Whey Protein

I just bought Whey protein powder for my colleague last week. I just thought writing about whey protein would be useful for those who is enthusiast about bodybuilding or even sport athletics. Almost everyone who is trying to build muscles or into bodybuilding, tend to consume protein supplements such as whey. The question is, does anyone know any truth in whey protein supplements sold in the market? 

Yesterday, I just wrote about one of the protein supplements (MuscleTech) which is available in the market. What is your favourite brand? Optimum Nutrition? Gaspari Nutrition? Horleys? EAS? GNC? There are tons of manufacturers promoting and selling their products competing against each other. But, how do you know which is the right one to buy? Some of my friends asked me if Soy Protein a good source of protein for muscle building. Some would ask if casein if a good source of protein. How about whey protein isolate or concentrate? 

Lets talk about the facts of whey protein supplements/powders available in the bodybuilding or health stores. First of all, whey protein is indeed a very high quality source of protein. It has a number of benefits to the body and not only for muscle building. But, most people don't know that most whey protein powder supplements sold in the market are derived from 'commercial cows'. What does that tells you? No idea? Well, whey is derived from cow's milk. Now, to all the wanna-be bodybuilders out there, you might want to pay attention here. 

There are low quality and high quality whey protein products out there in the market. Most of the whey protein products are derived from 'sick unhealthy cows' milk'. Which means commercial cows being fed synthetic hormones, antibiotics, fed with dead animals and possibly GM grains such as corn and soy. You would be naive enough to think that the whey protein powder you bought, are derived from organic free range grass fed cows. Yes, there are few brands selling whey protein powders which derived from free range cows which are not contaminated with synthetic growth hormones. The problem is, these good quality whey products are not available in Malaysia. 

Let's discuss about whey isolate. Most of my friends tell me that whey isolate is the one that I should be looking forward to purchase. Is that right? There are a number of whey products on the market, but unfortunately many of them will not give you the health benefits associated with high quality whey. Most commercial whey products are derived from pasteurized dairy and are processed with heat and acid. Many are also artificially sweetened. All of these factors render them completely useless from a health perspective. Whey isolate is one such inferior product, because when you remove the fat, you actually remove important components of its immunological properties, such as phospholipids. Additionally, all of the immunoglobulins, which are an excellent source of glutamine and cysteine, are also bound to the fat globule.

Has any of you remember the post I wrote about pasteurized milk? Yes, you can't get any health benefits from commercial whey which derived from pasteurized dairy and unhealthy cows. This applies the same with whey concentrate. When selecting a whey product, I strongly recommend making sure it's made from raw, grass fed milk, in order to obtain the majority of its immune enhancing benefits. Raw milk from healthier cows, preferably organic cows. 

Below are some of the guidelines on how to choose whey products:

• Organic (no synthetic hormones) 
• Grass-fed (free range)
• Made from unpasteurized (raw) milk 
• Cold processed, since heat destroys whey's fragile molecular structure 
• Minimally processed 
• Rich, creamy, full flavor 
• Water soluble 
• Sweetened naturally, not artificially (most whey products have toxic artificial sweeteners)

Meanwhile, I hereby provide the health benefits of whey protein (high quality source) as below.

• Helping your insulin work more effectively, which helps maintain your blood sugar level after a meal.   
• Helping to promote your optimal intake of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals needed for your overall wellness. 
• Supporting your immune system, as it contains immunoglobulins. 
• Helping you preserve lean body tissue as it delivers bioavailable amino acids. 
• Maintaining blood pressure levels that are already within the normal range.

Finally, before I logout, AVOID this protein product MonsterMilk (available in Malaysia) at all cost. It ticks me off by just reviewing the 'harmful' ingredient listed on the package itself. I don't have any grudge against Cytosport, but I just came across this product recently and I had to bring this out. Yeah right, 50g of protein per serving.

Ingredients which are not supposed to be in the product are as below:

Calcium sodium caseinate - Excitotoxins, MSG
Canola Oil - GM food source.
Maltodextrin - MSG
Fructose - Bad sugar
Natural flavors - Contains MSG
Fructo-Oligosaccharides - Mainly fructose components.
Carageenan - Contains MSG
Sucralose - Initially derived from a formula used for insecticide! A toxin!