Should you try OZiva Protein And Herbs whey protein for women? Is it worth its price tag? Is it really worth the hype? I’ll try to answer all your questions and this would be the only Oziva whey protein review you’d need.
We have a new kid on the block, well not that new, Oziva has been around for the last 4 years, but the brand has recently started making inroads into a completely untapped market in India and that is “sports nutrition for women”.
If you’ve read my other articles you’d know that I’m a full-time nutritional consultant who loves to write. Today I decided to pen down this review because I was asked by one of my female clients if she should buy this product. You’ll find out by the end of this article what I suggested to her.
I will not use the same metrics I use to rate any typical whey protein as Oziva markets it as a protein and herbs supplement especially tailor-made keeping female needs in perspective, hence the review would be keeping that into consideration. So let’s get started.
Who makes the OZiva Protein Powder for Women?
Zywie Ventures Pvt. Ltd. is the parent company that markets its product with the brand name of Oziva.
To give you a little history about the company, it was established in 2016 in Maharashtra, the company caters to 5 market segments:
- Women’s nutrition
- Men’s nutrition
- Kids nutrition
- Hair and Skincare
- Merchandise
But they do not manufacture this whey protein supplement, they merely market it, manufacturing of ‘Protein And Herbs for Women‘ is outsourced to Saipro Biotech Private Limited, a private company established in 2010 in Pune.
Saipro Biotech Private Limited works on a contract basis and they mass produce goods for their clients. They deal in vegetable powders, conventional & organic fruit powders, spice powders & herbal powders, food, and dietary supplements.
But who manufactures the whey protein isolate and concentrate?
Neither Oziva nor Saipro discloses where they import their whey protein powder from. Neither on the product label nor on their respective websites.
Oziva does not even mention on their box which country they procure their whey protein powder from, this does not look very nice for a brand trying to set higher standards and claims to be the all-natural.
For people who are confused, let me break it down for you. Any whey protein supplement you see in India has its whey powder imported from either the US, Canada, UK or Ireland. India does not have any high-quality whey protein isolate manufacturing plants as the demand for cheese in India is very limited. Some biggest brands exporting whey protein to India include Davisco, Hilmar, and Glanbia.
Indian companies only add flavourings, enzymes, preservatives, or thickeners and then re-brand the protein to sell in India.
Let’s talk about Ingredients
This is where Oziva protein powder stands out from other whey proteins. OZiva Protein And Herbs for Women has more than just whey protein and I’ll go through each ingredient in detail:
1. Ultrafiltered Whey Concentrate & Cross Flow Micro Filtered Whey Isolate
Oziva whey protein is a concentrate based whey protein blend with the majority of the protein coming from whey concentrate(typically 80:20 | concentrate: Isolate).
Protein can be filtered using 4 techniques, viz;
- Microfiltered
- Ulta filtered
- Crossflow micro-filtered
- Ion exchange
The first three techniques are natural while the ion-exchange technique is a chemical process that denatures some of the protein molecules and should be avoided in supplemental food.
It’s good that Oziva whey protein uses a natural technique for filtration and has disclosed it on its product label.
2. Alkalized Cocoa Powder
Cocoa powders come in 2 forms, one is natural and the other is alkalized cocoa powder.
As the name suggests, the difference between the two is their pH, while the natural cocoa powder is slightly acidic with a pH of around 5, alkalized cocoa powder is neutralized to a pH of 7 by washing it with potassium carbonate.
This makes the cocoa powder, neutral in nature and gives it a dark texture. Almost all cakes and ice creams used alkalized cocoa powder for flavouring.
OZiva Protein for Women is also available in Mango, Cafe Mocha, and Vanilla Almond flavour. While the same alkalized cocoa is used in cafe mocha flavor, they do not disclose what flavouring agent they have used in the vanilla almond flavour on the box. Mango powder is used in the Mango flavour.
3. Herbs Blend
OZiva protein powder for women used 7 ingredients that differentiate the product from OZiva protein And Herbs for men. I’ll go through each herb in detail:
Shatavari
It is used in Ayurvedic medicines for ages and it has numerous benefits. But with respect to this supplement, it is used because:
Satavari has estrogen regulative properties, it helps regulate the menstrual cycle, alleviate menstrual cramps, and helps control the blood loss in periods. It can also aid in period induced bloating some women complain of.
Guduchi
Commonly known as Giloy, it is yet another popular herb used in Ayurvedic medicines for the treatment of various issues, commonly used as an anti-oxidant that has anti-ageing and stress-relieving properties.
Guduchi helps treat various urinary tract infection in women while also helping with infertility.
Flaxseed
We all know flaxseeds are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids, ALA( Alpha-linolenic Acid) to be precise. They are also high in fiber which improves gut health and aids in satiety, keeping you full for longer.
Green tea Extract
Green tea has a high amount of vitamin E(antioxidants) which have numerous health benefits. They minimize the spread of free radicals in your body and help with immunity.
Curcumin
You’ve heard of turmeric, right? Curcumin is the most active ingredient of turmeric.
It is regarded as an anti-inflammatory and immuno-booster compound, some people even tout it as a superfood.
Tulsi
Tulsi is a household item in India and most people have it in their homes. Talking in dietary terms it is considered to have anti-bacterial and anti-carcinogenic properties.
It is also considered good for hair and skin health, especially for women.
cinnamon
Commonly known as Dalchinin in India, Cinnamon is an anti-oxidant that has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties.
