Whole Foods vs Supplements for Muscle Gain
After many years of spending hundreds, and even thousands of dollars on supplements without seeing results, many have finally realized that they are a waste of money. Yet, many are still confused if the supplements that are sold as “meal replacements”, “weight gainers”, “natural supplements”, and “amino acids” are better to take for shedding fat and building muscle rather than real food.
Many different meal replacement powders and shakes are being sold as a substitute for a real, whole food. The makers of these products claim that they are just as good, if not better, than eating whole foods. They claim to have higher amounts of protein, lower amounts of sugar, while also adding in ingredients such as BCAA’s, Glutamine, Creatine, CLA, etc. They claim that these ingredients can not be found in whole food in the needed quantities to build muscle.
Meal replacements claim to have a certain amount of protein, carbs, and fat. There have been several studies done on many popular supplements which show many of them do not contain the amount of ingredients as printed on the label. For example, there was a study done on a popular “snickers” protein bar that contained 7% less protein than the label claimed. It also contained more sugar than what was stated on the label.
Many of these makers fabricate the ingredients and amount of ingredients to bring the cost down of making those supplements, while lying on the nutrition labels, to make a BIGGER PROFIT. It is important to note that most of these workout supplements are NOT REGULATED BY THE FDA. 
According to an article in Forbes, one of the fastest growing industries in the world is the nutritional supplement group, or more broadly known as Vitamins, Minerals and Supplements. Producing about $32 billion in revenue for just nutritional supplements alone in 2012, it is projected to double that by topping $60 billion in 2021 according to the Nutritional Business Journal. The goal of supplement companies is to PROFIT from you, the consumer!
These processed powders and shakes contain many ingredients that are HARMFUL to your body. In order to make these supplements into powders and to give them a longer shelf life many chemicals and preservatives must be added. What do you think happens when you are constantly putting foreign chemicals, preservatives, and other unnatural substances into your body?
Instead of making you gain muscle, you will often get side effects such as a BLOATED STOMACH, DIARRHEA, CONSTIPATION, WATER RETENTION, and NAUSEA (to name a few). Your body is not designed to digest foreign chemicals and preservatives!
Whole foods contain all of the vital nutrients that your body requires to BUILD MUSCLE, they are less expensive, and are far less likely to harm your body. Supplements should always be used in moderation and for short periods of time. Do your homework before deciding on the best supplement choices out there.
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