I wrote an article last year about the best whey protein powders on the market. In it, I said that they are also great for losing weight. I have received a lot of queries on the best casein protein powders for weight loss. How come consuming casein for weight loss is important? How many grams of protein is sufficient to start weight loss? When should I take casein protein for weight loss?
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How many Calories to Lose a Pound?
Our bodies do not work on this formula. The first and foremost rule of reducing weight is to stay in a calorie deficit, which means your intake of calories should always be less than the calories you burn.
A calorie is a unit of energy, and it is a way of describing how much energy you will get by eating an apple or having dinner. For example, you get 90 calories from a cup of milk tea.
These calories are needed to run a factory called the human body. Calories not consumed stay deposited in the form of body fat.
Best Casein Protein Powder for Weight Loss
We have sorted the protein powders according to calories from lowest to highest.
BodyTech Micellar Casein Protein Powder
Scoop – 32.2
- Calories – 100
- Flavours – 3
- Protein – 24 gm
- BCAA – gm
- Carbs – 1 gm
- Fat – 0.5 gm
BodyTech Casein Powder can be eaten at any time of day. It is one of the best-tasting casein protein powders. It keeps muscles from breaking down too much as they heal after a workout or before bed.
Proteins made of casein are digested more slowly than other proteins. Casein helps minimize post-workout muscle degradation by supplying an extended-release of muscle-building amino acids.
BodyTech Micellar Casein is priced reasonably. Flavored and unflavored powder options are available. Proprietary Aminogen, an enzyme that assists the body in protein breakdown, distinguishes this brand. Only micellar casein and amino gen are used in the unflavored formula.
Pros
- Very low Carbs & Fats
- Taste well-liked by users
Cons
- It won’t mix nicely in a blender bottle.
BulkSupplements.com Casein Protein Powder
Scoop – 30 gm
- Calories – 106
- Flavours – Unflavored
- Protein – 25 gm
- BCAA – gm
- Carbs – <1 gm
- Fat – <1 gm
It is a top-rated casein protein powder. Unflavored casein powder provides a protein boost with no added sweetness, so you may enjoy them with a meal or drink that’s not as sweet. It does not include any artificial ingredients and is unflavored. It has a hint of milkiness, but it is easy to make it tastier by blending it with various fruits. It is less thick than the consistency of other casein powder supplements. You can easily make a casein shake with water and blend it to a creamy texture.
This casein powder contains 25 grams of protein and less than 1 gram of carbohydrates and fat. That macro split is very effective. The product is made in an FDA-inspected facility, following cGMP guidelines.
Pros
- Unflavored protein powder with no additives.
- A high proportion of protein
- Casein is the sole ingredient mentioned.
- Gluten and sugar-free.
- Available in a variety of sizes.
Cons
- No mention of the casein type.
- Weak packing
Naked Nutrition Micellar Casein Protein Powder
Serving Size – 30 gm
- Calories – 110
- Flavours – Unflavored
- Protein – 26 gm
- BCAA – 5.45 gm
- Carbs – 0 gm
- Fat – 0 gm
Naked Casein is a wonderful way to get the advantages of casein protein.
The primary protein source is premium micellar casein. This protein is not denatured during processing. Micellar casein digests slowly and clots in the stomach, allowing a continuous supply of amino acids. This is great for muscle development and regeneration, particularly before bed.
No chemical detergents or heavy metals are used to make this protein. Since micellar casein is the only thing in this protein powder, it is also very clean and pure.
It contains casein, which is derived from milk. Also, this product is exclusively available from US farmers. Naked Casein is also minimal in calories, fat, carbohydrates, and sugar. This makes it ideal for clean muscle development and a general diet. This powder may be used in baking, drinks, and smoothies. You receive pure casein protein with no fillers.
Pros
- No Flavor
- No Artificial Colors
- No Carbs and no Fat
Cons
- -X-
Nutricost Casein Protein Powder
Scoop 35.27 gm
- Calories – 110
- Flavours – 2
- Protein – 24 gm
- BCAA – gm
- Carbs – 1 gm
- Fat – 1 gm
The flavour is pleasant and serves as a solid foundation for whatever other components you want to add to customize the dish. This 100% Micellar Casein is manufactured in a GMP-compliant, FDA-registered facility. It is non-GMO & Gluten free.
