Ghost protein is a popular whey protein powder brand, and while they have great branding and marketing, consumers are often curious about whether their ingredients are actually clean and effective.
In this article we’ll review every ingredient in Ghost protein powder based on medical research to give our take on whether it’s a healthy and effective option. We’ll also share a real user review of the brand.
Ingredient Review
Ghost protein powder contains a surprising number of ingredients, but the first and most important is whey protein powder.
The 25 grams (g) of whey protein provided by Ghost protein is an optimal dose for muscle building and post-workout recovery. A meta-study on dietary protein for muscle hypertrophy found that 25 g is the maximally-effective dose for muscle protein synthesis after a workout.
We will assume that the whey protein in Ghost is sourced from conventionally-raised animals, which we consider a less healthy option than protein from grass-fed animals. A medical review published in the Frontiers in Nutrition journal documented that animal products sourced from conventionally-raised animals contain a less optimal ratio of fatty acids than that from pastured animals.
This whey powder contains a number of additive ingredients we recommend avoiding, which we’ll highlight below.
Ghost contains 4 g sugar, and we see no need for sugar in a simple protein powder formulation. We know from decades of medical research that consuming sugar in excess is likely harmful for human health, and many Americans already consume too much sugar from their diet. This is why we recommend avoiding all supplements containing added sugar.
Partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil is a strange choice for a whey protein product. We have never noted partially hydrogenated oil as an ingredient in any Illuminate Health protein review until this review. A meta-study published in 2009 found that reducing partially hydrogenated vegetable oil intake may reduce cardiovascular disease risk.
High fructose corn syrup intake is associated with obesity in medical research.
There is legitimate medical research suggesting that artificial flavors may have toxicity concerns, as we documented in our Herbalife reviews article.
The final questionable additive ingredient we want to highlight is digestive enzymes. We don’t understand why digestive enzymes would be added to a protein powder, nor could we locate any explanation on Ghost’s site. We haven’t come across any medical studies suggesting that people without digestive disorders benefit from supplemental digestive enzymes.
Overall we consider this to be one of the worst protein powder formulations we’ve reviewed on Illuminate Health. The whey appears to be sourced from conventionally-raised animals, and there are five separate added ingredients we recommend avoiding.
Our review was of the ingredients label from Ghost Protein Chips Ahoy flavor, but our general comments hold for all flavors of Ghost protein powder, as they have similar formulations.
Ghost Protein Real User Review
One of the most popular reviews of Ghost protein on YouTube is published by a channel called “Brady Oak Fitness” and appears unsponsored. The creator tries Ghost Chips Ahoy flavor (the same one we reviewed the ingredients of above) and shares his honest opinion:
Ghost Protein Lawsuit
A recent class-action lawsuit was levied against Ghost. The plaintiffs allege that Ghost falsely advertised their products as “naturally flavored” while they were flavored with synthetic additives (as we noted in our ingredient review).
The lawsuit is in regard to Ghost Greens, their green powder product, and not Ghost protein. However we consider this a red flag about the brand generally and believe this information is relevant to consumers of Ghost protein.
To our surprise, at the time of writing this article Ghost Greens still has a “Naturally Flavored” description on the brand’s website.
Questionable Health Claims on Ghost Website
Ghost advertises that their protein powder is “Soy Free” on the product page of their Coffee Ice Cream flavor whey protein, and claims that “soy contains phytoestrogens that mimic the body's natural estrogen hormones, which isn't great for men OR women, we'll pass.”
We find this statement highly questionable for two reasons. The first is that some of the products they sell contain soy. The ingredient label we reviewed contained both soy and soybean oil.
Ghost provides no citation for their claim that soy phytoestrogens are bad for humans, and we disagree with this claim. A medical review published in 2014 found that consumption of soy products was associated with “favorable health effects.” We have not come across any convincing medical evidence that soy consumption is unhealthy, nor does Ghost appear to cite any.
Ghost Protein Customer Reviews
Ghost Protein Chips Ahoy flavor has been reviewed over 1,000 times on Amazon, which we consider to be a more objective source of user reviews than a brand’s website. The average product rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars.
This protein powder receives a “B” grade from Fakespot, which is a software tool that detects potentially fraudulent Amazon reviews. This suggests that the reviews of Ghost protein are legitimate.
The top positive review from a verified purchaser is written by a user named “TaraG” who likes the taste:
“You get a lot for the price. The little chunks of oreo in it are really good. Slight chemical taste but I’m trying to find other things to mix with. Blended with ice and milk is good.”
The top negative review from a verified purchaser comes from a user named “Reno Nichole” who claims the powder failed to dissolve in milk and tasted bad:
“I wanted to like this sooooo bad. Seen and read so many reviews saying how good it was. So I splurged and bought it. Tried it with milk and it didn't blend very well. There were clumps no matter how much I shook it. Which were sooo gross. The smell was awful and the taste was just as bad. I took a few drinks and the longer I sat there the worse the taste in my mouth got.”
Our Clean Protein Powder Recommendation
We recommend Bulletproof Collagen Protein as our top protein powder.
First, let's discuss the formulation: Bulletproof's protein powder only contains one single ingredient: collagen protein sourced from grass-fed animals. No questionable additives at all.
As the core structural protein in skin, supplemental collagen is also clinically proven to reduce visible signs of skin aging like wrinkles, which is a beneficial secondary benefit not offered by other types of protein like whey.
Interested consumers can check out Bulletproof Collagen Protein at this link to the product page on Bulletproof's website.
