Amazonia Raw Protein Review

 

Amazonia offer a pure vegan protein range with the benefit of being bio-enhanced for improved absorption. Their supplements have been highly successful within the Australian market. This is no surprise, given their commitment to an organic, sustainable and holistic business models coupled with the growth of the plant-based protein market.

 

This review covers all of the Amazonia vegan protein powders, including their standard range plus two new RawFIT products. 

 

Rest assured, this is the ultimate guide to all things Amazonia and plant protein.

 

 Which Amazonia Raw Protein is Best for You?

Dieting/Weight Loss

RAW Slim and Tone or RawFIT Thermo Burn Protein

Muscle Building/Maintenance

RAW Protein Isolate or RawFIT Performance Protein

Paleo Diet

RAW Paleo Fermented Protein

Ketogenic Diet

1^st Choice: RAW Protein Isolate, Natural

If you want Flavour: RAW Paleo Fermented Protein Vanilla or RAW Protein Isolate Vanilla

Endurance Athletes

RAW Paleo Fermented Protein 

Multiple Allergies/Intolerances/Digestive Issue

RAW Protein Isolate, Natural (Unflavoured)

General Health/Boost Dietary Protein Intake

RAW Protein Isolate

 

 

How does it Taste?

Amazonia products are well known for their natural flavour range.

 

They don’t load their organic products with flavours and sweeteners, despite the fact that they use natural forms of these ingredients.

 

After all, we want more protein in each tub, not flavours and sweeteners, right?

 

This means you might find these vegan proteins to be a little less flavoursome than other brands. However, this taps perfectly into the brands mission in delivering pure and clean products.

 

If yo want to boost up the flavour, simply mix a serve with your favourite nut milk, incorporate them into smoothies or Acai bowls. If you’re watching your calorie intake, give it a go in cold water- you might be pleasantly surprised.

 

You may like to experiment with the flavour by adding raw cacao powder and a little natural sweetener, like organic stevia, thaumatin, xylitol or Luo Han Guo (Monk Fruit).

 

This actually works really well with nut milk to create a more robust flavour. You also get the benefits of more antioxidants too from the nutrient dense cacao!

 

Amazonia are the voice of a new generation of clean-eating environmentally-conscious people who use protein powders for a range of reasons, not necessarily just to build lean muscle.

 

 

Why People are Choosing Amazonia RAW Protein Powders:

1. Supplement a Vegan Diet
2. Lactose Intolerance
3. Dairy Allergies
4. To Improve Alkalinity
5. Bloating and Digestive Discomfort with other Vegan Proteins
6. Following an Organic Diet
7. High Activity Level (indicating a higher protein need)
8. Coeliac Disease or non-Coeliac Gluten-Sensitivity
9. Holistic Health Inclined
10. Maintain Muscle Mass or Build Lean Muscle
    

 

Protein powders are supported by a wide range of healthcare professionals, including Naturopaths, Nutritionists, Holistic Doctors and Chiropractors. This is no surprise, given the variety of roles that the 9 essential amino acids play in the body.

 

Amazonia plant-based proteins contain all nine essential amino acids in each and every scoop. Here’s a look at the difference in essential amino acid content between Amazonia Raw Protein Isolate and plain Whey Protein Isolate (WPI). Because WPI has a high biological value, it’s great to use as an amino acid reference point.

 

Essential Amino Acid	Amazonia Raw Protein Isolate, Natural (g/100g)	Whey Protein Isolate (g/100g)
Leucine	8.54	11.53
Isoleucine	5.10	5.08
Valine	5.59	4.51
Tryptophan	1.04	1.93
Methionine	1.41	1.93
Phenylalanine	5.09	3.06
Threonine	3.99	4.27
Histidine	2.39	1.61
Lysine	6.81	9.03

 

As you can see, all the essential amino acids are there. Amazonia RAW Protein Isolate even surpasses WPI for some of the EAAs.

 

So it looks like this vegan powder packs plenty of protein punch. But what are the human clinical trials saying about these products, with respect to sports nutrition and body composition?

 

Human Research with Plant Proteins

A study published by the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2015 looked at Pea Protein and Whey Protein. They examined the results of these protein powders when supplemented to people engaged in regular exercise.

 

 

The results of this research showed that pea protein led to slightly more muscle gains than whey protein (1). That’s right … more muscle gain. Now, muscle growth happened because of the type of exercise the participants were engaged in.

 

Protein powders promotes adaptation to exercise, which is a good thing. Protein supplements themselves don't make muscles grow unless your training stresses muscle to the point that it requires growth to adapt. In this case, muscle does this in an attempt to prevent future stress to the same degree.

