If you are a beginner in the gym, or you just want to have a greater intake of protein in your daily diet, the very first supplement that most commonly draws awareness and is the most talked about is, of course, protein.
On the market, there are numerous kinds, prices, and tastes, and of course, the list of ingredients is massive.
So, you can discover protein for muscle mass, protein for recuperation, meal substitute, definition, etc.
Occasionally it is a big deal to choose the right ones; that suit you according to your money, have in mind that some of the may be pricey, and of course regarding the ingredients that you can or can’t eat, based on your health needs and religious beliefs.
There are several different kinds (sources) of protein, when we speak about supplements we are most frequently saying about whey protein (whey), milk protein (casein), a protein that we obtain from consuming eggs, soy, etc.
Whey protein is the most typical option when it comes to athletes and recreational sports people since whey protein has an exceptionally good structure of amino acids, specifically BCAA amino acids which are very essential for healing and muscle protection from any injuries.
So when you are choosing, you can opt for protein from the egg as it is good for those who are working slowly, as it has gradual absorption, and soy is an excellent solution for fasting, e.g. or for people who do not consume protein from animal sources.
If you want to take a protein mix after the exercise then the most common advice is to whey protein.
When you have made your choice, you, as a Muslim believer, want to know if can you consume it, if is it by Islamic rules, and if not, why is so?
Are there any alternatives?
Is Whey Protein Halal or Haram In Islam?
Whey protein is believed to be halal and acceptable to consume in just one case.
It is the case when it does not have any haram ingredients not in the product itself but in the process of making when something is added to this product during the process of making.
For example, Whey protein would be considered haram when it has in itself a pork rennet.
It is strictly forbidden to consume anything that comes from the pig.
Now, we need to take a look at the list of ingredients that are in the most classic kind of Whey protein.
In many cases, Whey protein has animal rennet that is seen as haram, as this enzyme comes from an animal.
Have in mind that rennet can come from an animal, and the other that is
microbial.
The first kind, the animal kind can be haram, and here comes the problem.
In some Whey proteins, there can be found cholic acid, bone phosphate, and gelatine.
Gelatie as we know is haram when it comes from pork, but beef could be consumed.
So read the list of ingredients always.
Whey protein can come in concentrate or in a powder, as the most favorite form.
Whey proteins and especially isolates are the gold standard when it comes to proteins.
They are most often used by professional exercisers and recreational athletes who intend to increase their muscle mass and recover their bodies after strenuous training in the gym or playing some sport.
Whether it’s recreational or professional sports, we need proteins to recover our bodies and feed our muscles so that they can grow during the rest period between training sessions.
Whey isolates are the highest-quality proteins on the market today and are obtained from whey.
In addition to proteins, they also contain amino acids, albumin, etc… and everything that is needed to build the muscle mass of an exerciser.
Isolates are specifically drunk after training and in the morning as soon as you wake up, in order to bring into your body everything it needs for development and recovery.
Proteins from milk are digested more slowly and they are most often drunk in the evening before going to bed and can be a substitute for a meal.
We will try to find out the questions regarding whether or not Whey protein is Halal in this text.
There are several producers of whey protein, and in order for the protein to be Halal in its preparation, rennet, which is used to make cheese, must not be used.
So, if rennet was used in its preparation, then it is Haram, but if it is Acid whey, then it is Halal and can be used.
The most important thing is that it does not contain anything derived from the pig, which Muslims consider an extremely dirty animal, which is not healthy and must not be eaten.
So Rennet Whey is Haram and Acid Way is Halal.
So the process of making Whey protein determines whether it will be Halal or, on the contrary, Haram.
All Muslims who play sports professionally probably already know the difference and choose Whey protein that is Halal for themselves.
But recreationists and Muslims who want to strengthen but need the help of Whey in order to achieve noticeable results will probably be informed here.
But you must know that Whey protein is only a supplement to nutrition and not its replacement.
An exerciser needs to take in, in addition to protein, carbohydrates and vitamins, minerals, fibers, essential amino acids, glucose, etc.
So Whey protein can’t provide you with everything.
But there are also whey proteins that contain additives such as vitamins and minerals as an additional nutritional supplement.
We also have to mention that Whey protein can be hard on the stomach for certain people, and these are mostly people who are lactose intolerant.