Pros
- Micellar casein in its purest form
- Gluten-free and non-GMO certified
- flavoured with natural ingredients
- Almost nil Carbs & Fats
Cons
- -X-
MyProtein Slow-Release Casein
Serving Size – 30 gm
- Calories – 110
- Flavours – Unflavored
- Protein – 23 gm
- Carbs – 3 gm
- Fat – 1 gm
It’s micellar casein, which breaks down slower than whey. Combined with whey or regular meals, micellar casein keeps you satiated and anabolic for longer.
I’ve only had the unflavored version and liked it. A shaker is helpful, but not necessary to stir the powder into water or milk. The dose per scoop is generous. Most folks just need one scoop. I felt fuller for longer than when I didn’t take it, which was great for avoiding midnight hunger.
The product completely crushes the competition on price points. And because this is MyProtein, expect to spend less. That’s insanely good micellar casein with no side effects.
Casein is a great method to add lasting power to your daily meals. If you don’t mind sacrificing taste for big savings, this is your best bet.
Pros
- No Flavor
- Very economical
- Very Satiating
Cons
- -X-
Legion Casein+ Protein Powder
Scoop – 32 gm
- Calories – 120
- Flavours – 5
- Protein – 26 gm
- BCAA – 5.2 gm
- Carbs – 2 gm
- Fat – 0 gm
Naturally sweetened and flavoured micellar casein protein powder. 100% micellar casein protein powder Casein+ has 26 gm of protein per serving and very little carbohydrate and fat. Casein is a grass-fed isolate derived from high-quality milk from sustainable dairy farms in Ireland, producing some of the world’s healthiest and cleanest milk.
Seriously Casein+ is a completely different casein powder. If you’re not pleased with this low-carb protein powder for women and men, the company will promptly and courteously return your money.
Pros
- It is from grass-fed dairy farms
- Zero fat content
- Naturally sweetened
Cons
- No digestive Enzymes
- Not a very good taste
- Contains Soy
ON Gold Standard 100% Casein Protein Powder
Scoop – 30.4 gm
- Calories – 120
- Flavours – 9
- Protein – 24 gm
- BCAA – 5 gm
- Carbs – 3 gm
- Fat – 1 gm
It is the most well-known company in the world that makes protein powder, and they make the best casein powders. This is a low-cholesterol protein powder.
Slow Digestion – A perfect choice between meals or before bedtime while fasting for a prolonged period, and it assists in regenerating lean muscle mass.
Micellar Casein – 24gm of high-quality, slow-digesting, anti-catabolic protein to aid your exercise and nutritional goals.
Night-Time Solution: This specially designed nighttime protein source will help you repair broken muscle fibres and stay anabolic as you sleep. It helps keep you full overnight and improves muscle recovery. SATIETÉ: keeps you fuller for longer and supports your weight-loss goals. It has more flavors, but it is usually only available in nine.
Pros
- No artificial colours
- Pure Casein Protein
- With Digestive Enzymes
- Less Cholesterol
Cons
- Costlier than competitors
- Artificial sweeteners
- Too sweet for my taste
- Soy
Dymatize Nutrition Elite Casein Powder
Scoop 35.6 gm
- Calories – 130
- Flavours – 4
- Protein – 25 gm
- BCAA – 5.4 gm
- Carbs – 4 gm
- Fat – 2 gm
Elite Casein uses cross-flow microfiltration to keep the muscle-building properties of casein protein in its natural state. Elite Casein is made by R&D experts who work for the company. They carefully choose ingredients that meet strict standards.
All Dymatize products, including the finished goods, are produced in GMP- and Sport-certified facilities.
Ideal for overnight muscle development and recovery, as well as other long stretches between meals.
Supports muscle development and regeneration by providing a steady supply of muscle-building amino acids.
Pros
- It tastes amazing.
- Calcium-rich.