 

In this study, muscle gain is a marker of the quality of the pea protein. Whether you want to build muscle or not, the researchers showed that pea protein has an excellent nutritional profile that the human body responds favourably to.

 

A couple of other studies looking at rice protein have showed that it can elevate blood amino acids and leucine as well as whey protein, and that it is as effective as whey protein at supporting body composition and human performance (2,3).

 

KEY Benefits of Amazonia Vegan Proteins

Amazonia raw proteins are ACO Certified Organic in Australia (Certification #10927). ACO have the highest worldwide standards for organic certification.

 

Here are some key points on the raw protein range from Amazonia:

• Alkaline
• Gluten-Free
• GMO-Free
• Heavy Metal Tested
• Sprouted and Fermented
• Natural Sweeteners and Flavours
• ACO Certified Organic
• 100% Vegan Friendly

 

As impressive as all of these bullet points are, the question still remains: is this the best vegan protein powder range to give you the nutritional support that you need?

 

Enzymes: The Key to Bioavailability

In each vegan protein powder, Amazonia have included an enzyme blend. Enzymes are specialised proteins that create a chemical reaction when they come into contact with the right compound.

 

For instance, Amazonia RAW Protein Powders contain an enzyme called Protease. When protease comes into contact with proteins, it breaks them down.

 

Specifically, protease breaks the peptide bonds that hold amino acids together in what we know as proteins. This is like pulling apart the links in a chain.

 

This enzyme blend assists with the breakdown of protein, carbohydrates, fats and fibre. These are 100% vegan-sourced enzymes.

 

Digestive issues are as common as colds and flues in winter these days. So added digestive enzymes really is a great idea to boost the potency of this product range. Gram for gram, you get better results from a digestive-enzyme enriched product.

 

Amazonia proteins are typically put through some combination of sprouting, activating and fermenting. This process is designed to make the protein easier to digest, further enhancing bioavailability.

 

Amazonia Raw Protein Isolate

This is a straight up Sprouted Pea Protein and Rice Protein blend, enriched with Digestive Enzymes. The protein content (on dry weight) starts at 71.6g per 100g for Cacao Coconut Flavour, 78.2g protein per 100g for Vanilla and 80.8g protein per 100g in Natural (unflavoured).

 

It’s quite normal to see the protein content vary between flavours. After all, adding a bulky ingredient, like raw cacao, to a protein powder naturally reduces the protein content per 100g. This is simply due to dilution.

 

 

 

Amazonia Raw Slim and Tone Protein Reviews

This product is designed specifically for weight management, as the name suggests. But it’s also a winner if you are at a good weight and want to be sure that you maintain it.

 

RAW Slim and Tone contains a range of herbs, spices and greens to enhance the speed of your natural metabolism. This means more fat-burning no matter what you do. Though activity is recommended.

 

This 74+ blend of natural ingredients are also designed to reduce cravings. We all know that this can be one of the hardest parts of a weight loss diet. And sometimes cravings can be ridiculously specific, like Fresh Cinnamon Doughnut with whipped cream and crumbled Flake bars on top!

 

If we can combat cravings naturally with a range of natural ingredients, then all the better. This is a smart addition to Slim and Tone, which should make weight loss life feel a little less deprived.

 

RAW Paleo Fermented Protein

This plant-based protein is a blend of pea protein and either sacha inchi or tiger nut, depending on the flavour. There is no rice in this product, which makes it a paleo-friendly product.

 

In addition, Amazonia have added a range of fermented foods, such as spirulina, spinach, sweet potato, pumpkin seed and sunflower seed. This makes for a nourishing finished product that is gentle on the digestive system.

 

RAW Paleo Protein comes in Salted Caramel Coconut and Vanilla Lucuma flavours and delivers around 23 grams of protein per serve. 

 

This is a fermented grain-free product that can be enjoyed a part of a Paleo eating program, or simply taken as a quality vegan protein source.

 

Amazonia Raw FIT Protein

(RawFIT Performance Protein)

The RawFIT range is one of the latest additions to Amazonia. RawFIT Performance Protein is a pea and rice protein blend with a larger suggested serving size.

 

This puts the protein at 31.6g and 33.5g per serve for the Chocolate and Vanilla flavours, respectively. With each serve providing 5.5grams of naturally occurring BCAAs, this is a product you can count on to stimulate protein synthesis.

 

This product boasts a Recovery Blend, which includes Organic Mesquite, Marine Magnesium and Montmorency Tart Cherry. Each of these has been chosen to fulfill a specific biological role.

 

Mesquite is one of the highest natural sources of a range of minerals, including calcium and magnesium. This complements the mineral content of Marine Magnesium, with each serve of Performance Protein delivering between 63mg and 94mg of this mineral per serve.

