S
scorpio
Guest
Wheying In
by Will Brink
Whey protein is probably the most popular supplement on the market, yet people are often terribly confused about the various kinds.
I blame this on deceptive advertising by some unscrupulous supplement companies, poorly researched articles put out by self-proclaimed gurus and the fact that whey is indeed a complicated protein. What I will now attempt to do is lift the veil of secrecy, strip away the myths and shatter the hyperbole surrounding this worthwhile supplement.
Most of us are familiar with Little Miss Moffat who ate her curds and whey, a mixture which is the forerunner of cottage cheese. Just about everyone has eaten whey, possibly without even really knowing it because it's part and parcel of all dairy products.
WHEY is a complex protein made up of many smaller protein subfractions with confusing names such as beta-lactoglobulin, apha-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins (IgGs), glycomacropeptides, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and minor peptides such as lactoperoxidases, lysozyme and lactoferrin. I list these not to confuse you with big words, but just to familiarize you with terms that you will probably see on the back of your whey protein canisters.
Each of the above subfractions found in whey have their own unique biological properties. Until quite recently, separating these subfractions on a large scale was either impossible or prohibitively expensive for any other purpose than research. However modern filtering technologies which have dramatically improved over the past decade allowed supplement companies to separate some of the highly bioactive peptides from whey, such as lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase.
Some of these subfractions are only found in less than 1 percent of cow's milk. One of the most promising for preventing disease, improving immunity and overall health -- lactoferrin -- makes up approximately 0.5% or less of whey protein derived from cow's milk versus human mother's milk at up to 15%.
Over the past few decades, whey protein powders have evolved from the low grade concentrates to very high grade concentrates and isolates currently on the market.
SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
A growing number of research studies have found that whey may potentially reduce cancer rates, combat HIV, improve immunity, reduce stress and lower cortisol, increase brain serotonin levels, improve liver function in those suffering certain forms of hepatitis, reduce blood pressure and improve performance. These are only a few of the seemingly possible panaceas of potential medical and sports enhancement applications.
One of whey's major effects is it's apparent ability to raise glutathione (GSH), which is extremely important for proper immune function. In fact, GSH is the most important water-soluble antioxidant found in the body.
Because GSH is known to be essential to immunity, reducing oxidative stress and general wellbeing, reduced levels of GSH are associated with a long list of diseases. Therefore whey has a place in anyone's nutritional program, no matter who they might be.
For athletes and fitness devotees, low levels of GSH are associated with overtraining, so getting enough may very well have an application in preventing, or at least mitigating, this condition.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF WHEY
Because the public is being constantly bombarded with advertising, with each company purporting to provide the best, it's easy to become confused.
Concentrates of what is known as the "first generation" (which simply means those that were the first manufactured) contained fairly low amounts of whey protein and high amounts of lactose (what gives many people gas), fat and undenatured proteins. We're now several generations past this point and the latest concentrates on the market contain high protein with low lactose and fat concentrations.
Many folks are under the impression that whey protein concentrate (WPC) is inferior to an isolate; this is simply NOT true. Although concentrates contain less protein on a gram for gram basis, high quality WPC contains all sorts of interesting compounds not found in isolates.
Drawbacks of WPC's are that they have slightly less protein than isolates and contain higher levels of fat (although these may have beneficial effects) and higher levels of lactose. Depending on the goals of the individual and the person's lactose tolerance, WPC's may be the better choice.
Isolates (WPI's) generally contain as much as 90-96% protein, although processing to remove the lactose and fat without denaturing the protein means that it must be carefully done under low temperature and/or low acid conditions. This also makes WPI's more expensive to the consumer.
WPI's are also involved in an ongoing ion-exchange versus micro-filtered debate. These are methods of separating out the whey.
Ion-exchange is made by taking a concentrate and running it through an ion-exchange column. This fancy sounding process tends to deplete many of the most valuable health promoting components even though it increases the percentage of protein.
Micro-filtered isolates are manufactured by several different methods and manufacturers can now make some very high grade and unique whey proteins. Many readers are probably familiar with CFM®, which stands for "cross flow micro filtered" which allows for very high protein content (usually over 90%), the retention of important subfractions, extremely low fat and lactose content and virtually no undenatured proteins. CFM® is a natural non-chemical process that employs high tech ceramic filters, unlike ion-exchange, which involves the use of chemical regents such as hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. CFM® also contains high amounts of calcium and low amounts of sodium.
THE WHEY OF THE FUTURE
Currently there are a number of interesting developments in the processing of the next generation of whey proteins. You will probably find some of this in ads and on canister lables in the near future.
Optimizing subfraction ratios: By using new filtering techniques, manufacturers will be able, on a large-scale basis, to truly tailor-make protein supplements by adding back certain subfractions in amounts that can't be found naturally.
