Whey protein is perhaps best known as a supplement for body builders, and for people on low-Calorie diets or undergoing long periods of bed rest. And its use by such people is certainly justified: higher intake of protein is required to build and maintain muscle structure and function during periods of strenuous exertion and during catabolic conditions such as low-Calorie diets or prolonged immobility. High levels of high-quality protein exert an anti-catabolic effect, meaning that muscle breakdown is prevented. There are various techniques for measuring protein quality, namely; protein efficiency ratio (PER), biological value (BV), net protein utilization (NPU), and chemical score. Regardless of which technique is used, whey always scores better than other proteins, including casein (the main protein found in most dairy products), soy, egg, and rice.

However, research in the last twenty years has revealed more and more benefits to whey protein – benefits, which are attributable to the specific proteins and peptides of which it is composed. Fifty-one percent of the proteins found in whey are from beta-lactoglobumin; 20% is alpha lactalbumin, 10% is immunoglobulin, 10% is BSA (Bovine Serum Albumin), and 7% of the protein consists of so-called “minor” fractions, including betamicroglobulin, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, lysozyme, lactollin, milk basic protein, glycomacropeptides, and relaxin.

From the standpoint of exercise physiology, the most important constituents of whey are its branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs – isoleucine, leucine, and valine), which play a key role in its anticatabolic effects.  But beyond its effects on muscle tissue, both whey protein concentrate itself, and many of its constituent proteins, have been demonstrated to confer remarkable health benefits.

Whey protein concentrate, for instance, can enhance immunity and reduce the incidence of age-related disease in experimental animals when given in the place of other proteins, including casein, and protein isolated from soy, wheat, corn, egg, beef, fish, Spirulina, and the green algae Scenedesmus. Lactalbumin – the dominant protein in whey – actually extends lifespan in such animals. BSA is of particular interest to researchers because of its elevated concentrations of glutamylcysteine, a precursor to the antioxidant gluthathione. Milk basic protein has been shown to promote bone formation, suppresses bone resorption (breakdown), and to increases radial bone mineral density in controlled clinical trials in healthy adults.  Lactoferrin, an iron-binding polypeptide in whey which is essential to the function of some immune cells, is becoming well-known as an immune-enhancing, cancer-fighting, and perhaps anti-glycation supplement in its own right, with direct antiviral, antifungal, and toxin-binding properties.

Of increasing interest is the mounting evidence that whey protein concentrate has remarkable anticancer effects. Numerous studies in animals have demonstrated that using whey protein concentrate instead of other protein sources is protective against chemically-induced cancer. There are several possible mechanisms for this anti-cancer effect. In cancerous cells, this protein fraction is metabolized into a protein, which triggers apoptosis (cellular “suicide”), yet healthy cells remain unaffected. Another key may be whey protein’s effects on glutathione: remarkably, whey protein concentrate appears to selectively increase levels of glutathione in healthy cells while depleting cancer cells of this crucial antioxidant defense molecule, rendering the tumor cells more susceptible to immunological, chemotherapeutic, or radiological free radical attack. In a phase 1-II trial in seven human cancer patients, consumption of whey protein concentrate was associated with normalization of glutathione levels and experienced stabilization or even regression of their tumors.

Another class of “minor” whey protein fractions are the lactokinins, which are natural ACE inhibitors. Other studies have found that whey protein may be helpful in chronic hepatitis. The list could go on.  

Proper Processing

But to get these health benefits from whey, proper processing is criticial. Whey can be produced by one of two major methods: ion-exchange (sometimes called “whey protein isolate”) or ultrafiltration (so-called “whey protein concentrates”). Both methods produce a very concentrated protein supplement, which is low in fat, lactose and carbohydrates. Ion-exchange whey does produce a slightly higher total protein content per gram of supplement. However, because it selectively extracts only very short-chain peptides and proteins, ion-exchange whey is lacking in most of the health-promoting proteins found in filtered whey supplements, such as glycomacropeptides, lactoferrin, and most of the glutamylcysteine.

Additionally, whey protein must be cold-processed to maintain the biological activity of its constituent protein and peptide fractions. Drying whey at warm temperatures denatures biologically active proteins, warping their three-dimensional structures, exposing vulnerable sulfhydryl groups, and eliminating their specific biological functions. When the effect of protein denaturation on the ability of whey supplements to provide specific health benefits has been studied, it has been demonstrated that the denaturation process has reduced or eliminated those properties. Only cold-processed, ultrafiltered whey concentrates can deliver the full health promise of whey.

viii. Aoe S, Toba Y, Yamamura J, Kawakami H, Yahiro M, Kumegawa M, Itabashi A, Takada Y. “Controlled trial of the effects of milk basic protein (MBP) supplementation on bone metabolism in healthy adult women.” Biosci Biotechnol Biochem 2001 Apr; 65(4): 913-8