As a fitness trainer for over a decade, I've come across more brands of protein powder than people. While many promise fast muscle growth, others go a tad beyond with their claims.
One such brand is Personalized Protein Powder by Herbalife. The company says this protein powder can curb your hunger, help keep you energized, and build muscle.
I decided to try it for a month and study its ingredients with our in-house dietician to see if these claims were legitimate.
Here’s my Personalized Protein Powder review.
What Is Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder?
Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder by Herbalife is a diet shake that contains a high-quality protein blend that aids your weight management. It may also help control hunger, sustain energy, support adequate protein intake, and help build and maintain lean muscle mass.
A Bit About the Company and Product
Established in 1980, Herbalife is a global nutrition company known for producing industry-leading meal replacement shakes, nutritious snacks, vitamins, sports and energy products, and skin and hair care products for millions of consumers in 90 countries.
The company's Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder achieves all of the above with its soy protein and whey protein components, which can help curb hunger, thereby making weight loss easier.
Another claim about this product is that it has zero fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, salt, sugar, or sweeteners, making it ideal for people trying to lose weight.
The drink has 5 grams of protein per serving and provides all nine essential amino acids.
SUITABLE FOR MEN AND WOMEN
Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder
Rated With Total Shape's Scoring System
Ingredients
Personalized Protein Powder contains only two major ingredients: soy protein isolate, and whey protein concentrate.
Here's what our dietician has to say about these ingredients.
1. Soy Protein Isolate
Soy protein isolate is made from defatted soybean flakes that undergo a chemical process to “isolate” its protein. This component contains no cholesterol and very little fat, which means it’s safe to take if you’re watching your weight.
This element is also a complete protein containing all of the essential amino acids your body can’t produce.
It also contains the BCAA leucine — an amino acid that plays a vital role in muscle building.
Some studies suggest that soy protein may aid in weight loss. For example, a study from The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has shown that soy protein’s effect in losing weight was comparable to that of animal-based protein [1].
Some of our users had success with using this protein powder for losing weight, especially when combined with a balanced diet. But other people said that it didn’t do much for them in terms of weight loss.
2. Whey Protein Concentrate
Whey protein concentrate is another complete, high-quality protein derived from milk.
A research report from Appetite showed that whey protein, like soy protein, can help keep you satiated [2]. Our dieticians even mentioned that it’s superior to both casein and soy in reducing hunger.
Many of our clients would agree to this as whey protein helps them feel fuller for longer every day.
Bodybuilders and athletes love whey protein because of its muscle-building properties. But to enjoy these gains, you must be willing to put in the work.
Studies show that performing resistance exercises while taking a whey protein supplement increased lean tissue mass building in males [3].
Finally, whey protein digests quickly in the gut compared to other protein types, which can be especially helpful for people with sensitive stomachs or issues with nutrient absorption.
Other proteins we recommend:
Benefits
Now that we've looked at the ingredients, let's look at the benefits that Personalized Protein Powder offers.
With soy protein isolate and whey protein concentrate as the main sources of protein, Personalized Protein Powder is a low-carb and low-calorie powder for anyone who wants a protein boost.
It aims to keep you feeling full longer while building lean muscle mass when consumed with Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix.
Although it uses high-quality soy protein and fast-absorbing whey protein, our team felt it would have been nice to see muscle-building ingredients like creatine to enhance muscle strength and size and provide more energy.
When it comes to protein powders, our dietician suggests looking for additional anti-inflammatory ingredients like omega-3 and 6 fatty acids to support muscle recovery after workouts [4].
How To Take It?
You should take one to four servings of Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder daily. You can stir this blend into different foods and beverages, such as soups, cereal, yogurt, and sauces.
Herbalife says women can get the most out of this drink’s weight loss benefits by adding to two tablespoons of it to their Formula 1 protein shake.
Men, on the other hand, should add up to three tablespoons for maximum effect.
When I drink my morning shake, I usually add two to three tablespoons for a higher protein intake.
Since it’s plain, sugar-free, and not at all chalky, it doesn’t really ruin the flavor or texture of my shake and my diet too.
It doesn’t have the best taste, so I wouldn’t recommend mixing it with just water.
SUITABLE FOR MEN AND WOMEN
Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder
Rated With Total Shape's Scoring System
- Low in calories
- Contains no fat, carbohydrates, cholesterol, salt, sugar, or sweeteners
- 100% vegetarian
- Provides all nine essential amino acids
- Unsweetened formula; tastes bland
- Low protein content per serving
- Soy protein isolate component might pose some unwanted long-term side effects
- Contains whey protein concentrate; it might not work for people with lactose intolerance
Possible Side Effects
While soybeans are a great quality protein because of their rich amino acid content, soy's safety — especially its processed form — is hotly contested by many nutritionists.
To create soy protein isolate, soybeans undergo a chemical process that strips them of all the original bean's nutrients. They are then dehydrated and turned into powder.
This process leaves behind substances like aluminum and hexane — elements you wouldn't want to ingest in high amounts.
“Fitness is about so much more than exercise. It's a catalyst for positive change, and it affects every aspect of your life.” - Amanda Russell, Fitness Expert
Frequent exposure to high aluminum levels is linked to neurotoxicity, Alzheimer's disease, and breast cancer [5].
