Plant protein vs isolate: what "isolate" actually means

"Isolate" describes how much a raw protein source was filtered, not which source it came from. Whey, soy, pea and fava bean protein are each sold as either a concentrate or an isolate, depending on how far the manufacturer processed the raw material. An isolate is filtered further, stripping out more fat, carbohydrate and fiber (and for dairy, lactose), which raises the percentage of protein by weight. Electric Tiger Plant Protein already uses a fava bean protein isolate.

What "isolate" means, exactly

Raw protein sources — milk for whey and casein, soybeans for soy, peas for pea protein, fava beans for fava bean protein — contain protein alongside fat, carbohydrate, fiber and other plant or dairy compounds. Turning that raw material into a concentrate involves a first round of processing (filtering, drying) that removes some of the non-protein material. An isolate goes through additional processing — typically further filtration or precipitation steps — that removes more of it, leaving a higher percentage of protein by weight in the finished powder and less of everything else. The tradeoff is usually cost: more processing steps generally mean a higher price per pound of raw material, which is one reason isolates often cost more than concentrates of the same source ingredient. See how to compare plant protein prices for how that shows up in the price per serving.

Isolate applies to plant sources too

Soy protein isolate, pea protein isolate and fava bean protein isolate are all common examples of the same processing concept applied to a plant source instead of milk. None of them is inherently "more processed" than whey isolate in a way that changes what the word means — it's the same filtration concept, applied to a different starting material. A plant protein isolate is dairy-free for a separate reason than lactose removal in whey isolate: it was never derived from milk in the first place, so there's no dairy protein or lactose to filter out to begin with.

Does isolate vs. concentrate change what the research shows?

The research comparing plant and animal protein sources for muscle and strength outcomes is about the source — plant vs. animal — not about isolate vs. concentrate processing specifically. A 2021 meta-analysis of 16 pooled randomized trials found no significant overall difference in lean mass or strength by protein source, with a small edge for animal protein in adults under 50 (0.41 kg more absolute lean mass, 95% CI 0.08–0.74 kg). That trial base doesn't separately test whether an isolate form of a given source performs differently from a concentrate form of the same source — that specific comparison hasn't been isolated in the trials we found. For the fuller research picture on plant vs. animal protein sources, see plant protein vs whey: what actually differs.

Where our label sits

Electric Tiger Plant Protein is built on fava bean protein isolate, paired with YESTEIN™ fermented nutritional yeast protein — 21 g of protein per two-scoop serving (34.7 g), 110 calories, 24 servings per tub, as low as $54.47 a bottle on subscription. The label doesn't print an amino acid profile, so we don't call it a "complete" protein; see what is plant protein? a plain guide for what that term requires. If you have G6PD deficiency or a family history of it, read who should not take fava bean protein before trying any fava-bean-based product, isolate included.

Questions people ask

What is plant isolate protein?

A plant protein — soy, pea, fava bean and others — that's been filtered further than a basic concentrate, removing more of the non-protein material from the raw plant source and raising the percentage of protein by weight in the finished powder. "Isolate" is the processing method; the plant it came from is a separate detail.

Is whey protein isolate better than plant protein?

"Isolate" alone doesn't answer that — it's a processing level, not a verdict on the source. Whey protein isolate and a plant protein isolate (soy, pea, fava bean) can be compared on protein-per-serving, amino acid profile if it's disclosed, and price per gram of protein, the same way you'd compare any two isolates. On muscle and strength outcomes specifically, see plant protein vs whey: what actually differs for what the trial evidence shows by source.

Is pea protein isolate the same as whey protein isolate?

Both are isolates in the processing sense — heavily filtered to raise protein percentage — but they come from different raw materials with different amino acid profiles, and pea protein isolate is dairy-free and lactose-free by source rather than by an extra filtration step.

Related reading: how to choose a good plant protein, plant protein forms compared, and plant protein vs whey: what actually differs.