So Whey came out to the people who suffer from this type of intolerance and created Whey without lactose for those who cannot tolerate it and that greatly increased their sales because today many people suffer from this type of intolerance.
We said that sweet whey protein is Haram because rennet is used in that process, but rennet must be from a pig, but it can also be microbial rennet.
Therefore, if the sweet whey process was microbial, then it is Halal and can be used if it does not contain gelatin.
Is gold standard Whey Haram?
This depends on the production company, in some cases, it is not halal and in others, it can be, but the problem arises when there is no Halal certification, then it may be.
Of course, there are some Gold standard Whey proteins that are made with products, like for example, the Double chocolate one, which has no alcohol in itself which can be a problem for people of the Muslim faith.
Optimum nutrition is also one of the brands that do not have Halal certification.
Alternatives
After a hard workout, it is best to drink whey isolate, which is the easiest to absorb in our body and very quickly finds its way to our muscles, which it nourishes in order to recover faster and better from physical efforts and stress that have been inflicted on them.
There is one thing that all recreational people and fitness people who exercise for their own sake and to achieve some results must understand they can take in all the proteins in the world, even if they are of the highest quality and most expensive and contain absolutely everything that is needed, everything will be in vain if we don’t go to bed on time and sleep 8-9 hours in the evening.
Because that’s when the magic happens with our bodies.
Just then, when it is in the resting phase, everything that we have taken into ourselves starts to affect our body.
If you look at the market you will certainly find alternatives that are suitable for you.
Vega Plant-Based Protein Powder is one of them for example, as it comes in powder form and it is safe to consume; as well as Orgain’s Organic Protein Powder is another kind that is also great to consume for people of Islamic faith, as it is halal-approved.
More about Whey Protein
First of all, you have to be mindful of what are you consuming – as protein is a construction material in our organism.
We can analogize it to the house and its structure – just as one is built of bricks so a muscle is produced of protein simply said, in order to build muscles you have to have adequate protein obtainable through food.
Nevertheless, it is often hard to get the needed quantity of protein with food, so a supplement in the formation of a protein shake is a swift and practical answer.
On the other hand, a considerable quantity of protein can burden the stomach, since food that has protein most commonly also includes a lot of fat, and its absorption time can be a couple of hours.
There fibs another important benefit of protein as a supplement – a compressed (minimized) absorption period.
Conclusion
There is absolutely no need to take whey protein if you do not engage in physical activity, and it does not need to be a substitute for a meal, nor can it replace it, but is only its supplement. If you do not exercise and use it, you will take in more calories than you can use and you will gain weight.
And when we talk about food, the strong rules that Islam imposes on its believers are not only there for religious reasons, but it is known that Islam is a religion that preaches a healthy and clean life without vices that could threaten the health of members of the Islamic religion.
In this context, it should be noted that Islam encourages its believers to play sports.
All with the aim of keeping believers, especially their athletes, healthy, strong, and physically fit.
However, professional sports are often disputed in Islam due to the many dubious activities that are unfortunately perhaps an integral part of professional sports.
Be that as it may, even those who practice sports recreationally, in order to achieve the desired results, in addition to their physical appearance and strengthening of their body and spirit, must eat healthy and varied food in addition to the intake of Whey protein in their body.
There is a huge selection of proteins on the market, and it’s up to you to choose the one that suits you best.
In the event that you feel that your stomach is bothering you, which could be flatulence, diarrhea, or heartburn, you yourself will realize that you have to change that protein, because something in its composition bothers you, which is most often lactose, and we have already mentioned that you can also buy whey you can also use the protein that does not contain lactose.
You will certainly change several manufacturers until you find the one that meets your standards and that, according to its composition, suits you and bothers your body.
That is what is in essence and the most important thing of all, because why would you take something into yourself that bothers you and causes problems with your stomach?
According to some scientific research, it was concluded that a person’s immunity comes from his stomach and we must protect and nurture our intestinal flora in such a way that we will take in healthy foods.
The conclusion is this – some Whey proteins are haram and some of them are halal.
Haram is when it is made with nonmicrobial enzymes.
Since Whey is truly a derivative of cheese; here lies the problem, cheese can be sometimes halal, but this is definitely not the rule, it does not have to be the case.
When the cheese in question has in itself rennet, then it is very likely that it is haram, and therefore it is very likely that it is the by-product, in this case, it is Whey protein is haram.
Read also: Is Milk Halal? / Is Red Bull Halal?