UPDATE: As of Sunday February 1st, Amazon merged all the negative reviews in response to the new formula with the positive reviews from the old formula. The new formula had 2.5 stars prior to being included in these reviews! What a scam! UPDATE 2X: As of Monday March 16th, Amazon separated the reviews from the old formula and this new formula. Great job Amazon! UPDATE 3X: As of Monday June 1st, Optimum has clearly paid for FAKE REVIEWS in response to the extreme backlash by former customers. Read the reviews over the past 4 months, PAID FAKE REVIEWS. Buyer beware. Not only did Optimum reduce the amount of powder and keep the price the same, they CHANGED THE FORMULA. This new "Naturally Flavored" powder now has sugar listed in the ingredients. We all know sugar is a processed food, which is NOT NATURAL. The original natural formula that we all loved contained evaporated cane juice powder as the sweetener. Compare your old 5lb tub to this new "Naturally Flavored" 4.5lb tub. NOT THE SAME. Optimum also removed the patented ingredient Aminogen, owned by Triarco Industries, is added to high quality protein powders and other products to increase protein absorption and amino acid levels. NOT THE SAME. This is deceptive marketing and a slap in the face to all loyal Optimum Nutrition customers. You are losing a customer of 7 years that spends over $3k on supplements annually. Don't be fooled by the paid FAKE REVIEWS in response to all the negative comments. Never again. Since Optimum changed the formula, I've been purchasing MET-Rx 100% Natural Whey 5 Pound http://amzn.com/B0017I1XN

First, sugar IS natural. Evaporated cane juice powder IS sugar. Here is the reason the VERBIAGE has changed to sugar: http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/ucm181491.htm Second, your precious met-rx 100% natural whey contains fructose. (SEE ATTACHED NUTRTION LABEL) Fructose is sugar PROCESSED from fruit juice. How can you possibly post a negative review for this product by citing the use of sugar, and then refer potential consumers to another product with a different (arguably worse) form of sugar? Your review is completely void of any scientific fact. It is without base and is entirely a result of your disagreement with the increase in price. This is a great product. It is naturally sweetened and contains a minimal 4g of sugar. Not maltodextrin. Not fructose. Sugar. Processed from cane plants. Not corn. Not fruit juice. If the sugar bothers you, then purchase an unflavored whey protein powder. They contain zero sugar, zero sweeteners, and they taste like someone farted a flinstones vitamin. If you would like a product with a minimal amount of cane derived sugar, zero artificial sweeteners and a great taste, look no further

This product seems ok so far. I'm by no means an expert on health supplements, but I took the advice of someone who seems to know a lot about bodybuilding who suggested this product. If you're interested in this product, and health and fitness generally, check this guy out, scooby1961 is his YouTube account name. He has a website and many videos full of helpful nutrition and exercise information. No, I'm not in any way related nor do I know him personally, I'm just a member of his audience. He recommended this whey protein as it is 100% natural, something he points out is preferrable. I enjoy the taste and flavor, I went with vanilla because I don't just drink this with milk or water, I put it with other ingredients in the blender and make shakes or smoothies, whatever you might call them. I'll do 1 cup fat free milk, 1/2 cup fat free plain yogurt, two teaspoons artificial sweetner, about 1 cup ice, 140 grams (recommended serving size) of frozen fruit that I defrost in the microwave about 1 minute to blend well, and finally 1 scoop of this protein powder. This makes 4-5 cups and between 355 and 385 calories, no fat. I have been using this as my first meal of the day for about 5 weeks now, so far so good. I realize this is probably more info than anyone reading this might have been after, but I thought I'd include for the heck of it, maybe it's helpful for someone out there. Take care. Jonatha

Good quality protein in general. I have no issues with digestion as I do with cheaper proteins. I stopped buying from ON lately because of two batches of protein where I found two totally different contaminants in the batch - one was a small splinter which they took blame for as contamination during their process, and a second was a strange small fuzzy round hard object, which they claimed was a rock and did not take responsibility for claiming there is no way it could've got in there during their process. At that point I decided I wouldn't fund them anymore since their quality control is awful and they wouldn't admit this fuzzy object was their fault, as if I put something like this in the middle of my protein batch. I found both as I was dumping a scoop from the container into my magic bullet jar. The response from their quality control department was unbelievable elementary, with misspellings of my name and address as well a poor grammar and explanations for their fault. Just take a look at the attached picture and you tell me if that is a "rock." LO

