Whey protien contains many components found in human breast milk and is a key ingredient in infant foodSince man started making cheese in about 5000 B.C., whey—the watery part of milk that separates from the curd—has always been discarded. It is scrapped even today in cheese-making. Whey proteins, however, are separated from the liquid whey and purified to various concentrations.Whey constitutes about 85 to 90 per cent of the volume of the milk used for transformation into ripened cheese, and it retains about 55 per cent of the milk nutrients. These include soluble protein, lactose, mineral elements and vitamins. Ninety per cent of a ‘whey protein isolate’—extracted from the liquid whey—is protein.Whey protein contains many components found in human breast milk and is thus a key ingredient in several formulations for infants, including the premature ones.Whey protein contains more leucine (essential amino acid) than milk protein, egg protein and soy protein, and thus helps in improving body composition by preserving lean muscle tissue while promoting fat loss.A study found that whey supplementation has been shown to increase lean body mass and performance. Whey protein is a rich source of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs) that are metabolized directly into muscle tissue and are the first ones to be used during exercise and resistance training. Whey protein provides the body with BCAAs to repair and rebuild lean muscle tissue. Being an excellent source of bio-available calcium, it may also help in reducing stress fractures during exercise and prevents bone loss especially in women athletes with low estrogen levels.One of its outstanding properties has been its utility in weight loss. Whey stimulates building of muscles (fat-free tissue), which helps in increasing metabolic rate. Researchers believe that there are other compounds in whey that may act as adjuncts to produce anti-obesity effects. Adding whey protein to a snack or a beverage provides energy and may help control food intake.Whey also boosts the immune system and helps in lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels. Whey protein is particularly useful for cancer patients undergoing radiation or chemotherapy as they often have difficulty in meeting their daily nutritional requirements due to nausea and lack of appetite. Whey protein is an excellent protein choice for cancer patients as it is easy to digest. Whey also contains components with protective anti-microbial properties, such as lactoferrin.Dairy-intolerant individuals can obtain benefits of dairy from whey. Whey protein isolate contains little to no lactose and is easy to digest, even for lactose-intolerant people.So, next time you prepare cheese, don’t dispose off that whey, otherwise you may deprive yourself of the benefits of this valuable protein. Whey protein may be added to a wide variety of foods and beverages to increase the protein content without affecting taste.A word of caution: Whey protein products vary in compositions, so, always check their contents to make sure you buy pure whey protein isolate.