- Informed Choice has certified this product.
- Cholesterol levels are quite low.
- Sugar-free
Cons
- Soy is present.
- Artificial flavours are present.
- A little salty
Six Star Elite Casein Protein Powder
Scoop – 40 gm
- Calories – 140
- Flavours – 1
- Protein – 24 gm
- BCAA – 4.9 gm
- Carbs – 9 gm
- Fat – 0.5 gm
MuscleTech Research & Development has created an 8-hour Sustained Release Protein for extended amino acid release. This dietary supplement mixes instantly. It has zero aspartame. The company has received the American Masters of Taste Gold Medal for the product’s superior taste. It is manufactured at a GMP facility. It is gluten-free and banned substance-free.
With 24g of protein in every scoop, Six Star Casein Protein provides your muscles a steady stream of amino acids. Casein has a 100% sustained-release property. It’s great for splitting up between meals and sleeping at night. When you eat and absorb food slowly, you get strong amino acids that keep your muscles fed all the time.
Pro
- Very Good Taste
- Low in Carbs & Sugars
Cons
- A bigger jar is also needed.
- Some clump formation when mixed with a spoon.
MuscleTech Phase8 Whey Casein Protein Blend
Scoop – 42 gm
- Calories – 150
- Flavours – 4
- Protein – 26 gm
- BCAA – 5.6 gm
- Carbs – 8 gm
- Fat – 1.5 gm
It is the best casein whey protein blend. The main protein in Phase 8 is one of the few that can keep pumping amino acids into your bloodstream for up to 8 hours after you eat it. This lets you keep a muscle-building environment going for longer.
To taste better than any other protein on the market, Phase 8 was flavored in one of the world’s best flavoring houses. It is a mix of various protein powders rather than casein only. It is also high in calories and carbs, and I feel this is the best-tasting casein protein powder available.
Pros
- Due to various proteins, various digestion rates
- It is suitable for consumption at any time during the day
- Very satiating
Cons
- To get a smooth texture, mix it very thoroughly.
- Leads to a harsh flavour.
BSN SYNTHA-6 Casein Protein Powder
Scoop – 47 gm
- Calories – 200
- Flavours – 7
- Protein – 22 gm
- BCAA – 5 gm
- Carbs – 15 gm
- Fat – 6 gm
BSN offers something novel with its Syntha-6 Protein Powder, a very popular product. Boldly packaged with a nutritional label that may seem unusual, an unusual macronutrient breakdown sits next to a list of lengthy and complicated chemicals and additives. It is more of a meal replacement than a casein.
Whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, calcium caseinate, micellar casein, milk protein isolate, and egg albumin are all included in this product. It doesn’t matter whether you eat it after a workout, in between meals, as a snack, or as a treat, and it’s designed to be the go-to protein powder at any time of day. This is one of the best casein supplements for muscle protein synthesis.
Pros
- Even with water, it tastes excellent.
- Mixes nicely
- Reasonably priced
Cons
- It contains a lot of artificial components
- The carbohydrate content is not low
- This product contains soy, wheat, and maize
- Highest calories of all those considered
Macro Nutrients & Calories
- 20 to 30% of calories should be from fats, and 1 gm of fat has nine calories.
- 45 to 65% calories from Carbs, and 1 gm carbohydrate has four calories.
- 10 to 35% calories from Protein content, and 1 gm protein has four calories.
So if you have a 2500-calorie diet a day, it means that you should get
- 500 to 750 calories from Fats
- 1125 to 1625 from Carbs
- 250 to 875 from Proteins
Now comes the exciting part. The body can store fat and carbohydrates, but not proteins. But if you eat more proteins, they can also be converted to fat and stored.
Looking at our current body weight and calorie intake, we have to decide which macronutrient is sufficient in how much quantity and the balanced composition of the three.
There cannot be one formula that fits all in this case. Age, activity level, body size, and body composition all influence how many calories a person burns daily.
And there can be unlimited permutations and combinations of all these terms.
We have not even discussed micronutrients till now, which also cause many changes in the body. All the vitamins and minerals are called micronutrients.