4. Vitamins & minerals Blend
Although all whey proteins have vitamins and minerals but it largely depends on the type of milk used and the filteration method in the production of whey protein.
But Oziva Protein And Herbs for Women is fortified with additional vitamins and minerals to make it healthier for hair and skin health( Fun fact: They have their separate chain of hair and skincare products)
Additional Vitamins and Minerals added include:
- Biotin( Type of B vitamin also known as vitamin H)
- Vitamin D
- Iron
- Vitamin A
- Zinc
- Vitamin C
5. Digestive Enzymes
Papain – a proteolytic enzyme found in raw papaya.
Bromelain – It is a protease type of naturally occurring digestive enzyme found in pineapple.
The job of these enzymes is to help break down the long amino acid chain into smaller chains in order to aid in protein digestion. Eating raw papaya and pineapple would also provide you with both these enzymes.
6. Xanthan Gum
More commonly listed as INS -415 on most product labels, xanthan gum is a sugar derivative used as a thickener and stabilizer in all protein supplements.
7. Stevia(Natural sweetener)
It is a plant-based naturally sweet derivative which is better than any other natural or artificial sweetener out there. Unlike some other sweeteners, it does not cause any insulin spike after its consumption. Although it can alter the flavour of the product it is added to as it has a bitter aftertaste.
One ingredient that Oziva either forgot to mention on their label or deliberately left out is lecithin. Lecithins are emulsifiers added to all whey protein supplements to instantiate them, without which it would take a lot of time for any whey protein to mix in water or milk or any other liquid.
usually, soy lecithin is used and sometimes sunflower, either way, this ingredient should have been disclosed as well.
NUTRITION PER SCOOP
- Scoop size – 32 gm. Total 31 servings in 1 Kg pack
- Calories – 116.90 kcal
- Protein – 22.94 gm (71.68%)
- BCAA – 5.5 gm
- Carbohydrates- 4.52 gm of which 1.22 gm comes from fibre.
- Fats – less than 1.68 gm
- Biotin – 301 mcg (100.25% of DV)
- Cost per scoop – Rs 87.03 per serving (Calculated on a Rs 2698/Kg basis)
PROS Of Oziva Protein Powder For Women
- An authentication mechanism is provided; a number is provided to give a missed call on inside the container, although a much better substitute is provided by most alternate brands.
- Clean ingredients.
- Fortified with many herbs, vitamins, and minerals.
- Great mixability.
- good taste(I have tried chocolate flavour)
- Natural protein filtration technique used.
- Complete amino acid profile disclosed on the product label, although there is a slight discrepancy between the sum of individual amino acids against the protein mentioned on the label, viz; 22.94 against 23.52 per scoop.
CONS Of Oziva Protein Powder For Women
- Whether the claimed protein is on a dry basis or as-is basis is not mentioned. If the protein mentioned is on a dry basis(which is in most cases) then the actually available protein would be 21 gm/32 gm scoop which is really less.
- Lecithin used is not disclosed.
- Concentrate based whey protein, cannot be used by lactose intolerants.
- Import source of the whey protein is not disclosed, this is nothing short of criminal if the product claims to have such high standards in ingredients.
- The lab test report is not provided anywhere. The company claims a lot of things about product quality yet I could not find any lab test report neither on Amazon or their own website. This raises serious doubts about the nutritional values claimed by the company.
- Not recommended for people following the keto diet as carbohydrate content is slightly higher than optimal.
- Obnoxiously expensive, 1 serving costs 87 rupees, which makes it the second most expensive whey protein only after Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard.
Price Justification for Oziva Whey Protein
As it is clear by now that this product is overpriced, but wait is it really?
The reason why it costs in excess of Rs 2500 per kg is that you don’t just buy the whey protein, along with the protein supplement you also get the Exclusive OZiva Prime Benefits which include:
Personalized diet for your needs from a nutrition consultant from Oziva which is not a small offering by any means. Just buying the supplement is futile if you do not know what to eat for the rest of the day. A tailor-made diet plan would help you really kickstart your fitness journey. You also get to clear all your doubts with the offered chat and Email support for all your nutrition and fitness queries from the consultants.
Nevermind, they have discontinued this service and now you simply cannot justify the price tag anymore.
ALSO READ: 6 Best Whey Protein In India [Buyer’s Guide with Lab Report]
FAQ
Do women need a different whey protein?
Whey protein is a milk extract that is derived as a by-product during cheese production from the milk. It is digested in the same manner in both male and female bodies.
So to answer the question, if we’re only talking about the protein then any woman can use any whey protein.
Having said that, women in India have traditionally eaten a low protein diet all their life, and sudden use of a protein supplement can cause a bloating and upset stomach. So, if you’re a beginner start with a tablespoon and gradually increase to a scoop over a month or two.
Will whey protein help me lose weight?
Yes & No, whey protein will help you with meeting your protein requirements, which in turn would help you push harder in your workouts and recover quicker.
It will also help you build muscle, more muscles mean less fat.
Whey protein will not help you lose weight if you do not follow a sustainable, quantified diet plan along with whey protein.
Conclusion
OZiva Protein And Herbs for Women is a unique product that could be even better if they put forth their lab test report, disclose the rest of their ingredients, and provide a better means of authenticating their product. If the price is not a concern, one can go for it and I say this
because you get to use their prime customer benefits.If you’re someone who knows the basics of nutrition and can create your own diet, there are better options available. If you found the Oziva protein powder review useful, share this with people who might benefit from it. Let me know what you think in your comments, and always #choosebetter