 

Montmorency Tart Cherries are naturally high in anthocyanins, which are valuable antioxidants. They are also a good source of Quercetin, which is a powerful bioflavonoid with anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic activity (6).

 

Ellagic acid is found in tart cherries and is regarded as a natural anti-cancer compound (7).

 

Given the higher content of protein and supportive nutrients, this a great product for post-workout or between meals that will assist with the natural recovery and growth of lean muscle.

 

RawFIT Thermo Burn Protein

With Pea Protein and Rice Protein, this product has a slightly smaller serving size than the Performance Protein. Thermo Burn Protein contains around the 26grams of protein per serve.

 

Thermo Burn offers a range of fat-burners and metabolic enhancers. Perhaps the most potent are Green Tea Extract, Coleus Forskolii and Green Coffee Bean Extract.

 

Green Tea is a rich source of polyphenols, including EGCG. Numerous clinical trials on humans have shown that Green Tea can elevate the metabolic rate and improve exercise-induced abdominal fat (8,9).

 

Green Coffee is a natural source of antioxidants and chlorogenic acids, while Coleus helps to boost cAMP and has been proven to be effective for fighting obesity (10).

 

This product is a first choice for anyone wanting to target fat-loss and lean muscle gain, or even just toning.

 

How to Use Amazonia Raw Protein

Add the recommended serving size to cold water or milk alternative and shake or stir. Consume immediately.

 

These protein powders can be added to smoothies, acai bowls, cereal or muesli, yoghurt or kefir, pancake mixes or added to baked goods. The sky is the limit when it comes to incorporating quality vegan protein powders into you diet.

 

 

How much does Amazonia Raw Protein Cost?

The prices do vary depending on the product. However, for the large tub sizes you are looking at a starting price of $1.82 per serve (RAW Protein Isolate) and up to $2.77 per serve (RawFIT Performance Protein).

 

 Conclusion

The Amazonia RAW Protein range is a unique holistically-inclined product range for the health-conscious consumer. It offers obvious advantages to anyone adhering to a vegan diet and people with dairy allergies and intolerances.

 

You may miss out on some of the more robust flavours that other protein powders deliver. But it’s a sacrifice for other quality ingredients, like Organic Mesquite and Spirulina.

 

Plant-Based proteins are standing up in the scientific research of late, and showing that they can deliver just as much protein and essential amino acid punch as their dairy-based rivals.

 

Rest assured, Amazonia have got your health in mind, not just your muscles. But they don’t stop there. They also look at the sustainability of their ingredient sources and source Organic where possible.

 

That’s impressive to say the least.

 

References

1.Babault N et al. Pea proteins oral supplementation promotes muscle thickness gains during resistance training: a double-blind, randomized, Placebo-controlled clinical trial vs. Whey protein. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2015 Vol 12;3

2.Purpura M et al. A comparison of blood amino acid concentrations following ingestion of rice and whey protein isolate: a double blind crossover study. Journal of Nutrition and Health Sciences. 2014 Vol 1;3

 3. Joy J.M., et al. The effects of 8 weeks of whey or rice protein supplementation on body composition and exercise performance. Nutrition Journal. 2013 Vol 12; 86

4.Khoo HE et al. Anthocyanidins and anthocyanins: colored pigments as food, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the potential health benefits. Food and Nutrition Research. 2017 Vol 61;1

 5.Noor R, Mittal S and Iqbal J. Superoxide dismutase - applications and relevance to human diseases. Medical Science Monitor. 2002 Vol 8;9

 6. Mlcek J etla. Quercetin and its anti-allergic immune response. Molecules. 2016 Vol 21;5

 7. Zhang Hong-Mei et al. Research progress on the anticarcinogenic actions and mechanisms of ellagic acid. Cancer Biology and Medicine. 2014 Vol 11;2 p.92-100

8. Dulloo A.G. et al. Efficacy of a green tea extract rich in catechin polyphenols and caffeine in increasing 24-h energy expenditure and fat oxidation in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 1999 Vol 70 p.1040-1045

  9. Maki K.C. et al. Green Tea Catechin Consumption Enhances Exercise-Induced Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight and Obese Adults. The Journal of Nutrition 2009 Vol 139;2 p.264-270

 10.Onakpoya I et al. The use of green coffee extract as a weight loss supplement: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised clinical trials. Gastroenterology research and practice. 2011

 11. Cavity C et al. Coleus forskohlii – A comprehensive review on morphology, phytochemistry and pharmacological aspects. Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 2010 Vol 4;4 p. 278-285