KOS Organic Plant Based Protein Powder

My original review was 3 stars - tasted like chocolate pudding. Looks and smells like vomit. Mixes like cardboard. The only way to do it is with a blender. Even then, it's questionable. So my updated review is zero stars [if I could] because this stuff interferes with your digestive system in a serious way. I don't care what good reviews there are about it - as of May 2019, it's garbage and it isn't returnable by any convenient means. If you care to, read on. But otherwise, if you're in the market for a vegan protein powder, good luck finding one that isn't contaminated or overpriced. Check your diet first before you start thinking the 1-key to your fitness is in a plastic jar. I only opted for a protein powder to see if I could get any more gains in the gym. I didn't intend to use this as a meal replacement or heavy supplement plan. It was just supposed to be a treat for after a workout to build a little extra lean muscle. So why is this KOS a POS? Well, I'll give you some background information and explain what's going on here that's so bad. 1. I'm a 25 year old male, 225 lbs and solid muscle. I do P90X (X2 is better) and I swim everyday [except the weekends, which is when I occasionally do a 10-15 mile ride if weather isn't terrible]. I eat like a horse and sleep like a bear for 8 hours a night - under normal conditions. The last I was sick was in 2016 - and it was food poisoning. 2. I eat everything except red meat. Nothing personal - I just don't like the taste and quality these days is lower than what the standards try to maintain. I don't take supplements and I don't take vitamins. I get my nutrition from whole, healthy vegetables and clean meats (chicken, turkey, salmon, etc.). 3. I am a medical student and know a thing or two about ACTUAL physiology - not the white noise or 'one-word' compliments mentioned by other reviewers. It's not good enough that you 'are' something (nutritionist, physical therapist, bla bla bla) - the 'why' is what is most important in a review. So again, why did I purchase this KOS? I thought I was getting a good, clean protein to help get a little extra beef in the gym. Wrong move on my part. So, here you go. A. This powder raises your blood pH - which can be a MAJOR problem for anyone, whether you're in or out of shape. - My resting heart rate (at 11 am) is around 62 bpm on a bad day. On a good day, between 57-59. 3 hours after drinking KOS (at 8am), the best I could get was 72. That's NOT good. - In addition, my respiration had increased noticeably - I felt short of breath, though no chest pain. Anyone with an ounce of physiology knows that one way to reduce blood pH is to increase respiration - because that lowers CO2 in the blood. If my respiration set point increases - my brain is saying to my body, "You're pH is off, buddy. Better try to bring it back down otherwise it's curtains for this rodeo." B. Bloating and cramping to the max - resultant in potential potassium/glucose dumping in urine and feces (REALLY BAD) -People with diabetes often urinate more frequently (and at night - nocturia) because their kidneys are unable to keep the glucose from their blood in their system. Usually, this is because their blood sugar is SUPER high (even 2x the normal 100mg/dl can do this). I've had nocturia every time I've used KOS which tell me my body is trying to dump excess glucose. I don't have diabetes and my blood glucose is around 90 mg/dl (during a TB titer in Jan, 2019), so this is a major red flag. Inevitably, you lose salts in this process - including sodium and potassium salts. Losing potassium [or having too much potassium] in the kidneys can be fatal. Am I saying KOS can kill you? No, but do you want to risk overtaxing your system to deal with something clearly toxic? -You'll have a knot in your stomach for sure - and I actually mean 'Stomach'. Mine always got particularly noisy after ingesting this KOS stuff. C. Gains at the Gym? What gains would those be? No Gains with Excess Water! Not to mention Brain Fog. -During the 1-serving-per-day-for-1-week that I used this stuff, I skipped nearly all my days working out because I felt terrible waking up. No energy, no zest and absolutely no core strength. Brain fog throughout the day and just a general ill feeling. The one day I did exercise (Monday) - my system was totally gassed. I was heavily winded and just plain out-of-steam. Not to mention, light-headedness after a brief bout of cardio with weights (that tells me my heart was trying to overclock itself - hope I didn't do any damage). -I still feel terrible, although, less terrible since I have taken a little apple cider vinegar with some apple juice to help my body recover a little bit. Since taking my ACV, I've noticed my vascularity has improved (my vessels had sunken down a bit with the KOS) and I've frequently urinated (about twice an hour for 3 hours - though I haven't drank any water). That alone told me my body had excess water - probably around my heart - and since I've consumed a natural diuretic, I'm getting back to basics with my system. I'm just in awe that my body went from hero to zero in 5 days using what was supposed to be a minor supplement. So...I hope my review can provide some clarity on my experience with KOS's powder. If I were you, I'd find a way to build muscle from protein in a non-processed food - not some chemical powder in a plastic tub.

