Protein supplements can play an important role in speedening your muscle building goals. While the building blocks of your muscle gaining routine should rely primarily on solid whole foods, there are times when protein supplements can come in handy notably for post workout or even as a meal replacement because let's face it, it's not obvious for anyone to consume 5-6 meals a day or eat a solid meal after your workout. Some people prefer to ingest a liquid meal after training.

There are several kind of protein supplements and I will list a few like whey, casein, egg. There are also those with a combination of 2 or 3 types of proteins. While it's a good idea to consume protein supplements, sometimes it's not totally healthy depending what ingredients there are. As you probably know, some supplements have artificial sweeteners like sucralose(also known as splenda), acesulfame potassium(also known as Acesulfame K or Ace K) and even aspartame and all these are many times sweeter than table sugar. According to research, they are considered as questionable for health. While there hasn't been any solid and conclusive evidence as to the negative effects these sweeteners can have on the human body in the long run, it's still risky as to the long term side effects. These sweeteners are not only found in some supplements but in certain foods too. They are in fact approved and authorized to be used in food and supplement production. If these ingredients are banned, they wouldn't have been found in foods or supplements.

So if you're using protein supplements having artificial sweeteners, you might put your health at risk or maybe not because each person immune system is different. Sometimes you might have negative effects with some food or supplement whereas someone else doesn't. But if you don't want to take risks, there are still natural protein supplements on the market without artificial sweeteners.

Here are some of the top natural protein supplements that I recommend to you if you want to bypass the artificial sweeteners and still achieve your muscle building goals faster.

Dymatize All Natural Elite Whey Protein Isolate - Loaded primarily with whey protein isolates for fast utilization by muscle cells and ideal for post workout - contains high levels of anti-catabolic branch chain amino acids(BCAAs) which can be used as extra muscle fuel during intense training. Click here to learn more

Optimum 100% Natural Whey - Packed with mostly whey protein isolates and fast absorption in your muscles(great for post workout) - contains a good amount of glutamine(helps in protein synthesis and muscle recovery) and branch chain amino acids(BCAAs). Click here to learn more

Optimum 100% Natural Casein - Packed with casein protein and ideal prebed when your body needs a slow release of protein into your muscles as you will be without nutrients for several hours. Also has a good dose of glutamine and BCAAs. Click here to learn more

Optimum Natural Pro Complex - Packed with whey isolates, hydrolized proteins, egg albumen and other protein sources, this protein can be used for post workout as well as in your breakfast or even prebed. It offers a slower release of protein in your muscles as compared to the natural whey but not as slow as the natural casein. You get a bit of both world in this natural protein supplement plus higher amount of glutamine and BCAAs and a comprehensive vitamin and mineral blend. Click here to learn more

All these natural protein supplements use stevia as sweetener and this is totally safe. Stevia is actually a plant and widely grown for its sweet leaves.

By using these natural protein supplements, you will be achieving a lean muscular physique faster along with a proper diet and training but at the same time keeping your health safe.