BSN Syntha-6 Edge Vanilla Milkshake: 24g Protein, Labelgrade B- (74/100)
B- 74 / 100 — A leaner version of BSN's flagship blend: 24g of protein per scoop at 150 calories, with only 3g sugar. Protein density is maxed out. The ceiling is the ingredient panel — this is an additive-heavy formula with a sunflower creamer, multiple phosphate stabilizers, gums, and two artificial sweeteners. It tastes like dessert by design, and the formulation reflects that.
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BSN Syntha-6 Edge Vanilla Milkshake delivers 24 g of protein for 150 calories per 1-scoop (36 g) serving (USDA FDC 2463712) — about 66.7 g of protein per 100 g of powder. It earns a Labelgrade of B- (74 / 100). This is the leaner sibling of BSN’s flagship Syntha-6: same 24 g protein, but the carbs are trimmed to 6 g and sugar held to 3 g. Two things to know up front. First, it is not a stripped whey isolate — it carries 3.5 g of fat and 6 g of carbs that a leaner isolate like Dymatize ISO100 (120 cal, 0.5 g fat, 2 g carbs) does without. Second, those extra grams are the point: they are what let this powder taste like an actual vanilla milkshake. The grade trade lives entirely on the ingredient line.
Why the B-
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | A+ | 100 / 100 | 66.7 g per 100 g — capped at A+, as expected for a powder |
| Ingredient quality | C | 63 / 100 | A six-source protein matrix (good), but stacked with a sunflower-oil creamer, dipotassium/tricalcium phosphate, a three-gum blend with carrageenan, and two artificial sweeteners |
| Sugar load | A | 92 / 100 | 3 g sugar (~2 g added) — low; sweetness is from sucralose and ace-K |
| Saturated fat | B+ | 82 / 100 | 1 g per scoop — moderate, mostly from the sunflower creamer |
| Sodium load | D | 49 / 100 | 170 mg per scoop, but ~472 mg per 100 g — high per gram, driven by the phosphate stabilizers |
| Fiber | F | 30 / 100 | 0 g — structural for a protein powder |
The honest read: protein density and sugar control are doing the lifting, and a maxed-out A+ density keeps the overall in B territory. The two anchors dragging it down are predictable — fiber is an unavoidable F for any powder, and ingredient quality is a real C because BSN spent the formulation budget on taste. The sodium D is more about Labelgrade’s per-100 g math than a salty scoop. Nothing here is a red flag; it is a flavor-first formula being graded honestly.
The taste-versus-panel trade, made explicit
Syntha-6 has a long-standing reputation as one of the best-tasting protein powders on the market, and the label shows exactly how that gets engineered. The sunflower creamer (sunflower oil plus corn syrup solids) is what gives the shake body and a creamy mouthfeel instead of a thin, chalky one. The three-gum blend — cellulose gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan — keeps it from separating and adds thickness. Sucralose and acesulfame potassium supply milkshake-level sweetness without sugar grams. That is roughly a dozen line items working in service of flavor and texture, and they are precisely the line items that cost it points on ingredient quality. If a powder “tastes like dessert,” this is the formulation that makes that true. The 3.5 g of fat and 6 g of carbs per scoop are part of the same bargain: they are flavor and texture, not an accident.
How it compares
| Product | Protein per scoop | Per 100 g | Calories | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syntha-6 Edge Vanilla Milkshake (this product) | 24 g (36 g) | 66.7 g | 150 | Whey + casein blend; flavor-forward, additive-heavy |
| Dymatize ISO100 Chocolate PB | 25 g (32 g) | 78.1 g | 120 | Hydrolyzed whey isolate; leaner, shorter panel |
| Ascent Native Fuel Cappuccino | 25 g (31 g) | 80.6 g | 120 | Whey isolate blend, monk-fruit sweetened, nothing artificial |
| Muscle Milk Pro Series Chocolate | 32 g (53 g) | 60.4 g | 210 | More protein per scoop, also heavily formulated |
Read down the calorie column and the trade is obvious: Syntha-6 Edge costs 30 more calories per scoop than ISO100 or Ascent for one fewer gram of protein, and that gap is the fat and carbs that buy the milkshake taste. On a pure macros-and-panel basis, Ascent grades highest of this group (A-, 89) — it sweetens with monk fruit instead of sucralose and keeps the ingredient list to six items. ISO100 (B, 79) is the leanest, fastest-absorbing option. Where Syntha-6 Edge wins is palatability and the sustained whey-plus-casein release — it is the tub people tend to actually finish. Muscle Milk pushes more protein per scoop but at 210 calories and a panel even longer than this one. Pick by whether taste-adherence or label-cleanliness matters more to you.
