Keysupplements.com Article What is Whey Protein

Whey is the liquid part of milk remaining during the cheese making process. The protein casein is curdled out during the process and the milk serum remains. During this process, all fat, cholesterol and most allergens are removed, while the nutritious vitamins and minerals remain in the whey. Whey has the highest Biological Value (BV - the most commonly used criteria to measure the quality of protein) of any available protein. The higher the BV of the protein, the more nitrogen your body can absorb, utilize and retain. Athletes and weight trainers have long known of the beneficial effects of whey relative to lean muscle enhancement and recovery times from strenuous physical exertion.

Whey protein has been called "the most immune-enhancing protein", as well as "the life-extension protein" by doctors and scientists alike. But what is whey protein? And why all the critical acclaim? Read on to find out.

Whey is a lactose-free or reduced lactose protein loaded with nutrients and essential amino acids. Whey is comprised of four major protein fractions and six minor protein fractions. The major protein fractions in whey are beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, bovine serum albumin and immunoglobulins. Each of these components have important disease-fighting effects. In addition, whey protein is easily digestible and lactose-free. (S.Afr.J Dair Sci. (1002) Vo. 24 Nov. 2, Clin. Invest. Med. Vol 16:3, 1992.)

What are the Health Benefits of Whey Protein?

A New Whey to Prevent Cancer?

Fighting Cancer: Current research from the Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center has published positive findings relative to cancer. Whey protein is recognized as reducing the risk of breast, and colon cancer. This research, funded by the USDA, found that whey protein prevented approximately 50% of mammary cancer incidences in rats, while soy prevented only about half that. (Badger, Thomas, "Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention", February 2000.)

Lowering Cholesterol: Whey protein has also been found to be a potent inhibitor of oxidized LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol), helping to prevent diseases like atherosclerosis. (M. Kajikawa et al. Biochemica et Biophysica Acta, 1994.)

Aiding Bone Growth: Whey protein has been proven to play a direct role in bone growth by increasing bone strength and bone protein such as collagen. (Takada Y., Aoe S., Kumegawa M., Biochemical Research Communications, 1996.)

Decreasing Your Hunger: Amino acids in whey protein keep blood sugar levels stable, holding off the cravings caused by low blood sugar levels.

Whey protein has also been shown to provide a range of other health benefits such as:

What Sets Whey Protein Apart From Other Proteins?

Unlike other proteins such as soy and wheat, whey is a "complete" protein, which contains all the essential amino acids (which are groups of organic molecules that make up proteins), and boasts the highest branched chain amino acid (BCAA) content found in nature. Whey provides the body with the amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine, which are needed for the maintenance of muscle tissue.

Whey has the highest Biological Value ("BV" - the most commonly used criterion to measure the quality of a protein) of any available protein. (W. Brink, LE Magazine, Nov. 1997.), (Plaitakis A, Smith J, Mandeli J, et al. Pilot trial of branched-chain amino acids in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Lancet. May 7, 1998: 1015-8.)