Here's some help for when you are Whey Protein shopping online, in sports supplement stores, or at the supermarket.
If your Whey powder ticks the following then it's much more likely to serve you well.
1) Grass Fed. Whey Protein is made from dairy cows milk that either comes from free range grass fed cows, or cows that are factory farmed that eat unnatural feed diets. When cows are free to live in paddocks and eat grass, the milk they produce has contrastingly different nutrition properties, compared to factory farmed. Grass Fed Whey contains natural benefits that can help contribute to a healthier, leaner, stronger, and more toned body.
2) Hormone Free. In New Zealand dairy cows are hormone free, thanks to very strict local policy. In countries outside of New Zealand hormones are routinely used to increase milk production in their cows. These hormones, coupled with unnatural factory farming feeding practices, make cows unwell. To keep the milk flowing the cows are given antibiotics. The tainted milk is passed on into the milk supply, to be made into Whey Protein. The safest way to go, to avoid the negatives, is to shop for New Zealand Whey Protein Powder.
3) 100% Whey Protein. Whey Protein powders are often cut with fillers and other ingredients like amino acids to bring the manufacturers costs down, to increase margins. Look for a single ingredient Whey Protein, that hasn't been blended with other ingredients, including other protein sources. If going for a flavoured Whey protein powder, then go for one that has a small ingredients list, of recognisable ingredients.
4) 70% to 80% Protein Content. Your Whey Protein should contain at least 70% to 80% protein content, or higher. If it's less than this then there is good reason to ask questions about the quality. There are very low protein percentage Whey Powders available to manufacturers, these are very low priced too. Manufacturers looking to save a buck will blend cheap low protein percentage Whey Powders with a small amount of higher percentage protein, like Whey Isolate. Don't be fooled by the mention of Whey Isolate. You will be able to pick up the 'fairy dusting' by checking the protein content on the label.