WHEY PROTEIN AND ITS HEALTH BENEFITS

Whey protein, inspite of all its health and fitness benefits, has got more bad/negative opinion than all the alcoholic beverages like beer, whisky, rum, wine etc. Why is it so ?

Lack of knowledge/awareness or misconceptions, especially among women, or the fear that it may lead to health problems especially related to kidneys or myths or is it confused with steroids or the combination of one or more of the above  or it may even be all of the above?

Whey protein powder is as close as it gets to a "required supplement" for anyone looking to build muscle, gain a performance edge, drop body fat, or enhance overall health and wellness.
 

SO WHAT IS WHEY PROTEIN ?

Whey itself is extremely common. In fact, you've probably been using whey protein since childhood. Whey is actually one of the two proteins found in cow's milk. Casein accounts for about 80 percent of milk protein, and whey accounts for the remaining 20 percent.It is a highly digestible source of protein.  Whey protein can be separated from the casein in milk or formed as a by-product of cheese making.

Ever found a clear liquid floating on top of the curd/yoghurt ? Yup ? That is whey ! To make whey protein powder, whey first needs to be extracted from milk. Once whey has been extracted and isolated, it's filtered to remove fat and carbohydrates. Then, the more the whey is filtered, the purer the protein becomes. As filtering and protein content increase, carbs and fat decrease. The processing required to make whey protein is advanced.

COMPOSITION OF WHEY PROTEIN

 Whey protein is a mixture of the following

• Beta-lactoglobulin: β-Lactoglobulin is the major whey protein of cow and sheep's milk (~3 g/l)
• Alpha-lactalbumin: α-Lactalbumin is an important whey protein in cow's milk (~1 g/l) that enhances efficiency of brain function
• Bovine serum albumin: Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is a globular protein  that is used in numerous biochemical applications due to its stability and lack of interference within biological reactions.
• Immunoglobins:  Immunoglobulin (Ig), is a large Y-shaped protein produced by B cells that is used by the immune system to identify and neutralize foreign objects such as bacteria and viruses

TYPES OF WHEY PROTEIN

1. Whey protein concentrate: Whey protein concentrate is made with gentle filtration processes known as micro- and ultrafiltration. The percentage of protein in WPC depends on how concentrated it is. Lower end concentrates tend to have 30% protein and higher end up to 90% with the remainder being carbs and fat. As a result, it's often much cheaper than other forms of whey, making it a good choice for those on a budget.
2. Whey protein isolate: Whey protein isolate (WPI) is more protein-packed than concentrate. Isolate is made with longer filtration times or additional types of processing, such as cross-flow microfiltration or ion-exchange chromatography. These fancy methods basically make a more protein-packed powder. Because of the additional processing, whey protein isolate often has protein concentrations higher than 95%. Isolate is thus a great choice for dieters because of its extremely low carb and fat content. It's also perfect for pre- and post-workout since it's digested and absorbed quickly.
3. Hydrolysed whey protein: Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH) is the most highly processed of all the whey proteins. Therefore, it's often the most expensive. It's produced by putting whey protein through a process called hydrolysis, which breaks longer whey protein chains into smaller peptide fragments.Hydrolysis basically pre-digests whey protein, which makes the protein easier for the body to utilize. Because it's broken down and pre-digested, WPH is digested and absorbed even faster than whey protein isolate, making it the ideal protein around your workouts. 

Many protein manufacturers combine two or even all three of these whey proteins into one powder so you benefit from each form.

WHY SHOULD YOU USE WHEY PROTEIN ? - BENEFITS/USES

Regardless of which form you use, pure or blended, concentrate or hydrolyzed, whey protein is undoubtedly the king of protein supplements. There's a hulking body of research that suggests whey is better at stimulating muscle protein synthesis - the process that ultimately produces bigger and stronger muscles - than soy or casein. 

