My dear readers, you read that right! We finally have a high lysine, low arginine VEGAN-FRIENDLY protein powder option! I am so excited it’s actually challenging for me to write this post because I can’t stop dancing my little (outbreak-free) tushy off!
Ok ok, I’ll stop doing the Carlton and give you the deets. 😁 If you’ve been following me for any amount of time, then you know I’ve been on an Indiana Jones level search to find a herpes-friendly vegan protein powder that will not cause an outbreak due to the lysine/arginine ratio.
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Up until now, we have not had an option because every single vegan protein powder I came across had WAYYYYY more arginine than lysine. Why? Because they’ve all been derived from a plant based ingredient that is SUPER high in arginine and very low in lysine.
For example, peas, hemp, sunflower seeds – these all contain significantly more arginine than lysine in their natural state, and it carries over when they make the protein powder.
However, that is all history to us now, thanks to the combination of modern technology and the ancient practice of fermentation!
First, let me show you the goodies, then I’ll explain the process.
Friends, I am over-the-moon giddy to introduce you to…
MOOLESS Vegan-Friendly Whey Protein Powder by Natreve
Cleverly self-proclaimed as “The Whey of the Future,” they say “MOOLESS offers the nutritional benefits of whey protein powder but with much less environmental impact than conventional whey protein powder.”
It also contains digestive enzymes and is gluten free, lactose free, and is free from hormones and antibiotics. (And being animal-free, it is of course cruelty-free! DOUBLE YAY!)
How MOOLESS is made
You might have noticed by now that this is a whey protein.
Say whaa?
How can whey protein be made without cows??
They explain it in these three basic steps:
- Microflora are given an exact copy of DNA corresponding to cow’s milk protein.
- The flora then grazes on flora food in fermentation tanks, and convert it into animal-free milk protein.
- The flora is then filtered out, leaving pure animal-free whey protein that is identical to the protein found in cow’s milk.
….but without the cow! 🤯
Ok but what about that Lysine vs Arginine Ratio?
Oh my sweet friends. I feel another Carlton dance moment coming on. Ready for this? MOOLESS protein powder comes in with an awesome ratio of 2g Lysine and 0.4g Arginine per serving. That’s about 1.5x more lysine than arginine!
Gorgeous, right??
WOOP WOOP! As you know, making sure that we consume more lysine than arginine is the #1 nutritionally-focused thing we can do to help prevent herpes outbreaks.
So MOOLESS is a winner in the lysine vs arginine category!
Now, you also might have noticed that I am using the term vegan-friendly (instead of just “vegan”) because although it contains absolutely no animal ingredients and no animals are involved in the process, the protein powder is technically molecularly identical to the whey protein that comes from cows.
*If you have a milk protein allergy, then this one no worky for you.
So if you are vegan, you’ll have to decide for yourself if it’s right for you.
For me personally, I am a big science nerd and very passionate about caring for this beautiful planet and all of the creatures that inhabit it, so I’m all for it!
I’m writing this article on the same day that I am ordering it, so I haven’t tasted it yet myself, but I will update this post as soon as I do. If you order it and try it too, send me a message and let me know what you think!
As far as I can tell, it’s been on the market since November of 2021, and has been featured in Fast Company, Business Insider, VegNews, The Spoon, Oxygen, and NOSH. They just started selling it through Amazon on May 1, 2022, so it currently has 6 ratings with a 3.5 star average review.
Except for one dinglehopper (you’ll know who I mean!), the reviews are mostly positive, with the common reason it’s not getting 5 stars being its price.
At $4 per serving, I definitely wouldn’t call it cheap, but for someone who has herpes and is vegan, it currently is the only high lysine, low arginine protein powder option.
Now, with that being said, remember, IT’S SUPER NEW! So just like all products, sometimes they’re higher priced when they first come out, but as companies scale and grow, the prices often go down.
Like I mentioned before, I’m a big science nerd, so I try to keep up with the latest discoveries and advances in science, including how they will be impacting our food.
From what I can tell, the impact will be big and brilliant, for humans, animals, and this beautiful planet we live on. Speaking of this beautiful planet, I did want to highlight one more thing.
MOOLESS Protein Powder is Way Better for the Environment
First, I should mention that Natreve is “the world’s first plastic and carbon-neutral wellness company” and say they are on a mission to become the most sustainable wellness brand on the globe.
Me likey that mucho.
Now, aside from their company-wide initiatives, let’s talk MOOLESS protein powder specifically. Since it requires zero cows to produce, the environmental impact is significantly less than conventional, animal-produced protein powder.
In fact, they say that compared to conventional whey protein powder production methods, MOOLESS is created with 99% less water consumption, 97% less greenhouse gas emissions, and 60% less energy use.
I think Mama Earth is smiling right about now, and so am I. : )
I just ordered it today, so I will update this post as soon as I receive it and try it out.
Fingers crossed that it’s yummy!!
UPDATE: It’s yummy!! I’ve made two smoothies so far and both were delicious and did NOT cause any outbreaks – YAY! I’ll write more later, but just wanted to let you all know my results!
Here are all of the flavors (each linked to its Amazon listing). I ordered the Chocolate Fudge Brownie. :))