Not a stranger to organic protein options. This is an almost every day beverage. Saw KOS for a daily deal. Researched the product and company. Added to my sub and save list to give a try. Ingredients are comparable to other options on my shelf. I prefer variety and non-brand dependence in case stock is low, runs out, or the price soars. Since inflation is outta control this happens quite a bit. Impacting my bottom line. Another reason to mix things up drinking different brands is each offers variabilities that when mixed and matched contributes to my dietary goals. I’ve noticed one brand in particular boosts my mood during road trips and during projects. I drink this when doing long work days. Some have more vitamins and minerals. All have a boost of vegan protein helping me get to this goal. Since attempts at more animal protein made me sick and shot my triglyceride’s through the roof x4. Things I look for are consistency of dissolving when adding to filtered water and shaken with ice cubes to help mix. For a few hours observe my mood and how the product contributes to hunger or feeling satiated as a supplement or snack. Boost when needing some calories during an active project day. Track performance over consumption of the container. On day one am disappointed in this powder to break down. Using only one scoop in 15 ounces of filtered water to learn how much works to dissolve and get to know the consistency had a difficult time finding a sweet spot after a half hour. The other half dozen products dissolve when shaken. A half hour since shaking still see sand sized grains floating. Then gathering at the bottom. The flavor is okay. Not good or bad. Drinkable. The other brands I use all taste delicious using a scoop. My preference is not using full power at two scoops. Enjoying protein drinks on the lighter side. Reminding me of a childhood beverage YooHoo. Rather than thicker at two heaping scoops. Then, drink another shake during a break. Find this helps maintain blood sugar. Refreshes me. Helps improve caloric intake as I struggle with eating enough calories given I prefer nutritious low caloric food. Adding vegan protein has many benefits and I expect it to mix and taste great. Of the half dozen variety on my shelf this is my least favorite. Price wise, this protein is ingredient comparable to others on my shelf as a daily deal but regular price is almost twice as much for same amount. I can’t figure out why other than brand name. Imma try mixing it with other brands to see if this enhances outcomes, and try in homemade oatmeal to help finish the container. It’s been an hour and there is still undissolved product. The container sitting still invites a gathering of floaters for a congested cluster. Requires shaking. Three stars for quality of ingredients. Minus two for price comparison being high but the quality, from my perspective, is not worth the added expense if not getting similar enjoyment. I read great reviews. Agree this could be a worthy investment if you like it. For me, meh. Comparing to other brands am not wowed to encourage investment in the brand pricing.

Soooo good! I was buying the vanilla and liked it so much I wanted to try the chocolate. It’s like a mildly sweet chocolate milk honestly! My husband said it has a hint of “paint” he didn’t like but I don’t taste it. I’m happy with the protein content and the added vitamins, minerals and fiber. Other protein shakes tend to make me feel bloated and hurt my stomach but I feel fine after this one! The only thing I wish is that they would attach the scoop to the top of the lid or something so I don’t have to make a mess looking for the scoop when first opening. I end up making such a mess and wasting powder looking for it.

I love this protein powder. It is not chalky, it mixes really well and is not clumpy, whether you're just using water and a shaker ball or you're blending it in a blender with milk, you can add frozen banana or coffee ice cubes for a frappe, the ingredients are stellar, it doesn't cause any indigestion or stomach upset. It has digestive enzymes and prebiotics. It is organic and I love it.

I have tried a number of vegan protein powders. All of them have a number of positive reviews about the great taste and lack of chalkiness. But, in all honesty, like all of the others I have tried, this one is no different. No one will mistake this for anything other than pea protein.