published by William Brink, a contributing consultant, columnist, and writer for various health, bodybuilding, and medical publications.
Whey, Is it a Better Choice?
Is Whey Protein Found in Milk?
Yes and no. To better understand where whey protein is derived from, let's start with cow's milk. But let's be clear: whey is not your typical glass of whole milk. In fact, far from it. Cow's milk contains approximately 6.25% protein. Of that, 80% is casein and the remaining 20% is whey. When we talk about whey, we are actually referring to a complex protein made up of many smaller protein subfractions (peptides), such as beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins (IgGs), glycomacropeptides, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and minor peptides, such as lactoperoxidases, lysozyme, and lactoferrin. Each of the subfractions found in whey has its own unique biological properties important to health and recovery from intense exercise.
The final powdered protein (which was derived from the liquid whey) goes through many processing steps before it's finally turned into whey protein concentrates and isolates.
This processing may include cross-flow micro-filtration (CFM), ultra-filtration, and dia-filtration to remove lactose (milk sugar — which many people are intolerant of) and fat; reverse osmosis and nano-filtration to separate different sized peptides in whey; two ion-exchange processes; and high-speed air dying at low temperatures to avoid denaturing the protein components of whey to retain its biological activity. Some whey may go through partial predigestion/enzyme hydrolysis to get peptides that may enhance absorption. All of these processes have their own set of pros and cons and effects on the final product. Studies have found that only undenatered whey protein has positive effects on glutathione (the body's major water-soluble antioxidant) and immunity, both of which are essential to long-term health and recuperation from tough workouts.
Is Whey Protein the Better Choice?
Whey protein has become a favorite supplement for those seeking to put on muscle and enhance their physiques as well as improve their health. In order to decipher which protein is best for a particular need, typically one would use a specific gauge of some sort (e.g., protein quality tests) to determine which protein to use. The most commonly used criterion to measure the quality of a protein is Biological Value (or BV for short), which is the amount of nitrogen (body protein in grams) replaceable by 100 grams of protein in the adult diet. Proteins with the highest BV are considered by many to be the best for promoting growth, but this is an often disputed issue among scientists. However, most scientists directly involved with protein research agree that the higher the BV, the better the protein is digested, used, and retained in the body. This should equate into more lean tissue gained, all things being equal (i.e., calories, exercise choice, etc.). It is, however, a very complicated topic not given to such black and white answers.
The bottom line is, whey is a complete protein with a very high BV and this means it contains all the essential and nonessential amino acids and boasts the highest branched-chain amino acid content found in nature. The BV of whey is approximately 104, while the next highest BV is 100, for whole egg. In contrast, the BV of whole milk is 91, the BV of casein is 77, beef is 80, soy is 74, wheat is 54, and beans are 49. Again, BV is only one criteria for proteins, and although important, people often make too big a deal of it. For example, beef has a fairly low BV but has been a staple protein for athletes (and people in general) for decades. Soy has a low BV but has other potentially useful properties. So, as a general guide to choosing proteins, BV is something to consider but should not cause people to put blinders on to other proteins.
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