The 7 Finest Casein Protein Powders of 2025, Examined by RDs

Is a Casein Protein Powder Complement Helpful?

Protein wants fluctuate based mostly on quite a lot of components, together with age, gender, exercise degree, and well being standing. Nevertheless, most People get enough protein by means of weight loss plan alone—which appears to be like like 46-56 grams of protein per day, or about 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of physique weight. Those that profit from casein protein powder could embody the next:

• Athletes: Many athletes want extra protein than the common particular person as a consequence of their excessive exercise degree. The extra protein in an athlete’s weight loss plan helps assist muscle development and restoration—generally taken along side creatine to spice up muscle development. Due to this, athletes are the principle group of people that could profit from taking a casein protein powder complement if they can’t get sufficient protein of their weight loss plan.
• Those that choose protein dietary supplements later within the day: Analysis exhibits that consuming milk-based protein after a exercise will help promote muscle development and restoration. Whey protein could also be a greater possibility if you wish to take your protein complement proper earlier than or after a exercise because it will get damaged down and absorbed quicker than casein. For those who choose to have your protein complement later within the day or earlier than bedtime, we advocate choosing casein as a consequence of its sluggish absorption fee.

Who Might Not Profit from Casein Protein Powder

These teams could not profit from taking a casein protein complement:

• Wholesome adults assembly their protein wants by means of weight loss plan: For the common one that is assembly their protein wants with meals, a protein powder complement will not be essential and received’t present noticeable advantages.
• Individuals on protein-restricted diets: There are particular medical situations that require an individual to eat a low protein weight loss plan, together with continual kidney illness and inherited metabolic problems like phenylketonuria, homocystinuria, maple syrup urine illness, and tyrosinemia. If that you must restrict protein in your weight loss plan, you must keep away from utilizing protein powder typically.
• Older adults: As we become old, we naturally lose muscle mass and energy. One solution to fight that is by rising protein consumption as we age, which is especially efficient when mixed with resistance coaching. In relation to protein supplementation for older adults, faster-absorbing protein sources (like whey protein) could promote muscle development extra successfully than casein, a sluggish absorbing protein. Because of this, we advocate whey over casein for older adults. Chances are you’ll discover it useful to discover our roundup of the greatest whey protein powders.
• Individuals with a milk allergy: A milk allergy is an immune system response to take advantage of proteins and is handled by avoiding milk and merchandise that comprise milk proteins. Since casein is without doubt one of the principal proteins in milk, these with a milk allergy ought to keep away from utilizing casein protein powder. 
• Individuals on a vegan weight loss plan: Casein is an animal-based protein, so it doesn’t match right into a vegan weight loss plan. If you’re following a vegan weight loss plan, select one of many many kinds of vegan protein powders as an alternative of casein protein.

How We Choose and Check Dietary supplements

Our staff works onerous to be clear about why we advocate sure dietary supplements. We assist dietary supplements which might be evidence-based and rooted in science. We worth sure product attributes that we discover to be related to the highest-quality merchandise. Our staff of specialists has created an in depth, science-backed methodology to decide on the dietary supplements we advocate. You’ll be able to learn extra about our dietary complement methodology right here. 

Along with our analysis, we examined 25 of the highest casein protein powders, getting ready and serving them as directed by the producer. When testing, we evaluated every product for the next six vital standards:

