

 

Secondly, eliminating all processed foods containing vegetable oils, such as:

  1. Soybean oil
  2. Sunflower oil
  3. Safflower oil
  4. Canola oil
  5. Rapeseed oil
  6. Cottonseed oil
  7. Grapeseed oil

 

By boosting your omega 3 intake and eliminating added processed vegetable oils, you will achieve a better fatty acid balance. This dampens the fire of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, drivers of so many chronic degenerative diseases.

 

Reducing your rancid processed oil intake reduces free-radical stress, protects cells and helps to maintain your pool of protective antioxidants, such as Vitamin E.

 

Coconut oil is an exception, as are animal fats, olive oil and palm oil. However, make sure the palm oil is sustainably sourced!

These fats sources are higher in saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, which are more stable with heat and oxygen exposure and contain much lower Omega 6 levels.

 

The Omega 6 issue is one of the most overlooked dietary issues of our time, mostly due to the mass programming that has taken place over the past half century or so, telling us saturated fat and cholesterol are bad.

 

It’s only natural that we would want to replace our dietary fat intake with something. Unfortunately, highly processed, omega 6 rich, adulterated, bleached, deodorised and rancid vegetable oils have taken centre stage in the food industry, much to the demise of public health.

 

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