No Whey!

What are whey and whey protein? How are they made? And in what foods are they found? Lastly, are they safe to consume?

All About That Whey

Whey, also called milk serum, is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. It is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses.

Sweet whey is manufactured during the making of rennet types of hard cheese like cheddar or Swiss cheese. Acid whey (also known as “sour whey”) is a by-product produced during the making of acid types of dairy products such as cottage cheese or strained yogurt. Sweet whey has a pH greater than or equal to 5.6, acid whey has a pH less than or equal to 5.1.

To produce cheese, rennet or an edible acid is added to heated milk. This makes the milk coagulate or curdle, separating the milk solids (curds) from the liquid whey.  (source)

Rennet is a complex of enzymes produced in stomachs of ruminant mammals which is used in the production of most cheeses. Natural calf rennet is extracted from the inner mucosa of the fourth stomach chamber (the abomasum) of harvested young, unweaned calves. (source)

And Whey Protein

Whey protein is the collection of globular proteins isolated from whey. The protein in cow’s milk is 20% whey protein and 80% casein protein, whereas the protein in human milk is 60% whey and 40% casein. (source)

Whey protein typically comes in four major forms: concentrate (WPC), isolate (WPI), hydrolysate (WPH) and Native Whey.

• Concentrates have typically a low (but still significant) level of fat and cholesterol but, in general, compared to the other forms of whey protein, have higher levels of bioactive compounds, and carbohydrates in the form of lactose — they are 29% to 89% protein by weight.

• Isolates are processed to remove the fat, and lactose, but are usually lower in bioactivated compounds as well — they are 90%+ protein by weight. Like whey protein concentrates, whey protein isolates are mild to slightly milky in taste.

• Hydrolysates are whey proteins that are predigested and partially hydrolyzed for the purpose of easier metabolizing, but their cost is generally higher. Highly hydrolysed whey may be less allergenic than other forms of whey.

• Native whey protein, the purest form of whey protein which has been extracted from skim milk and not a by product of cheese production, produced as a concentrate and isolate. (source)

Food Sources

Whey exists integrally and naturally in milk and milk-containing foods (cheese, yogurt, etc.) that have not had the whey fully separated out.

Whey protein concentrates and isolates are found commonly in meal-replacement protein shake powders, protein bars, and protein powders.

Benefits & Dangers of Whey Protein Consumption

Whey proteins are highly bioavailable, are very quickly absorbed into the body, and have a high concentration of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) which are highly concentrated in muscle tissue, and are used to fuel working muscles and stimulate protein synthesis. (source)

This is effective and it works. If you value a lean, toned, and sculpted body, using whey protein supplementation in conjunction with exercise will help you achieve your desired results.

However, it is very easy to intake too much whey protein which can damage your liver and kidneys. No matter how great you look in your body, there is nothing appealing about liver or kidney disease. The 9th leading cause of death in America is kidney disease from protein overconsumption.

Most Americans already get about 15% of their daily calories in protein. To build a pound of muscle, Lewin explains, the body needs between 10 and 14 additional grams of protein per day.

“That’s not really that much. Some of these powders have 80 grams of protein per serving. You don’t need that. All your body is going to do is break it down for energy. And too much protein can be hard on your kidneys and your liver.” (source)

Despite the fact that short-term high protein diet could be necessary in several pathological conditions (malnutrition, sarcopenia, etc.), it is evident that “too much of a good thing” in diet could be useless or even harmful for healthy individuals. Many adults or even adolescents (especially athletes or body builders) self-prescribe protein supplements and overlook the risks of using them, mainly due to misguided beliefs in their performance-enhancing abilities. Individuals who follow these diets are therefore at risk. Extra protein is not used efficiently by the body and may impose a metabolic burden on the bones, kidneys, and liver. Moreover, high-protein/high-meat diets may also be associated with increased risk for coronary heart disease due to intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol or even cancer. Guidelines for diet should adhere closely to what has been clinically proved, and by this standard there is currently no basis to recommend high protein/high meat intake above the recommended dietary allowance for healthy adults. The current recommended dietary allowance (RDA) for protein is 0.8 g protein/kg body weight/day for adults, for children 1.5 g protein/kg body weight/day, and for adolescents 1.0 g protein/kg body weight/day. (source)

(source)

In addition to endangering the liver and kidneys, our food source choices and their production methods must be taken into consideration to be considered a fully responsible choice. The production of whey requires animal milk. The dairy industry is a highly abusive & polluting industry.

Conclusion

Whey protein supplementation is an excellent choice if you value body image and performance above the wellness of your kidneys and liver, above the humane treatment of cows and calves, and above the vitality of the one planet we all share. It will help you look fantastic while leaving a wake of abuse and destruction in your path.

Additional Resources

The Dangers of Dairy

Can Plant-Based Eating Provide Sufficient Protein?

21 Previously Unknown Reasons Why The World Needs You to Eat Vegan Today (And It Has Nothing To Do With The Animals)!

Is Eating Meat Selfish?

{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }

Karla @ Stay Healthy Blog August 3, 2015 at 9:52 am

Whey protein is an excellent source of protein for individuals of all ages who value the role of a healthy lifestyle:

Weight Management
A reduced calorie, higher protein diet including whey protein may improve the quality of weight loss by helping you lose more fat and/or maintain more lean muscle. Calorie for calorie, whey protein can help people feel full longer than carbohydrates or fats.

Wellness
Consuming a diet including whey protein helps to promote strong immunity and protect the health of active individuals. Whey protein is a source of high-quality protein with all the essential amino acids required for good health.

Exercise Recovery
Consuming whey protein and performing resistance exercise regularly can help build more lean muscle than resistance training alone or resistance training combined with carbohydrate consumption. Consuming whey protein after exercise helps to build and repair muscle.

Healthy Aging
Emerging research shows older Americans may be able to reduce age-related decline of muscle mass by engaging in resistance training and consuming higher than Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for protein.
Karla @ Stay Healthy Blog recently posted..Healthiest foods for losing weightMy Profile

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Carla Golden August 3, 2015 at 4:50 pm

I thought first to delete your comment Karla because your site does not seem to be published by a real person since it is totally sales-based and there is no information about the owener/author, however I wanted to take this opportunity to refute your claims. While whey may have some benefit to human health, and overconsumption of animal-based protein is easy and dangerous. Secondly it is no longer responsible to make nutrition decisions for ourselves without taking into account the impact on our planet and other living beings. Whey is a product of the dairy industry which is tremendously cruel in nature and practice and the animal agriculture industry is leading the way toward environmental destruction. When there are ample plant-based sources of protein that endangers no animal, the Earth, or human health, I believe them to be superior choices.

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Karla July 22, 2016 at 8:28 am

Excellent explanation, contains important information for those seeking about it.

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Carla Golden July 23, 2016 at 12:43 pm

Thanks for taking the time to read & comment Karla!

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Brian October 24, 2016 at 9:55 am

It’s extremely important to know what you are putting in your body especially when it comes to supplements. Thanks so much for sharing this information!

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