Fasting for Weight Loss
People start eating less as the first step toward a weight loss program. This unplanned way to lose weight leads to losing important nutrients because the person eats less variety of food. The body goes low on energy and causes you to crave high-fat and high-sugar foods. It, in turn, leads to the intake of more calories and weight gain.
Due to such weight loss efforts, many other problems can start due to a deficiency of micronutrients.
Some people begin exercising in addition to eating less to lose weight. But after a while, the body gets used to the exercise, and a plateau happens. Despite regular workouts, the weight does not decrease.
So people stop doing exercise, and their metabolisms go down. But we cannot reduce the diet now due to food cravings, which results in further weight gain.
Due to such weight loss efforts, we start losing micronutrients even if we decrease our diet.
So what is to be done?
You need to check your diet and see what you consume more of. In most cases, you are either –
- In Calorie surplus, eating more calories and burning less.
- Consuming more calories in the form of carbs and fats.
- Not doing any exercise.
- Leading a sedentary lifestyle.
So the only way out is
- Active Lifestyle. A total lifestyle shift is needed to lose weight and not regain it.
- A balanced diet with decreased calorie intake to stay in a calorie deficit.
- Consistency in a workout routine.
These are the ABCs of weight reduction, and various types of protein help you achieve all these. There are so many Advantages of Protein, and see how these help you in the ABC of weight loss.
Active Lifestyle
- Increases Muscle Mass and Strength
- It helps Maintain Weight Loss
- Good for Your Bones
Balanced Diet
- Reduces Appetite and Hunger Levels
- Reduces Cravings and Desire for Late-Night Snacking
Consistency in Workout Routine
- Boosts Metabolism and Increases Fat Burning
- Helps Your Body Repair Itself After Injury
- Enables you to Stay Fit as You age
- Lowers Your Blood Pressure
- Does Not Harm Healthy Kidneys
Benefits of Protein
- Protein is an essential component of every cell in the body.
- Hair and nails are mostly made of protein.
- Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues.
- You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals.
- Protein is an essential building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
- Protein is the most filling macronutrient.
In one study, increasing protein intake from 15% to 30% of calories made overweight women eat 441 fewer calories daily without intentionally restricting anything.
If you need to lose weight or belly fat, consider replacing some of your carbs and fats with protein. Make your potato or rice serving smaller while adding a few extra bites of meat or fish.
Increase your Protein Intake
The sad part is that despite so many health benefits, our so-called healthy diet is still deficient in protein.
There are so many sources of protein. Milk protein is a complete, plant-based protein like brown rice protein, vegan protein powders, egg protein, and meat-based protein. You can have a mix of these if you fulfil your requirements through whole food instead of any single source of protein. We consume only 10 to 30 gm of protein in our diet, whereas recommended levels are 0.8 to 1gm per kg weight.
According to a clinical study, most people can safely eat even between 2 and 3.5 gm per kg of body weight daily, especially those who need more protein than others, such as sportspersons, athletes, bodybuilders, etc. It is recommended that 10 to 35% of your daily energy consumption should come from protein.
Protein is very satiating. So by consuming any protein, you feel more satiated and do less snacking, which reduces your fat and carbs intake. So it reduces hunger and appetite, which in turn reduces calorie intake. After you eat, some calories are used in digesting and metabolizing the food. It is called the thermic effect of food. Proteins have a higher thermic effect (20 to 30%) compared to carbs (5 to 10%) and fat (0 to 3%), So 30 calories of protein are burned while digesting proteins, and only 70 are left behind, whereas 90 calories of carbs and 97 calories of fats are left behind.
- Higher protein intake boosts metabolism, burning up to 100 extra calories daily.
- More grams of protein per day reduces the craving for food and late-night snacking.
- Daily Protein intake helps in less weight regain after you have lost weight.
- Weight loss results in the loss of all macronutrients and slows down metabolism. Protein intake slows down muscle loss, sometimes even muscle gain, and increases metabolic rate.
- Along with an increase in protein intake, heavy strength training also results in a reduction in muscle loss and an increase in metabolism.
