Absorb Plus is a brand of whey protein powder available in several flavors (vanilla,chocolate, and berry). The difference in this product from other protein powders is that it is very easy on the digestive system. It is made of predigested nutrients, which requires very little effort from your body in order to get the nutrients absorbed; the nutrients are in your bloodstream within 20 minutes! This is great for people who may have IBS, colitis,or other conditions that make traditional protein powders difficult to use and digest. Many of these conditions are comorbid with TMD at high rates, so this is a great feature to keep in mind. The product can be used as a meal replacement for all meals if you are suffering greatly from digestive problems,jaw surgery, cancer, or another serious health condition, or can be incorporated for use with other foods. I tried out the Chocolate Royale flavored powder,and made my first shake according to the manufacturer’s instructions on the tub. You can make it with just water, or you can make it with mixing a tablespoon (or less) of flax or other oil in. The product is completely fat free, so the oil will be your only source of fat if you need it in your diet. The website also says you can mix in any supplements you may need (such as immune boosters or vitamins). The creator warns that it is important to blend on a low setting on your blender due to the fact that heat can cause denaturation of the elements, I used a blender bottle which uses no heat. I made a shake with 4 scoops of powder and water as I didn’t have any oils on hand, and added a few ice cubes in afterwards. It tasted better with just water than some other protein powders I have tried and left a little less aftertaste that sometimes comes with really basic protein shakes for me. It still tastes like whey protein, though, so if you’ve tried others before and didn’t like it, you may not enjoy the taste in this basic form. As I always like protein powder better with milk instead of water, I followed this up the next day by making a very simple protein shake of vanilla soy milk and 4 scoops of powder (one serving size) in a blender bottle. The chocolate flavor was very good, and it stirred in very well without being lumpy, and I enjoyed it much, much more this way than just with water. I occasionally have a sensitive stomach, but I experienced no discomfort or indigestion from this product. The creator warns that soy milk can depress thyroid function, hormone production, etc. and isn’t ideal, but I enjoy the flavored milk much more than water and drink it very occasionally.However, it is important to keep these warnings in mind about different mix-ins based on your personal health concerns and preferences. The Absorb Plus website offers other recipes for shakes including combinations of different flavored powders, adding bananas, mixing with raw milk, mixing with almond milk, and other options in if you don’t like the taste with just water. One serving size of the chocolate Absorb Plus is 4 scoops of powder, which is 374 calories and 30g of protein. If this is a meal replacement, that is a very reasonable amount of calories and provides almost half of your daily intake of protein depending on your dietary needs. 4 scoops was a lot of powder and calories for me (as I am not trying to build muscle mass,and am not having too much trouble eating full meals at the moment) so I began to scale back the amount of powder (1-2 scoops) I mixed in to about 1 to 2 cups of milk. If you are on a tight budget, the price of this product isworth mentioning. One 2.2kg container contains 10 servings of powder for around $59. This comes out to about $5.90 per serving which makes for an expensive protein drink, especially if looking to use it as a supplement to other meals and you are not experiencing difficulty with other protein powders.However,if using it as a meal replacement while struggling with jaw pain or recovering from surgery, or struggling to maintain weight or absorb nutrients, this product is a great resource. The cost is likely more than worth it if this will be an easy, convenient,and pain free source of nutrition. Due to the rapid uptake of the predigested nutrients, this product is not recommended for diabetics. And of course, check with your doctor about any nutrition concerns and to make sure this product is acceptable for you if you have any concerns.
Do you have a favorite protein powder or meal supplement?