Whey is a liquid that separates from milk during cheese production. The protein part of whey is called whey protein.
It is a complete, high quality protein that contains all of the essential amino acids. In addition, it is very digestible, absorbed from your gut quickly compared with other types of protein (1Trusted Source).
These qualities make it one of the best dietary sources of protein available.
There are three main types of whey protein powder:
- concentrate (WPC)
- isolate (WPI)
- hydrolysate (WPH)
Concentrate is the most common type, and it is also the cheapest.
As a dietary supplement, whey protein is widely popular among bodybuilders, athletes, and others who want additional protein in their diet.
SUMMARYWhey protein has a very high nutritional value, and it is one of the best dietary sources of high quality protein. It is highly digestible and absorbed quickly compared to other proteins.
Muscle mass naturally declines with age.
This usually leads to fat gain and raises the risk of many chronic diseases.
However, this adverse change in body composition can be partly slowed, prevented, or reversed with a combination of strength training and adequate diet.
Strength training, coupled with the consumption of high protein foods or protein supplements, has been shown to be an effective preventive strategy (2Trusted Source).
Particularly effective are high quality protein sources, such as whey.
Whey is rich in a branched-chain amino acid called leucine. Leucine is the most growth-promoting (anabolic) of the amino acids (3Trusted Source).
For this reason, whey protein is effective for the prevention of age-related muscle loss, as well as for improved strength (2Trusted Source).
For muscle growth, some studies show that whey protein may be slightly better than other types of protein, such as casein or soy (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source).
However, unless your diet is already lacking in protein, supplements probably won’t make a big difference.
SUMMARYWhey protein is excellent for promoting muscle growth and maintenance when coupled with strength training.
Abnormally high blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease.
Numerous studies have linked the consumption of dairy products with reduced blood pressure (7Trusted Source, 8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).
This effect has been attributed to a family of bioactive peptides in dairy, so-called angiotensin-converting-enzyme inhibitors (ACE-inhibitors) (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source, 13).
In whey proteins, the ACE-inhibitors are called lactokinins (14Trusted Source). Several animal studies have demonstrated their beneficial effects on blood pressure (15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source).
A limited number of human studies have investigated the effect of whey proteins on blood pressure, and many experts consider the evidence to be inconclusive.
One study in overweight individuals showed that whey protein supplementation, 54 g/day for 12 weeks, lowered systolic blood pressure by 4%. Other milk proteins (casein) had similar effects (17Trusted Source).
This is supported by another study that found significant effects when participants were given whey protein concentrate (22 g/day) for 6 weeks.
However, blood pressure decreased only in those that had high or slightly elevated blood pressure to begin with (18).
No significant effects on blood pressure were detected in a study that used much lower amounts of whey protein (less than 3.25 g/day) mixed in a milk drink (19Trusted Source).