Chronic exposure to hexane may cause severe abdominal pain and irritate the respiratory system. This could result in shortness of breath, coughing, burning of the mouth, throat, chest, and even chemical pneumonitis [6].
These side effects are indeed scary. However, they will likely be experienced only by those who consume excessive soy daily.
As for other usual side effects, there were a few of our clients who complained of headaches and stomach pain.
Our clients who tried the product are not particularly lactose intolerant, but there were days when they felt a bit gassy after consuming the product.
Cost
At the time of writing this article, a canister of Personalized Protein Powder costs $41.94.
This will typically last you about 1–2 months, depending on your consumption.
Customer Reviews
After poring through review after review, I found that users had differing opinions about this protein blend.
Some consumers didn’t seem to mind the unsweetened formula and raved about this powder’s impact on weight management.
“This is such a nice addition to any drink! I add it to my coffee, morning shake, and yogurt. It’s next to tasteless, but it contains a great amount of protein. It also doesn’t have that protein aftertaste that a lot of other shakes have.”
- Corissa H.
“Great product that comes at a fair price! The product arrived quickly and it was also well-packed. Using this product has helped me lose 17 pounds in about a month.” - Jennifer
Other users reported experiencing side effects with this powder.
“Everyone interested in this product must do their own research before purchasing. I’m trying to lose weight, and my sister suggested this product to me. I got this along with the nutritional shake and as soon as I started taking it, I experienced major headaches and stomach pain. This product contains soy and carrageenan, which both cause major health issues.” - Ray
“The label says I can blend this powder to yogurt or other protein shakes. I tried that, but it yielded a thick, paste-like concoction. I will stick with other products that I like better. This is supposed to be unflavored, but I think it tastes bad!” - Vegas Diva
Protein Powders We've Reviewed:
Protein Powder Alternatives
We tested Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder against three well-known protein powder brands to provide a complete review. Here’s how it stacked up.
Ladder Whey Protein Powder
Ladder Whey Protein Powder contains substantially more, about five times, protein per serving than Herbalife.
The Ladder consists mainly of casein protein powder, a milk protein that Ladder states provides a blend of fast and slow-digesting proteins. I agree, as no one in our test group experienced any digestive issues.
For a level playing field, we ordered standard vanilla and chocolate flavors for our testing, and we all agreed they both tasted great and mixed well with no clumping. I liked the chocolate as it was reminiscent of darker chocolate with balanced bitterness and sweetness.
As a fitness trainer, I recognized right away the benefits of these protein powders go well beyond building muscle. It is packed with probiotics to help your body absorb amino more efficiently, particularly BCAAs.
ONNIT Whey Protein Powder
ONNIT Whey Protein Powder offers 20 grams of protein per serving, which is over three times what Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder contains.
Again, I purchased both the chocolate and vanilla for our testing, and the consensus was the vanilla was far superior in taste.
Additionally, many users found a shaker bottle wasn’t sufficient enough to get a creamy drink. Using a blender makes ONNIT Whey Protein Powder less convenient than Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder.
Many in our test group reported bloating using ONNIT Whey Protein Powder, which some could counteract by drinking a reduced serving more slowly.
Orgain Organic Protein Powder
Orgain Organic Protein Powder may work for you if you are looking for a plant-based protein option. Unlike Herbalife’s milk and soy protein combination, Orgain uses a blend of brown rice, chia seeds, and pea proteins.
Both the vanilla and chocolate flavors we ordered for our testing tasted great, and I am eager to try other fun flavors, like cookies and cream, peanut butter, and iced matcha tea.
You’ll get 21 grams of protein per serving, much more than Herbalife’s 4.96. Our test group liked the taste and had no digestive or bloating issues while taking it.
Like Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder, Orgain Organic Protein Powder is readily available on the official website and other third-party retailers.
I always buy supplements directly from the manufacturer’s website whenever possible to ensure I get a genuine product. I can also take advantage of shipping or other discounts and satisfaction guarantees.
Our Verdict on Herbalife Personalized Protein Powder
While I like this product because it contains no carbohydrates, fats, or sugars, making it an ideal supplement for people trying to lose weight, it's relatively low on protein compared to other shakes.
Herbalife claims this powder supports appetite control and muscle building, but I see no active ingredients — aside from the protein itself — that can help with those.
In my opinion, this supplement would have been better if the brand had incorporated more fat-burning, appetite-reducing ingredients into it.
If I could recommend a better alternative, I’d say the Whey Protein Isolate from Transparent Labs might be worth trying.
It contains a perfect amount of protein and is recognized as one of the cleanest proteins on the market.
We Recommend This Instead
Transparent Labs Whey Protein
Rated With Total Shape's Scoring System
- 24 grams of protein per serving
- Contains no artificial sweeteners or additives
- Gluten and GMO-free
- Sourced from grass-fed cows
- Get the BEST PRICE until the end of October
- May have issues with packaging and shipping integrity
About The Author
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Like that it doesn’t have a taste. Hope they increase the amount of protein, though. Overall, still decent for me.