Gym-goers swear by it, fitness influencers push it, and experts market it as essential for muscle growth.
Protein powder is a massive industry, worth around $9.88 billion as of 2024. By 2032, experts predict that number will more than double.
But according to one doctor, a popular type of protein powder—whey—has a backstory most people don’t think about.
Psychiatrist and vegan activist Dr. Neal D. Barnard warns against whey protein powder in a viral clip from Ma ka Doodh, a documentary on India’s dairy industry.
The video, posted by Instagram creator Shreya Ghodawat (@sustainableteawithshreya) as a promo for her podcast Sustainable Tea, has racked up over 2.4 million views—and sparked a wave of criticism in the comments.
What’s wrong with whey protein powder, according to the doctor?
“Nobody wants to tell these unfortunate bodybuilding customers why people are selling whey protein,” Barnard says in the clip.
The reason has nothing to do with fitness, according to him. Instead, Barnard argues, it’s just the dairy industry finding a way to profit off what used to be waste.
“They’re selling whey protein because when you take milk and you convert it into cheese, as the cheese becomes solid, you have all this water that’s left over and you have to drain it out,” he explains.
That water is full of whey protein, and for a long time, dairy farmers didn’t know what to do with it.
“They would bury it in a landfill,” Barnard claims. “They would pay people to take it away.”
Then, someone figured out a way to turn a loss into profit.
“Somebody found out a number of years ago that they could dehydrate it, put it in a tub, and put it on the shelf and say, ‘This will build your muscles,’” he continues. “And sadly, people believed it and they buy it to this day.”
“It’s the junk of the cheese industry, and people believe it will help them,” he concludes.
Is this true?
Yes. Just as its name suggests, whey protein powder comes from whey—the liquid left behind when milk is separated to make cheese or butter.
But while it’s now a staple in the fitness industry, whey has a much longer history.
The use of whey dates back 7,000 years, according to historians. Ancient healers like Hippocrates (460 BC) recommended it for infections, wound healing, and stomach ailments. By the 17th century, people were using it in soups and for making whey butter.
For years, the dairy industry treated it as waste, struggling to dispose of it without harming the environment.
That changed in the second half of the 20th century. Thanks to technological advances, whey was no longer just a byproduct and it became a valuable raw material.
And soon enough, the fitness industry started marketing it as a protein supplement, turning what was once discarded into a billion-dollar business.
Is whey protein powder good or bad for you?
Like most things in nutrition, it depends.
Protein is essential for muscle repair, hormone production, and overall health. For many people, especially athletes or those with high protein needs, protein powder can be a convenient way to meet their daily intake.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, most protein powders are safe when used in moderation, but they shouldn’t replace whole food sources like lean meats, eggs, or legumes.
On the other hand, some concerns exist—especially with whey protein, such as calorie intake, dairy sensitivities, contaminants, and more.
Additionally, the quality of protein powders varies.
A 2024-25 report by the Clean Label Project, a nonprofit organization, found that many popular protein powders exceeded at least one federal or state safety guideline for heavy metals, pesticides, and other contaminants.
The organization also maintains a list of certified brands that meet their safety standards for dietary supplements, including protein powders.
A comment section flooded with negative comments
In the comments, users vehemently disagreed with the claim that whey protein powder isn’t “helpful” in building muscle. Most were also aware of where whey protein powder comes from.
“So all the peer reviewed literature and years of trial and error testing is all wrong because this guy in a lab coat with almost no lean muscle mass says so?” asked one user sarcastically. “Got it.”
“Milk contains whey, that is why you get whey when you make cheese,” explained another. “It is the left over part of the milk after taking the cheese. If whey is bad for you, everyone drinking milk would be in a whole lot of danger.”
“Just because it’s a part of the cheese doesn’t mean it’s no good,” stated a third. “Whey is in milk before we decide to make cheese. One more thing, science confirms that whey protein has a complete amino acid profile like eggs which is great for muscle recovery and muscle growth.”
“I have to add one last thing here – We know that Medical school teaches NO NUTRITION at all!!!” the third commenter continued. “So let us listen to those that dedicate their lives healing the human body with nutrition and not focusing on fixing the symptoms with medicine and big-pharma.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Sustainable Tea with Shreya via email and Instagram messages for comments.
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