Why the interest in whey?

An Italian expression, popular around the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries “Allevato con la scotta il dottore e in bancarotta” meaning “If everyone were raised on whey, doctors would be bankrupt”! After reading about the health benefits of whey described here, you will see that these Italians were definitely on to something!

What is whey?

Little Miss Muffet was likely our first introduction to whey. Aside from that, what do we really know about whey? This is important to know because it helps us to understand its health benefits. Whey is the pale yellow liquid that remains once the major milk protein casein and cream are removed from milk. Once the water is removed from the whey liquid, what remains is largely composed of protein and minerals. It is this composition of protein and minerals that make whey such a valuable food source. The most common forms seen in dietary supplementation are whey protein concentrate and isolate. Whey protein isolate contains ninety percent or more protein and little to no fat or lactose.

Why include whey and food lore?  

As our society becomes more health conscious and aware of the importance of lifestyle factors contributing to our own personal well-being, the idea that what we eat influences not only how we look but how we feel and even how resilient we are to disease is becoming more and more mainstream. Whey protein as a food supplement and health aid goes way back, beyond its use of increasing muscle mass in body builders in the last few decades, back to the proliferation of “Whey houses” in Western Europe during the 1800's which drew in patients with a wide range of illnesses from intestinal ailments to arthritis. People in Turkey and Russia valued the whey beverage as a health elixir.

Nowadays, people are looking to incorporate so-called “Super Foods” into their diet for a variety of reasons including better health, vitality and longevity. Whey protein is considered one of those super foods. Whey is valued for its high protein content, immune system strengthening properties, weight management properties and diabetes control properties, cardiovascular health effects and soothing effects on the gastrointestinal system or your gut. Below I will describe how whey is able to accomplish these improvements and why different animal sources of whey may be more suitable for some people.

Source of Protein Necessary for all Body Function:

As a source of protein, whey is one of the best forms available because it contains all of the essential amino acids (protein building blocks), which makes it a complete protein. Athletes do well with this type of protein because it allows them to put on muscle more quickly than other forms of protein. More specifically, whey protein is a rich source of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), containing the highest known levels of any natural food source. BCAAs are important for athletes since, unlike the other essential amino acids, they are metabolized directly into muscle tissue and are the first ones used during periods of exercise and resistance training. Whey protein provides the body with BCAAs to replenish depleted levels and start repairing and rebuilding lean muscle tissue.

Whey is also a good source of protein for people who wish to decrease their meat consumption because of its cholesterol and fat content or vegetarians who wish to eliminate meat from their diet. The fact that it contains little to no lactose makes it tolerable to most people that are lactose-intolerant. Most people with allergies to dairy protein (typically casein) are not usually allergic to whey protein (remember the casein has been removed). Additionally, children, picky eaters or people who may not be getting adequate amounts of protein in their daily diet have an easy way to get protein with whey protein powder since it can easily be mixed into smoothies or other food items.

Immune Enhancement:

Immune system functioning is improved by eating whey protein because it is high in a particular amino acid called cysteine that is involved in producing glutathione in the body. Glutathione is a powerful antioxidant and is very important to the immune system. Glutathione is used to treat toxicity, acne, cancer, HIV, allergies, Alzheimer's disease, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, hepatitis, liver dysfunction and more.

Obesity and Diabetes Control:

People looking to lose weight and balance their blood sugar do well by adding whey protein to their diets. Whey protein contains higher levels of the amino acid leucine than milk, egg or soy protein. Leucine serves to preserve lean muscle tissue and promote fat loss. In addition, whey protein makes us feel full and satisfied because it releases two hormones, cholecystokinin and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide)-1, which tells our body that we have eaten enough. Research has shown that whey proteins have an insulin promoting effect (via GIP) so people looking to control their diabetes through dietary changes may do well to incorporate this protein in their diet.

Balances Body Chemistry for Optimal Functioning:

Whey protein contains high levels of two very valuable minerals and electrolytes, bio-organic (food potassium) potassium and bio-organic (food sodium). Electrolytes are required to keep a body's pH balance nearly constant. Sodium and potassium are the primary electrolytes responsible for maintaining a specific pH. Second only to breathing and keeping a heart rhythm, the most important metabolic function a body performs is maintaining its acid/alkaline balance. Potassium aids in muscle integrity, protein metabolism, kidney function, water retention, heart irregularity and calcium deposition. Research has shown that potassium may help lower blood pressure. The role of bio-organic sodium is described next.

Improved Digestive Function:

Chronic indigestion, intestinal inflammation and irritation, constipation, ulcers and other stomach and/or intestinal disorders are often signs that bio-organic sodium (food sodium as opposed to table salt which is highly processed) is deficient in the body. How does this work? Well, reserve supplies of sodium are stored in joints, ligaments, and lymph fluid, but principally in the walls of the stomach and small intestine. This makes the tissues of the stomach highly alkaline which is absolutely critical because it must withstand the hydrochloric acid normally produced in the stomach. If not for the presence of sodium in the tissue, the acid would eat up the stomach wall. Acids are produced in the body by eating certain foods, stress and mental strain. Increased acid in the body requires sodium to be taken from the sites mentioned above (stomach wall, joints, ligaments and lymph fluid) to neutralize this increased acid contribution. The body will draw from the sodium reserve in the stomach and if necessary the joints and ligaments as well. In this way, whey protein has more buffering capacity than over-the-counter antacids!

Cognitive Function:

Whey is high in the amino acid L-tryptophan, (think turkey and sleepiness) which may be helpful with improving cognitive function in stressed individuals and has been shown to help with sleep disturbances.

Bone Density:

Whey protein improves the body’s ability to absorb calcium (known as bioavailability) and is helpful in the prevention of osteoporosis.

The health benefits of whey protein are many. We are offering different animal sources of whey protein which may be indicated for certain individuals. Read about the health benefits of other sources like goat to see if you may want to incorporate other types of whey into your diet!