• Diet: Our vitamin editors analyzed every product based mostly on the standard of elements, quantity of protein and kind, and different vitamins added. We additionally thought-about impartial verification and related certifications.
• Taste: We tasted every product, noting how correct it was to the flavour marketed on the packaging and if the flavour corresponded to the colour of the drink. We additionally took notes on whether or not the flavour was good or unhealthy, how robust every taste was, and if we felt it was overly candy or salty.
• Texture: We reviewed the feel of every product, noting if it was skinny and clean, clumpy, grainy, separated, or in any other case disagreeable. We reviewed the dissolubility of the product, noting how lengthy it took to dissolve in water or milk (and if it dissolved fully), how a lot stirring was required, and if there was any product left on the backside of the glass. We additionally examined some merchandise in several eventualities, like when mixing into oats or pancake/waffle mixes.
• Aftertaste: We examined to see if any of the merchandise left an aftertaste within the mouth after consuming it and famous if it was disagreeable, how lengthy it lingered, and if we needed to eat or drink one thing afterward to masks the aftertaste.
• Scent: Upon opening the product, we famous the way it smelled, together with if there have been any salty, candy, or chemical smells. We additionally famous any nice or disagreeable aromas. We reviewed if the odor was according to the flavour listed on the packaging and if the odor impacted the style after we drank it.
• Worth: We assessed the worth, analyzing the associated fee within the context of the standard of the product, use and style expertise, the variety of servings per container, and the shelf life.

What to Look For in Casein Protein Powders

• Unbiased verification: Protein powders which might be independently verified are despatched to a lab the place they’re examined to make sure they comprise what they are saying they comprise and are usually not contaminated with particular high-risk, frequent contaminants. Our staff works onerous to be clear about why we advocate sure dietary supplements; you may learn extra about our dietary complement methodology right here. If you’re an athlete, search for a product that’s licensed NSF for Sports activities or Knowledgeable Sport Licensed. Most protein powders naturally comprise heavy metals in hint quantities, and customers have expressed concern about heavy steel contamination when utilizing these dietary supplements. Nevertheless, a current examine exhibits that consuming one to a few servings of protein powder per day is unlikely to trigger antagonistic well being results. A casein protein that has been independently verified helps guarantee heavy metals don’t exceed the FDA-established ranges for contamination.
• Kind: You might need observed that 4 of the 5 really useful merchandise on this record are made with “micellar” casein. Which means that the milk used to make it has been microfiltered, which ends up in a better-tasting product with a extra nice consistency. Most casein protein powders are made with micellar casein due to this, so that you get a extra palatable product for protein shakes, smoothies, and extra.
• Different elements: If you’re delicate to sure sugars, flavors, components, or preservatives, you will wish to examine the ingredient record earlier than making your decide. Some folks could expertise digestive upset or bloating when consuming sugar alcohols, so be conscious of this.

Components and Potential Interactions

It’s important to fastidiously learn the ingredient record and vitamin information panel of a complement to know which elements and the way a lot of every ingredient is included relative to the really useful every day worth of that ingredient. Please convey the complement label to a healthcare supplier to evaluation the totally different elements contained within the complement and any potential interactions between these elements and different dietary supplements and medicines you take. Whereas some combos could yield well being advantages, reminiscent of mixing creatine with protein dietary supplements, others could have the alternative impact.

As a result of casein is a milk product, you must keep away from it if in case you have a milk allergy.

Dosage

The Beneficial Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein for a median grownup is 0.8 grams of protein per day per kilogram of physique weight or about 46 grams of protein per day for girls and 56 grams of protein a day for males. Analysis exhibits that People, on common, are getting greater than sufficient protein of their diets—girls are getting about 69 grams a day, and males are getting 100 grams a day, on common.

Although folks meet their protein wants by means of meals alone, particular person wants fluctuate based mostly on various factors. Casein protein powder will help complement your protein consumption in case you discover it troublesome to fulfill your protein necessities by means of your weight loss plan.

How A lot Is Too A lot?

There isn’t a Tolerable Higher Restrict (UL) for protein consumption. The danger seems to be very low for consuming extra protein from meals. However with such restricted information to point out any antagonistic results of a high-protein weight loss plan from meals and dietary supplements, it’s not really useful to devour greater than the really useful vary of protein for the common particular person.