For example, lactoferrin is nonexistent in many whey products due to the type of processing employed. Even the best products contain less than 1 percent of this rare, but important micro-fraction. However one company is currently working on making an isolate that will have higher levels of this subfraction while removing other subfractions that tend to produce allergies.
Another company is also able to produce a concentrate with higher levels of growth factors and other bio-active compounds. Although it is higher in fat, it is the fat that contains these compounds. It's like egg yolks which contain certain nutrients not found in the whites.
Hydrolyzed proteins: These were the rage a few years ago, then interest waned due to their bad taste and high cost. Hydrolyzed simply means that the protein has been partially broken down into peptides of different lengths (more chemical confusion).
Because the protein is already broken down (your digestive system doesn't have to work as hard), it is absorbed more quickly. This has positive effects under certain metabolic conditions, such as for burn victims, in people with digestive disorders and pre-term infants.
Whether hydrolyzed protein is of benefit to the healthy athlete has yet to be proven. The hype surrounding this stuff was pretty much based on a single study that found a bunch of rats fared better, although no one followed up with a human study. As I've said many times, some humans are rats, but no rats are humans.
One company now has a new method that uses an enzymatic process that makes hydrolyzed whey protein palatable and reasonable while not denaturing the protein itself.
Got milk? Another potentially useful product for athletes is a process for extracting milk minerals from the milk itself. This method provides a highly bio-available form of calcium minus the fat and lactose of dairy while retaining important nutrients and minerals such as magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and zinc, all of which are needed for optimal bone formation and metabolism.
Most interesting to athletes is that recent research has found that higher calcium intake leads to reduced body fat levels and may help shift the metabolism to increase fat breakdown as well as not creating it in the first place.
Although most weight trainers don't suffer from bone density problems, many may still not be getting an optimal intake of calcium to affect changes in body fat composition. Thus adding this new milk mineral product to various protein formulas may be just what the anabolic doctor ordered for those people who want to minimize body fat and maximize muscle mass.
Conclusion
Now that you know the difference between the types of whey proteins you will be in a better position to decide what is best for you. If you're lactose-intollerant you will definitely want to stick with the isolates. If you're not and on a tight budget, concentrates will do the job just as well.
Whey is definitely great stuff, but you won't add mounds of muscle in an ultra short time simply by adding a whey protein powder supplement to your diet. Whey protein is simply food although it's certainly more convenient and certainly much, much better and nutritious than a lot of other things people grab when they're hungry and in a hurry.
I also suggest you keep your eyes out for some of the newer versions and upgrade as your pocketbook allows
by Will Brink
Whey protein is probably the most popular supplement on the market, yet people are often terribly confused about the various kinds.
I blame this on deceptive advertising by some unscrupulous supplement companies, poorly researched articles put out by self-proclaimed gurus and the fact that whey is indeed a complicated protein. What I will now attempt to do is lift the veil of secrecy, strip away the myths and shatter the hyperbole surrounding this worthwhile supplement.
Most of us are familiar with Little Miss Moffat who ate her curds and whey, a mixture which is the forerunner of cottage cheese. Just about everyone has eaten whey, possibly without even really knowing it because it's part and parcel of all dairy products.
WHEY is a complex protein made up of many smaller protein subfractions with confusing names such as beta-lactoglobulin, apha-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins (IgGs), glycomacropeptides, bovine serum albumin (BSA) and minor peptides such as lactoperoxidases, lysozyme and lactoferrin. I list these not to confuse you with big words, but just to familiarize you with terms that you will probably see on the back of your whey protein canisters.
Each of the above subfractions found in whey have their own unique biological properties. Until quite recently, separating these subfractions on a large scale was either impossible or prohibitively expensive for any other purpose than research. However modern filtering technologies which have dramatically improved over the past decade allowed supplement companies to separate some of the highly bioactive peptides from whey, such as lactoferrin and lactoperoxidase.
Some of these subfractions are only found in less than 1 percent of cow's milk. One of the most promising for preventing disease, improving immunity and overall health -- lactoferrin -- makes up approximately 0.5% or less of whey protein derived from cow's milk versus human mother's milk at up to 15%.
Over the past few decades, whey protein powders have evolved from the low grade concentrates to very high grade concentrates and isolates currently on the market.
SO WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL?
A growing number of research studies have found that whey may potentially reduce cancer rates, combat HIV, improve immunity, reduce stress and lower cortisol, increase brain serotonin levels, improve liver function in those suffering certain forms of hepatitis, reduce blood pressure and improve performance. These are only a few of the seemingly possible panaceas of potential medical and sports enhancement applications.
One of whey's major effects is it's apparent ability to raise glutathione (GSH), which is extremely important for proper immune function. In fact, GSH is the most important water-soluble antioxidant found in the body.
Because GSH is known to be essential to immunity, reducing oxidative stress and general wellbeing, reduced levels of GSH are associated with a long list of diseases. Therefore whey has a place in anyone's nutritional program, no matter who they might be.