It tastes good (as good as can be for a whey protein powder), mixes somewhat easily (a blender or shaker is recommended but if your in a bind, you can get away with just using a spoon to mix), and has a high enough protein count in each serving to meet the needs of anyone looking to supplement some quality protein into their diet. I've tried just about ever powder on the market, optimum is probably my favorite now-a-days. I mainly use it as a recovery drink after my workout, adding in a banana for extra sugar (when I use a blender). I've also been adding DAA powder to help with muscle recovery and strength increases, â˜... 50% Off Sale Today Only â˜... Pure DAA D-Aspartic Acid Powder (200 Grams - Over 60 Servings) â˜... Optimize Testosterone Levels - Promote Muscle Growth - Increase Strength & Endurance â˜... Try it 100% Risk Free I know the protein powder has something to do with it as well, but DAA has been studied and proven to increase strength in a little as two weeks which I can attest to being true so adding it has been great. I always try to drink my shake within 30 minutes of when I finish my workout, both for the protein and for the DAA to absorb into my muscles as much as possible. They say you should take some type of post workout recovery shake within the first hour after your workout. If you don't feed your body within that hour, it starts to break down muscle at a more rapid rate and feed off of that. At the very least, I'll always carry something with me, but ideally, I like drink the shake in the first 30 minutes to prevent any type of muscle breakdown

I've been using this protein powder for about 3-4 years now. I've only used two other protein powders. Body Fortresses chocolate and peanut butter. (Tastes like Resses Cup.) They sell them for cheap at my local Walmart. $18 for a 2lb. As opposed to this one which has a 2lb for $31 right now. The other one was an ON protein powder as well. I used to buy the double rich chocolate flavor for that one. And it would come in the red and black case. They also had some flavors that this one doesn't have. That I've never got to try. Like the coffee and mocha cappuccino. The reason why I stopped using those other protein was because I was starting to get tired of the taste. And I started to dread taking protein shakes because of it. I used the black and red ON for about 3 years. And the Body Fortress for maybe a year and a half around the same time. The taste was just way too over powering. Especially the B.F. Which doesn't surprise me since it's so cheap. B.F has other flavors too, and 30g of protein per serving instead of ON's 24g. But their scoop is considerably bigger. And I'm honestly fine with paying almost double the price for this products quality. This one was definitely my favorite of the 3. And I plan to continue drinking it for the years to come. I believe I've only ever gotten the vanilla flavor for this one. But am so satisfied with the taste. That I don't really feel the need to switch. I'll only ever mix it with water as a last result. Like when I'm out of whole milk, or almond milk. I like how it tastes with whole milk the most. Plus, whole milk adds more protein. In my opinion, I think it tastes the worst with water. Whenever I drink it, I'll just mix it in one of my coffee mugs. And it dissolves real easily. Which is another thing I like about this powder. The taste isn't strong, but you can still taste the vanilla quite well. But sometimes, I put just a little bit of my vanilla coffee creamer to give it a boost of taste. Overall, I'm very satisfied with this protein. And never got sick of the taste so far. When I was working 11-13 hour shifts at my last job. Which was at a warehouse. I would drink 2 a day, 5 times a week. Along with some coffee during break or on my lunch. Literally, whenever I didn't the coffee and protein. I'd feel so tired and sluggish at work. As if I only had an hours sleep. I highly recommend this product and brand. I use to, and still have my other supplements. All of which, are from this Brand, ON. My creatine, BCAA, HMB, and ZMAs. I use to take all that when I worked out like every day a few years ago.j But I don't anymore. Now I'll just stick to trying to get most of my protein from real food. Like eggs, tuna, peanut butter, chicken, tilapia, ham, almonds, and cottage cheese. I've always heard it's better to get most of your protein from actual food. Even so, I'm still taking 1-2 of these protein shakes before and after I workout. :) And I suppose this is a good alternative if you don't have immediate access to a protein based food. Or you're a vegan

I have been using this product for over two years now. I have to say I love it and recommend it to anyone who asks... and even to those who don't ask. Pros: 1. The product is consistent. I've read other reviews that say it is inconsistent, but I disagree. I have always been impressed with the flavor and consistency when mixing. It mixes well with every liquid I have tried, yes including water. 2. Yes, the product has sugar, but it is not an overwhelming amount. It is just enough to give it a good flavor, but doesn't overpower. I'd rather have a little sugar than a bunch of chemical garbage...just my preference. 3. The shipping and packaging is always awesome. I check the expiration date every time the product arrives and it is always a year away. Container has yet to be cracked or dented. I have grown confident in the product and the shipment method. Cons: 1. The scooper is always at the bottom :/ but I just use the old one until I hit gold :) Summary: I've made gains using this protein and plan to continue using in the future. In fact, I got another one on the way as I type this review

