Orgain is one of the most popular protein powder brands, especially for vegetarians and vegans, as the brand is one of the premier plant-based protein brands. 

But does Orgain protein powder contain an effective protein dose for muscle-building? Does it have any unhealthy ingredients? Why did our Product Tester dislike it? And is Orgain better or worse than popular vegan protein brands like Truvani?

In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Orgain protein powder to give our take on whether or not it's effectively dosed for muscle-building, and whether or not it's healthy.

We'll also feature our Product Tester's honest experience after trying Orgain protein powder for a month, and compare the brand to other popular vegan protein brands to pick our winners (and losers).

Key takeaways:

• Effective protein dose
• Dramatically improved formulation
• We do not currently recommend Orgain protein powder

Orgain Protein Powder Ingredient Analysis

The ingredients in Orgain Creamy Chocolate Fudge protein powder are shown below:

Organic Protein Blend provides 21 grams (g) of protein per serving, which is an effective dose for building muscle.

A medical review on dietary protein established the effective range to be at or above 20 g per serving for maximizing muscle protein synthesis.

Orgain has dramatically improved the formulation of this product, from a health perspective, since our initial review.

Organic natural flavor replaced natural flavor (which has legitimate health questions).

Organic stevia extract replaced erythritol, which is clinically shown to be associated with increased stroke risk, as we documented in our Pure Protein Bars reviews article.

Overall, we consider Orgain Protein Powder to be effectively formulated and there are no ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.

We do not currently recommend this protein powder due to the (somewhat "processed") ingredients like rice dextrin and high oleic sunflower oil. We prefer simpler protein powder formulations such as a single-ingredient organic hemp protein

We Tested Orgain Protein Powder

One of our product testers named Hannah Westerman tried the Natural Unsweetened flavor of Orgain Protein Powder.

Here's her experience:

The powder did not mix well. It made everything very thick and grainy. I tried the powder in overnight oats and a smoothie and both turned out unsatisfactory. 

The smoothie was so grainy and frothy that it was hard to drink. The overnight oats got so thick and gloppy they were inedible.

It had a nutty taste and due to the texture it tasted somewhat "peanut buttery." Not my favorite.

I feel like I got enough protein, but due to the texture and taste, it wasn't worth it.

I didn't experience any side effects from this product.

I think this product could be fine if you like to bake with protein powder - make breakfast bars or desserts with more protein, but note that it will impact the texture.

Overall, I'd rate this product a 2/10, and I don't plan to purchase it in the future.

Does Vegan Protein Powder Contain Lead?

A non-profit organization called the Clean Label Project published a landmark study in 2018 which analyzed contaminant data from 138 off-the-shelf protein powders.

The organization reported that plant-based protein powders had higher lead levels than protein powder sourced from animals.

We understand that some consumers are vegan or vegetarian for ethical reasons, and for those consumers, we consider Orgain to be a better-than-average choice.

For omnivores, whey protein powder is (in our view) a healthier option than vegan protein powder due to lead content.

Orgain vs. Popular Vegan Protein Brands

Here's how Orgain compares to other popular vegan protein brands, in terms of formulation quality, in our opinion:

OWYN

Contains two inactive ingredients we consider unhealthy, including refined, added sugar, which is clinically shown to have negative health effects when consumed in excess.

We recommend avoiding refined, added sugar entirely.

Winner: Orgain Protein Powder

Truvani

Truvani is one of the higher quality vegan protein brands we've reviewed to date on Illuminate Health.

All of its ingredients are certified organic whole foods, and this brand is free of any ingredients we consider to be unhealthy.

Truvani is the (slightly) healthier choice, due to its lack of "processed" filler ingredients.

Winner: Truvani

High Impact Protein

Contains a relatively high dose of supplemental calcium, which is clinically shown to be associated with increased heart attack risk.

We consider Orgain to be the healthier choice.

Winner: Orgain Protein Powder

Our Clean Vegan Protein Pick

Anthony's Organic Hemp Protein is our top vegan protein pick.

It's extremely nutrient-dense, providing 25% of the Daily Value (DV) of iron and 8% of the DV of potassium. This shake contains no additives.

Orgain Protein Powder Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Effective protein dose
• Dramatically improved formulation
• No ingredients of concern
• Should support muscle-building
• Healthier than some competitors
• Relatively affordable

Cons:

• May be higher in lead than whey protein
• Contains minimally "processed" ingredients like sunflower oil and rice dextrin
• Our Product Tester disliked taste and texture

Conclusion

We consider Orgain Protein Powder to be an above-average formulation.

We don't currently recommend it due to some ingredients like sunflower oil and rice dextrin that we deem unnecessary, but the brand made the product a lot healthier since our initial review.

Orgain Protein Powder provides an effective protein dose for building muscle.

Due to lead concerns, we think that whey protein is generally a healthier choice than vegan protein for omnivores.

Our Product Tester strongly disliked Orgain Protein Powder; noting that it had a very thick texture and a taste he didn't like.

We consider Orgain Protein Powder to be healthier than vegan protein brands OWYN and High Impact Protein, but less healthy than Truvani.