For athletes and fitness devotees, low levels of GSH are associated with overtraining, so getting enough may very well have an application in preventing, or at least mitigating, this condition.
DIFFERENT KINDS OF WHEY
Because the public is being constantly bombarded with advertising, with each company purporting to provide the best, it's easy to become confused.
Concentrates of what is known as the "first generation" (which simply means those that were the first manufactured) contained fairly low amounts of whey protein and high amounts of lactose (what gives many people gas), fat and undenatured proteins. We're now several generations past this point and the latest concentrates on the market contain high protein with low lactose and fat concentrations.
Many folks are under the impression that whey protein concentrate (WPC) is inferior to an isolate; this is simply NOT true. Although concentrates contain less protein on a gram for gram basis, high quality WPC contains all sorts of interesting compounds not found in isolates.
Drawbacks of WPC's are that they have slightly less protein than isolates and contain higher levels of fat (although these may have beneficial effects) and higher levels of lactose. Depending on the goals of the individual and the person's lactose tolerance, WPC's may be the better choice.
Isolates (WPI's) generally contain as much as 90-96% protein, although processing to remove the lactose and fat without denaturing the protein means that it must be carefully done under low temperature and/or low acid conditions. This also makes WPI's more expensive to the consumer.
WPI's are also involved in an ongoing ion-exchange versus micro-filtered debate. These are methods of separating out the whey.
Ion-exchange is made by taking a concentrate and running it through an ion-exchange column. This fancy sounding process tends to deplete many of the most valuable health promoting components even though it increases the percentage of protein.
Micro-filtered isolates are manufactured by several different methods and manufacturers can now make some very high grade and unique whey proteins. Many readers are probably familiar with CFM®, which stands for "cross flow micro filtered" which allows for very high protein content (usually over 90%), the retention of important subfractions, extremely low fat and lactose content and virtually no undenatured proteins. CFM® is a natural non-chemical process that employs high tech ceramic filters, unlike ion-exchange, which involves the use of chemical regents such as hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. CFM® also contains high amounts of calcium and low amounts of sodium.
THE WHEY OF THE FUTURE
Currently there are a number of interesting developments in the processing of the next generation of whey proteins. You will probably find some of this in ads and on canister lables in the near future.
Optimizing subfraction ratios: By using new filtering techniques, manufacturers will be able, on a large-scale basis, to truly tailor-make protein supplements by adding back certain subfractions in amounts that can't be found naturally.
For example, lactoferrin is nonexistent in many whey products due to the type of processing employed. Even the best products contain less than 1 percent of this rare, but important micro-fraction. However one company is currently working on making an isolate that will have higher levels of this subfraction while removing other subfractions that tend to produce allergies.
Another company is also able to produce a concentrate with higher levels of growth factors and other bio-active compounds. Although it is higher in fat, it is the fat that contains these compounds. It's like egg yolks which contain certain nutrients not found in the whites.
Hydrolyzed proteins: These were the rage a few years ago, then interest waned due to their bad taste and high cost. Hydrolyzed simply means that the protein has been partially broken down into peptides of different lengths (more chemical confusion).
Because the protein is already broken down (your digestive system doesn't have to work as hard), it is absorbed more quickly. This has positive effects under certain metabolic conditions, such as for burn victims, in people with digestive disorders and pre-term infants.
Whether hydrolyzed protein is of benefit to the healthy athlete has yet to be proven. The hype surrounding this stuff was pretty much based on a single study that found a bunch of rats fared better, although no one followed up with a human study. As I've said many times, some humans are rats, but no rats are humans.
One company now has a new method that uses an enzymatic process that makes hydrolyzed whey protein palatable and reasonable while not denaturing the protein itself.
Got milk? Another potentially useful product for athletes is a process for extracting milk minerals from the milk itself. This method provides a highly bio-available form of calcium minus the fat and lactose of dairy while retaining important nutrients and minerals such as magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and zinc, all of which are needed for optimal bone formation and metabolism.
Most interesting to athletes is that recent research has found that higher calcium intake leads to reduced body fat levels and may help shift the metabolism to increase fat breakdown as well as not creating it in the first place.
Although most weight trainers don't suffer from bone density problems, many may still not be getting an optimal intake of calcium to affect changes in body fat composition. Thus adding this new milk mineral product to various protein formulas may be just what the anabolic doctor ordered for those people who want to minimize body fat and maximize muscle mass.
Conclusion
Now that you know the difference between the types of whey proteins you will be in a better position to decide what is best for you. If you're lactose-intollerant you will definitely want to stick with the isolates. If you're not and on a tight budget, concentrates will do the job just as well.
Whey is definitely great stuff, but you won't add mounds of muscle in an ultra short time simply by adding a whey protein powder supplement to your diet. Whey protein is simply food although it's certainly more convenient and certainly much, much better and nutritious than a lot of other things people grab when they're hungry and in a hurry.
I also suggest you keep your eyes out for some of the newer versions and upgrade as your pocketbook allows
