10 Benefits of Eating Protein Bars: Why Are Protein Bars Good For You?

Before we go into the 10 health benefits of protein bars, let's first define what these magical treats are! In the below picture, the three Caramel Nut Protein Bars on the left have the same protein content as the T-bone on the right. A protein bar is a carefully prepared meal substitute that provides a high source of protein. The AmBari range of bariatric products have the added advantage of being formulated to contain very low levels of sugar, which we all want to avoid. Hence the bariatric protein bars provide a high protein intake, can be part of a bariatric diet, and are very very filling due to the nutrient-dense nature of the product.

Health Benefits of AmBari's Bariatric Protein Bars​

Benefit 1 – Low Calories​

These bars are all formulated for a bariatric diet – this means that they do not contain gigantic volumes of sugar syrups. They are sweetened mainly with sugar alcohols, which have low nutritional values, and help to maintain regular bowel movements – both beneficial for us. The AmBari Nutrition protein bar collection has bars that range from 130-170 calories per bar! If you have a look at mass-market protein bars, they range from about 200 calories on the low end to 350 on the higher end.

Benefit 2 – High Protein​

These bars have very high protein contents, ranging from 10 to 15g of protein per bar. This means that you are getting a lot more protein per calorie consumed. In our quest to manage our weight in a healthy range, these high protein, low sugar formulations allow us to provide the protein we need to survive, in a quick easy snack that can be kept in the car, handbag, backpack, etc. There are times when we just cannot get a low-calorie meal, and these provide an excellent emergency meal.

Benefit 3 – Delicious Flavors​

The AmBari Nutrition protein bar collection is quite diverse in flavors. A lot of the psychological resistance we find within ourselves to sticking to a low-calorie, high-protein healthy diet stems from boredom. A variety of choices helps us defeat boredom. This helps us keep on our targets.

Benefit 4 – Rich in Vitamins and Minerals​

Unlike many protein bars, the AmBari Nutrition protein bar collection contains bars with many beneficial vitamins and minerals. If we look at the below table you can see it provides the Vit A, C, E, and B’s as well as Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, and Copper. The formulation here is extra clever in that the copper for instance is in a chelated form – this means that other ingredients in the bar do not make it unabsorbable as will be the case with more mass-market poorly formulated products.

Benefit 5 – Fiber Content​

The AmBari Nutrition protein bar collection has bars that range from 5-7 grams of fiber per bar. Now, as a scientist, I must point out you get fiber and FIBER. The fiber in these bars is mainly from Fructooligosaccharides. Fructooligosaccharides are known as soluble fiber and have a huge benefit in your lower intestines where they feed probiotic microbes. This is high-quality, expensive fiber.

Benefit 6 – Fats stabilized with Vitamin E​

This may not sound like a big thing, but let me elaborate. Fats, especially vegetable fats, go rancid very quickly. This means they oxidize – this is bad. Typically in industry, antioxidants such as TBHQ are added to vegetable oils. This is a deeply problematic chemical, and the more expensive natural alternative, Vitamin E, stabilizes fats and oils and is a vitamin. In the case of this range of bars, you will see in the ingredients that they often mention oil stabilized with tocopherols (Vitamin E). This is very good. You get good fats, and you get great fats – fats with Vitamin E in them are great fats.

Benefit 7 – Tooth Health​

The AmBari Nutrition range of protein bars contains maltitol as a sweetener. This is a sugar alcohol, so it tastes sweet (like Glycerine does) but we cannot really absorb it. It has been tentatively shown that consuming maltitol-containing products (in this case gum) can reduce to a certain extent, the prevalence of plaque-forming bacteria in the mouth. Compare this to eating mainstream protein bars rich in sugar that encourage cavities and oral decay.

Benefit 8 – Protein Diversity​

There are many ways of getting protein into a protein bar. Using a diverse range of protein sources increases the nutritional value of the protein. AmBari Nutrition Protein bars contain a range of protein sources, which are mixed to create a balanced protein blend. When I explain protein in a lecture I enjoy using the example of an alphabet – if you need to write the words “I love you” to your partner, and you do not have any Y’s and O’s you will struggle. A balanced protein contains the 20 amino acids needed to build a human being…in the correct ratio. In other words, if you were a sentence, there are the right letters (amino acids) to finish that sentence. This means that you could get some mainstream protein bar “that contains lots of proteins” but the source is unbalanced, so half of the amino acids in the protein will just end up being converted to stinky waste products in your urine, and you have paid a dollar to have weird smelling pee. When you buy a premium protein bar that is formulated properly, all of the amino acids in the protein are actually useful and contribute to your health – and hopefully less funky-smelling pee.

Benefit 9 – Vitamin D Supplementation​

Each one of the AmBari Nutrition Protein Bar collections contains vitamin D. I have had several friends working in the field of Vitamin D deficiency, and have been subjected to intense, and often unwanted, discussions of how important this Vitamin is. To elaborate, for most of human history we wore a lot less clothing than we do now, spent a lot more time outdoors, and did not shower or bathe much. This meant that our ancestors produced a lot of Vitamin D on their skin when they were in the sunlight, and absorbed it while they slept because they did not wash it off in the bath or shower. Most of us cannot afford, for financial, or social reasons, to be nudists and not bath and shower, hence consuming Vitamin D in our food makes a big difference. We absorb this vitamin better in the presence of emulsified fats – and yes, you guessed right, all the AmBari protein bars contain emulsified fat – with Vitamin D already mixed into them. It’s just a hop and a skip down your throat and into your body for this essential Vitamin, and in a week or so of consuming it regularly, you will notice improvements! Vitamin D supplementation is highly recommended in many bariatric scenarios.

Benefit 10 - Polydextrose for Gut Health​

This is a random chain of glucose stuck together in a chaotic and messy function that the enzymes we produce in our intestines cannot digest. It is a type of fiber basically. As this ingredient passes through our system it reaches the large intestines – this region of the body is very important because a lot of special microbes live there that actually improve our health by making vitamins and nutrients for us. A very complex orchestra of microbes starts to work on polydextrose in this region – and these contribute to our health! There is research suggesting that the health of the microbiome in the large intestines is linked to “timeous satiation” when eating – ie we feel full at a healthy point of food intake and do not overeat.

Conclusion: The Comprehensive Benefits of Protein Bars​

I hope that this information-dense article has helped you understand at least 10 Health Benefits of Protein Bars! There is a lot of superficial information out there on the internet, and this article aims not to be part of that. When we make choices in life it is really important to be armed with facts, and also to get opinions from those that seek facts, not feelings. Now, I have been writing late, and have not cooked supper, so it’s off to munch a gluten-free protein bar and sleep!