Different Casein Protein Powders We Thought of

• Clear Labs Casein Protein: This powder has an amazing style, no added sugars, and one hundred pc grass-fed cattle as its solely supply of casein, however some flavors have greater contents of sodium, and it’s expensive in comparison with comparable choices.
• Optimum Diet Gold Customary 100% Micellar Casein Protein Powder: This powder is formulated with 24 grams of protein and 9 grams of important amino acids per serving, plus magnesium and one hundred pc of your every day worth of zinc. Nevertheless, the flavour choices are restricted, and it comprises synthetic sweeteners, soy, and gums.
• Muscle Feast Micellar Casein: This gluten-free and vegetarian powder has 21 grams of protein per serving, however it comprises synthetic sugars.

Our Consultants

• Shushy Rita Setrakia, MS, RD: a Registered Dietitian and one in every of our vitamin and complement editors. Shushy is enthusiastic about changing vitamin science into significant dietary suggestions. She has a watch for recognizing the most recent vitamin tendencies, analysis, and breaking down what that may imply to your complement and meals decisions.
• DJ Mazzoni, MS, RD, CDN, CSCS, a registered dietitian and licensed energy and conditioning specialist

Often Requested Questions

What are the drawbacks of utilizing casein protein powder over different choices?

The selection to make use of casein protein powder over different choices principally comes right down to the timing and once you plan to make use of the protein powder. For a similar motive that casein is a slow-digesting protein, “it is a suboptimal selection for pre-workout or mid-workout protein supplementation. It will not be metabolized as rapidly as different kinds of protein like whey, and will not have the ability to ship vitamin that enhances exercises as optimally as different kinds of protein,” says Mazzoni.

What are the advantages of utilizing casein protein powder over different choices?

Since casein is a milk protein, it comprises all 9 important amino acids—this makes it the next high quality protein supply than some incomplete proteins like rice protein powder. It’s additionally a wonderful supply of calcium, an vital mineral for bone and enamel well being, muscle and nerve functioning, and extra.

In comparison with whey protein, casein is digested and absorbed rather more slowly. This “makes it an optimum selection for post-exercise muscle restoration. Consuming casein protein at night time earlier than sleep helps the muscle tissues get well from an intense exercise and be higher ready for a exercise the next day,” says Mazzoni.

What can I make utilizing casein protein powder?

Casein can be utilized like different protein powders to make protein shakes when combined with water or milk. It’ll additionally mix properly into smoothies. 

Casein protein powder is sort of absorbent and thickens when combined with liquid to make a thick protein pudding. As a result of casein is so absorbent, it isn’t the perfect protein powder to bake with. It’ll work greatest for no-bake choices like shakes, protein pudding, yogurt, or in a single day oats.

Is casein protein powder higher than vegan protein powder?

This relies largely on the kind of vegan protein powder and what you need from a protein powder. If the vegan protein powder you employ is a whole protein supply with all 9 important amino acids, will probably be of an analogous high quality to casein protein powder.

Just like whey protein, vegan protein powders are digested and absorbed extra rapidly than casein. So vegan protein powder could present some benefit over casein in case you plan to make use of it pre-, mid-, or instantly post-workout.

How costly is casein?

Casein protein powder pricing can fluctuate based mostly on the worldwide provide and value of milk. As milk pricing will increase, the price of casein protein can enhance. Presently, a basic vary of price per serving for casein protein powder could be round $0.90 per serving to $2 per serving.

Why Belief VeryWell Match

Alex Aldeborgh, MS, RD, is a Verywell Match author and a registered dietitian together with her personal non-public observe. Alex spends her time creating wholesome recipes and vitamin content material for her profitable weblog and Instagram web page, Daisybeet. Alex evokes readers to get within the kitchen to arrange wholesome, cheap, and easy recipes. Via her expertise taste-testing in recipe growth, she has additionally developed a eager style for various protein powders available on the market.

Eliza Savage, MS, RD, CDN, is the previous Editorial Director of Verywell Match, a registered dietitian, and a broadcast writer. She used to handle all content material at Verywell Match and helped be certain that the really useful vitamin and ingestible merchandise had been dietitian-approved.

Each authors thought-about testing insights whereas creating this record.