1.  Muscle building: Whey is a fantastic muscle-builder for several reasons. The first is its rapid rate of digestion. Whey is the fastest-digesting protein powder a man can buy. Once whey is down your gullet, its amino acids - the building blocks of all proteins - break down rapidly and are absorbed into the bloodstream. Your blood then escorts these amino acids to muscle tissue, where they can quickly ignite protein synthesis.
2.  Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA'S):  whey boosts protein synthesis effectively because it's an extremely rich source of the branched-chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine. The BCAAs are among the nine essential amino acids for humans, accounting for 35% of the essential amino acids in muscle proteins and 40% of the preformed amino acids required by humans. 
3. Whey protein also boosts blood flow to muscle tissue, which is another secret to its protein-synthesis power. Increased blood flow enhances the delivery of nutrients, including glucose (energy), amino acids, and oxygen. These nutrients support muscle growth and spur recovery after a workout.
4. Lose fat and preserve muscle
5. Increase size and strength
6. Reduce hunger
7. Anti-cancer properties - Promising results were published in the journal Anticancer Research for the use of whey protein concentrate (WPC) and glutathione modulation in cancer treatment 
8. High cholesterol - according to a study published in The British Journal of Nutrition, "there was a significant decrease in total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol at week 12 in the whey group compared with the casein (group).
9. Asthma - whey protein could improve immune response in children with asthma. One study, published in the International Journal of Food Science and Nutrition, found that children with asthma who were supplemented with whey for one month had an improved cytokine response 
10. Lowering blood pressure and reducing risk of cardiovascular disease - research published in theInternational Dairy Journal found that beverages that were supplemented with whey protein significantly reduced blood pressure in patients with hypertension, their risk of developing heart disease or stroke was also lower.
11. Whey protein and type 2 diabetes mellitus: Some studies have shown that whey protein is very beneficial for people with type 2 diabetes to help them meet their daily protein requirement and protect muscle mass. 
12. Whey Protein is also rich in antioxidants: Crucial for Glutathione — The Master Antioxidant — Production. High-quality whey protein (cold-pressed whey protein derived from grass-fed cows, and free of hormones, chemicals and sugar) provides all the key amino acids for glutathione production (cysteine, glycine and glutamate) and contains a unique cysteine residue (glutamylcysteine) that is highly bioactive in its affinity for converting to glutathione. Glutamylcysteine is a bonded cysteine molecule (cysteine plus glutamate) that naturally occurs in Bovine Serum Albumin – a fragile immune component of the whey. This unique cysteine is exclusive to whey and rarely appears in other protein foods – which makes whey protein the best glutathione-promoting food source.
    Furthermore, whey provides critical co-factors, immunoglobulins, lactoferrin and alpha Lactalbumin (also a great source of cysteine), which together help create the right metabolic environment for high glutathione activity.

 WHY WOMEN SHOULD TAKE WHEY PROTEIN SUPPLEMENTS

Whey protein is a dietary supplement that has been around for quite some time with overwhelming health benefits.  These health benefits include facilitating weight loss in women.  Most women have the perception that whey protein will actually make them bulk up and gain weight, however quite the opposite is true.  While there are products on the market such as weight gainer, the nutritional composition is dramatically different than that of a whey protein isolate.  

Whey protein isolate contains approximately 25 grams of protein per serving, minimum carbs and fat, and only around 100 calories per shake when mixed with water.  The benefit of protein is that is gives your body a positive nitrogen balance and prevents dips and spikes in your blood sugar which can lead to overeating.  Whey protein is easily digested and makes for a great post-workout meal.  The benefits also include reducing cholesterol levels and body fat, supporting a health immune system, and preserving lean muscle mass needed to maintain a high metabolism. 

While women typically fear that they will bulk up, they fail to realize that this is a huge misconception.  Women do not have the essential hormones required to build large muscle mass found in men..Female bodybuilders have to take hormonal supplements to intentionally build large muscular mass.  The idea behind whey protein for women is to increase muscle tone to accelerate your metabolism therefore.

Whey protein is one the healthiest, most cost effective supplements available for everyone including women.  It is a quick healthy snack or complete meal replacement for long-term energy, lean muscle building and weight control.  Women should seriously consider whey protein as part of a healthy living strategy for overall heath, wellness, and weight loss.

COMPARISON OF FOOD PROTEIN WITH 1 SCOOP OF WHEY POWDER

 Source: Neulife

 

COMPARISON OF RATE OF ABSORPTION OF VARIOUS PROTEIN SOURCES

WHEN TO USE IT ?

The two most important times to consume whey protein are 15-30 minutes before your workouts and within 30 minutes after your workouts. It is because of whey's fast digestion rate.

Providing a fast stream of amino acids to muscle tissue before, during, and immediately after resistance training promotes maximum muscle growth. Whole-food protein sources like chicken breast, eggs, fish and beef won't digest fast enough to be beneficial during these critical times. 

No matter your goals, whey can help. It's one of the first supplements you should consider-if not the first-when starting a muscle-building or fat-loss program.

To get the results you want, you can't ignore training, you can't forget proper nutrition. 

WORD OF CAUTION 

Some people who are allergic to milk may be specifically allergic to whey. In moderate doses whey protein doesn't generally cause any adverse events.

Whey  protein is a supplement. It is not supposed to be used an an alternaive to eating correctly. Consuming adequate protein, carbs and fat by means of a well-balanced diet is a must. Only then can whey protein be of any help. Like with everything else, if you overdo it or depend on it alone to provide you with protein, you stand to lose out on its considerable benefits.