What Is And Who Should Take Whey Protein

For decades, whey was a product considered as “leftovers” in the cheese-making process.

Nowadays it is a fundamental ingredient as a raw material to prepare some culinary additives and, mainly, the base of the famous whey protein vitamins consumed by people who train and sportsmen.

Find out in this article what are the properties of this food and who should take it to benefit from its medicinal virtues.

What is whey?

Whey or whey is the liquid that is obtained during the coagulation of milk in the process of making cheese and casein. Its color is greenish yellow, cloudy in appearance, contains lactose and has a slightly sweet taste.

Its composition is mostly water, although it also has a small amount of protein and fat. In addition, whey is rich in vitamins A, B and C, and minerals such as iron, potassium, magnesium, calcium or phosphorus.

whey protein

From whey, an increasingly popular dietary product is extracted, consisting of proteins of high biological value. This means that it  contains all the essential amino acids in high proportions  and that our bodies absorb the best.

This milky drink, which is usually sold in powder form and for that reason, combined with other ingredients, is very famous in sports fields because it helps to improve overall fitness.

According to Medline Plus experts, “whey protein is commonly used to improve sports performance and increase strength, but the evidence to support this use is conflicting.” Therefore, it is considered that it could possibly bring benefits, but these are still under study.

Properties of whey

In general, the main health benefits of whey protein are considered to be as follows:

• Reduces inflammation.
• Strengthens the immune system.
• Fights high blood pressure.
• Prevents type 2 diabetes.
• Reduces blood triglyceride levels.
• Helps you lose weight and gain muscle mass.
• Helps prevent age-related loss of muscle mass known as sarcopenia.
• It reduces blood glucose levels and therefore cravings for sweets.
• Increases strength, endurance, muscle mass and recovery after training.

How to take?

The ideal is to include this product in a balanced diet, never taking it as the main food source. In fact, as already mentioned, it is common for whey to be consumed to complement the diet aimed at reinforcing sports training.

It can be part of a good breakfast if combined with other ingredients, such as: natural fruits, dried fruits, oats, extra virgin olive oil, etc. For example, it can be enjoyed for breakfast accompanied by a piece of banana, a little cocoa, cinnamon, natural vanilla and some berries or tropical fruits.

Note: its consumption is not recommended for people with cow’s milk allergy.

How to choose protein?

Depending on the manufacturing process, whey protein is considered to be more or less beneficial. The varieties and criteria that are usually taken into account are the following:

•  Isolated whey protein: obtained by eliminating fat and lactose. It has a high percentage of protein. However, we do not recommend this variety, as during the process, acids are used and it is subjected to high temperatures, so that many properties are also lost. Its price is usually more expensive, as it is a more processed product.
• Whey Protein Concentrate: This product is obtained before the previous isolation process. It contains certain amounts of fat and lactose and a lower percentage of protein, but is more natural and balanced.
• Organic quality: in  addition to choosing the concentrated option, we recommend choosing an organic product. In this way, we ensure that the cows feed on pastures without pesticides or herbicides. Furthermore, the resulting product is richer in nutrients.

• Other ingredients:  when choosing one brand or another, we must read the label to make sure that the rest of the ingredients are of quality. We must avoid products that contain sugar, sweeteners, artificial colors or flavors. The best sweetener for vitamins is stevia, and if there is a need to add more flavor, preference should be given to natural extracts.

Do you play sports and are thinking about taking whey as a supplement? In this case, it is a good idea to consult your doctor or nutritionist to get better information about the matter.