How to Get More Protein in Your Diet?
It is one big challenge for people who regularly have a low-protein diet. There are various forms of protein. Regular foods for increasing protein intake are chicken, fish, eggs, milk, cheese, yogurt, kidney beans, chickpeas, lentils, soy, tofu, etc. Various types of whey protein supplements are widely available today. You can have a protein bar or even protein powder with water.
Adding these foods to your meals becomes difficult as there are other family members.
There are so many ways to consume your extra protein. You can have a protein shake after a workout, after breakfast, or instead of evening tea, before dinner. You can add a scoop of protein powder to it. Protein per scoop is generally 24 to 30 gm. You also get high-quality protein without adding many calories to your diet. So if you have 2 protein shakes daily, you can have 55 to 75 gm of protein depending on other ingredients.
It is so satiating that your cravings for sweets and other foods decrease.
There are two types of milk protein.
Whey Protein
It is a by-product of cheese. The water left behind during the process is whey, and the same water is dried and filtered to get whey protein powder.
There are three forms of whey protein.
Whey Concentrate – This has lactose in it and has some quantity of carbs and fats as well. There is 30 to 70% protein content in one scoop of Concentrate.
Whey Isolate – This is a more pure form of protein. Generally, there is no carb or fat in Isolate. Nor is there any lactose in it. People who are allergic to lactose have Isolate. There is 75 to 95% protein in an Isolate scoop. Bodybuilders and athletes prefer this.
Whey Hydrolysate is a further filtered form of Isolate and is pre-digested. Hydrolyzed whey is good for people who want immediate muscle protein synthesis. Doctors even prescribe it to patients who have digestion issues but need protein.
- Whey is absorbed quickly in the body.
- It enhances the feeling of fullness in the short term.
- It is better to have Whey protein immediately after a workout, as at that time, the effects on muscles are the maximum.
- Your muscles benefit from immediate repair with whey protein. You can get the details of whey proteins here.
There are no side effects of whey protein powder.
Casein Protein for Fat Loss
Another by-product of cheese manufacturing activity is Casein Protein.
- Micellar Casein is absorbed slowly in the body.
- It keeps you full for an extended period.
- Casein is slowly reacting, and after the workout, the muscles do not benefit from immediate repair.
- But on the other hand, with Casein protein powder, there is a better opportunity for muscle repair when you sleep, so casein is better then.
What is the best casein protein? Micellar is the best casein protein before bed as it is the slowest digesting protein suited for all-night MPS if taken just before sleeping. Due to this, it is also known as the best casein protein for females. It is called so because it forms micelles when added to any liquid.
Natural dairy products are the best sources of casein protein. This protein is abundant in milk, natural yoghurt, and cheese. Cottage cheese and high-protein natural yoghurt are two popular low-calorie dairy protein sources.
Why Micellar Casein?
During the seven to eight hours you sleep daily, your body goes through its normal cycles of building muscle and healing. However, since you don’t eat protein while sleeping, the body doesn’t have easy access to amino acids. For example, the body has run out of easy-access branched-chain amino acids after just four hours of eating whey protein (BCAA).
If Consumed before bed, micellar casein provides the body with a stable supply of BCAA which means greater protein synthesis (and increased muscle growth) all night. Micellar casein protein has enhanced strength and stamina, better muscle gains, and improved metabolic rates and resistance training.
It is digested slowly and keeps you full for the whole night, and you don’t wake up feeling hungry. So it has been shown to give better results during weight loss than whey or any other form of protein. Due to the slow disgesting property, it is also better to consume before fasts to keep you fuller for longer. It also has more calcium which is good for women, especially those 40 years and above. However, calcium quantity varies from brand to brand.
Conclusion
Due to its various properties, protein can be useful in weight reduction by maintaining a calorie deficit. Our regular food should first fulfil all protein requirements, and we should use these protein powders only if we find it challenging to fulfil them from regular food.
Anil delights in assisting others in enhancing their health and fitness. Anil, a runner and blogger, has spent the past twenty-four years motivating others to lead healthy, fulfilling lives. Join Anil in his efforts to better the world.