All I can say is "terrible". Let's start with the bad, since that's basically what this product is. The Bad: the taste is severely sweet. With the previous formula I liked how it had a natural cacao taste with very little to no sweetness. No longer. Now it is so sweet it is sickening and lingers for hours. Some of the side effects I have experienced: gas & bloating, GI distress, abdominal pain, severe diarrhea, inability to concentrate, brain fog, and probably more, but I'm unable to concentrate enough to think of more after drinking a shake from this protein. The GI side effects come on sudden and last for a short time. The brain side effects can last all day or more. I should emphasize that the bathroom experience this gives me is seriously awful. The Good: it has protein, BCAAs, glutamine, and glutamic acid. Which is probably useless since it doesn't stay in my system long enough to absorb. It is low in sugar, but the type of sugar used could be causing my and other people's bad reactions. What a waste of $50. After only using this for a couple weeks, I'll have to toss the rest in the trash. It's so bad I wouldn't even give it away. I tried to use it, and hate to throw money away, but this is not worth the reaction it gives me. I should say that the previous formula for the ON Natural Whey did not give me problems, tasted great, and was a great product. Also, the regular ON Gold Standard does not give me problems. The only reason I bought this was because it was on sale and I liked it when I had it before. I wish I had listened to the reviews before purchasing, but most of the reviews just seemed to be complaining about semantics. Lesson learned. Hopefully this will help to sway others from making the same mistake. If you tend to have sensitivities to foods and ingredients, please look elsewhere. Way to turn a great product into a terrible one ON. JB

This is my first time buying protein. I've been working out for about three weeks now, trying to lose fat and gain muscle. I did a lot of research before I decided on this product, because I saw how expensive protein powders were. There's so many claims that every manufacturer make about how their product is superior to their competitors. I decided that I wouldn't base my decision on the flashy claims written on bottles, bright colors, or even on customer reviews. I did my own research online about what a GOOD protein powder should have. Here's why I love my Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey Gold Standard Natural Whey, Vanilla, 5 Pound: 1.) LOW CALORIE and LOW FAT - For me, this was probably the most important factor being someone who is try to shed fat. There are only 130 calories, 1g of fat, and 0.5g of saturated fat per scoop ( 1 scoop = 32g). This is by far the leanest protein I found. 2.) HIGH PROTEIN per scoop - If I was going to shell out over 50 bucks on a supplement, it better be worth my money. This powder packs 24g of protein per scoop. Another plus as Optimum Nutrition has made a high protein, and low calorie/fat product. You can't beat a powder which is 75% of pure protein by weight. 3.) ALL NATURAL ingredients - According to my research, the biggest dangers of protein powders were that they were chock full of artificial flavors and sweeteners which can cause harm if taken over a long period of time. This is why I opted for Optimum Nutrition's natural form of protein. This product only has natural flavorings, and natural cane juice for sweetness. Some reviews say that this powder lists stevia or Rebaudiana-A in the ingredients. This is FALSE. At least for me it is. My bottle lists evaporated cane juice as the only sweetener. No stevia in mine. I'm glad Optimum Nutrition did this, because there is still a lot of research that should be done on stevia before we can truly call it safe. 4.) Simple and versatile vanilla flavor - I must say that this product tastes fine. Its not a dessert/milkshake, and its not a treat. Its a protein powder SUPPLEMENT, and I'm satisfied with the way it tastes. I was worried about buying this because a few reviews said how this was "undrinkable" or had a "artificial sweetener aftertaste". I honestly don't have any such problem with this protein. Its very much drinkable. Even if you do somehow hate the flavor, just dilute the powder in a greater amount of liquid before you drink it. I love how this vanilla flavor is very versatile in that I am able to add it to anything and it fits. So far, I've put it in berry smoothies, oatmeal, and my morning cereal. I'm sure I won't get bored trying to find the different ways I can add this protein into my meals. 5.) A,GOOD PROTEIN BLEND with all the AMINO ACIDS I need - Through research, I found that there are so many types of protein, and the best type of protein is whey isolate or whey peptides, but these types of powder can get very expensive. I wasn't ready to spend that much money on a powder. This product lists a protein blend of whey isolates, whey concentrate, and whey peptides in each serving. Many other manufacturers only use the cheap whey concentrate in the products. I like how this is a high quality blend which keeps the cost low. ON has also put in all the essential amino acids, and BCAA's I need to help my body's muscles recover quickly after a workout. Overall, I happy I made this choice. ON has made a product which is nutritious, low calorie, high quality, and all natural. What more can I ask for in a decently priced protein powder? Get this now, and I promise you won't regret it

The product itself is phenomenal so I can't bring myself to give it a bad review, but it's unfortunate that they seem to have (hopefully accidentally?) mixed their casein and regular whey together. I was intending to buy the strawberry flavor of casein (which this company makes, and which you can also find on Amazon), but by clicking on their casein and then clicking strawberry flavor I wound up with strawberry whey instead. Both types of powder are wonderful, but just make sure to double check