Whole-food equivalent
One scoop of Syntha-6 Edge (24 g protein) ≈ 77 g of cooked chicken breast — roughly 2.7 ounces. The powder’s edge is convenience: it is faster, portable, and tastes like a dessert rather than plain poultry. The cost is everything on the panel above — a long formulation and two artificial sweeteners in place of whole food. As a way to hit a protein target on a busy day, the math strongly favors the scoop; as a stand-in for real meals, treat it as the supplement it is.
A note on the Syntha-6 family
The Syntha-6 name covers three formulations that score very differently, so check the tub you are holding:
- Syntha-6 Edge (this product) — leaner: ~6 g carbs, 150 cal, 24 g protein; “Vanilla Milkshake” / “Chocolate Milkshake” flavors.
- Syntha-6 (original) — the classic blend, higher carbs (~14-15 g) and calories (~190-200); “Vanilla Ice Cream” flavor.
- Syntha-6 Isolate — isolate-forward, leaner still.
Don’t conflate them — the original’s macros are noticeably heavier than Edge’s. Flavor variants within a single line carry near-identical macros.
Ingredients
Protein matrix (whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, hydrolyzed whey protein, calcium caseinate, micellar casein, milk protein concentrate), sunflower creamer (sunflower oil, corn syrup solids, sodium caseinate, mono- and diglycerides, dipotassium phosphate, tricalcium phosphate, soy lecithin, tocopherols), natural and artificial flavor, lecithin, gum blend (cellulose gum, xanthan gum, carrageenan), salt, sucralose, acesulfame potassium. (Verbatim from the USDA Branded Foods entry, FDC 2463712.)
Where to buy
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 scoop (36 g)
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 scoop (36 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 150 |
| Protein | 24g |
| Total Fat | 3.5g |
| Saturated Fat | 1g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 6g |
| Total Sugars | 3g |
| Added Sugars | 2g |
| Sodium | 170mg |
| Cholesterol | 50mg |
| Calcium | 170mg |
| Potassium | 190mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to BSN Syntha-6 Edge Protein Powder, Vanilla Milkshake (4.01 lb (1.82 kg) tub) · UPC 834266005703. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains animal-derived ingredients
contains no listed meat or fish
no wheat, barley, rye, or malt detected in USDA ingredient list
Frequently Asked Questions
How much protein is in BSN Syntha-6 Edge Vanilla Milkshake?
24 g of protein per 1-scoop (36 g) serving (USDA FDC 2463712) — about 66.7 g per 100 g of powder. That's 48% of the FDA's 50 g Daily Value in one scoop, comfortably clearing the 20% bar to be labeled 'high in protein.'
What does the 'six' in Syntha-6 actually refer to?
Six protein sources, not six grams of anything. The matrix runs whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, and hydrolyzed whey (all fast-digesting) plus calcium caseinate, micellar casein, and milk protein concentrate (all slow-digesting). The point of mixing fast and slow fractions is a more sustained amino-acid release than a pure whey isolate gives — fine post-workout, as a between-meals shake, or before bed.
Why only a C on ingredients if the protein is an A+?
Because Labelgrade scores protein density and ingredient quality on separate axes. The protein is genuinely excellent. But the panel is long: a sunflower-oil creamer carrying corn syrup solids, dipotassium and tricalcium phosphate stabilizers, a three-gum blend (cellulose, xanthan, carrageenan), and two artificial sweeteners (sucralose and acesulfame potassium). None of it is unsafe — it's the formulation cost of making a powder taste like an actual milkshake, and the 63/100 reflects that load.
Why is the sodium grade a D when 170 mg sounds low?
170 mg per scoop is modest in absolute terms (about 7% of the daily limit), but Labelgrade normalizes to a per-100 g basis, where it works out to roughly 472 mg/100 g — high for the category. The driver isn't table salt alone; the dipotassium and tricalcium phosphate stabilizers and sodium caseinate in the creamer all carry sodium. One shake a day is a non-issue; it's the per-gram density that pulls the score.
It says low sugar — so why does it taste sweet?
Only 3 g of sugar (about 2 g added) per scoop, which is why it earns an A on sugar load. The sweetness comes from sucralose and acesulfame potassium, not sugar. That's the deliberate design of a low-carb dessert protein: milkshake flavor without the sugar grams — at the cost of two artificial sweeteners on the label.
Is this the same as the original Syntha-6?
No — this is Syntha-6 EDGE, the leaner version. Original Syntha-6 runs higher in carbs and calories (around 14-15 g carbs and ~190-200 calories, labeled 'Vanilla Ice Cream'). Edge cuts the carbs to 6 g and calories to 150 while holding the same 24 g of protein, leaning more on whey isolate and hydrolysate. The 'Vanilla Milkshake' name is specific to the Edge line. Want lower carbs? Edge. Want the classic thicker, sweeter shake? Original.
When was this data last verified?
2026-05-28, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 2463712. Note that BSN lists this tub at 4.01 lb while the USDA entry references a 3.86 lb pack — same product and per-scoop macros, just net weight stated slightly differently across listings.