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Health Benefits of Whey Protein

Posted September 26th, 2007 by usgirl


You can’t open a fitness magazine now a days or walk into a vitamin/supplement shop without seeing protein powders. I’ve done a protein powder comparison before, however, I wanted to learn more about the benefits of the most popular type: whey protein.
What is Whey Protein?
When cheese is manufactured from cow’s milk, a by-product of it is whey. Whey contains various nutrients and essential amino acids. Our bodies can produce non-essential amino acids but cannot create the essential amino acids. We can only get those from food. Protein levels deplete during a workout, so consuming whey protein is an easy way to get these essential amino acids. The convenience and quick absorption of whey protein is what makes it so popular amongst bodybuilders.
The Essential Amino Acids
Below are the essential amino acids that we can only get from the foods we eat.

  • Histidine
  • Isoleucine
  • Leucine
  • Lysine
  • Methionine
  • Phenylalanine
  • Threonine
  • Tryptophan
  • Valine

Benefits of Whey Protein
There are a ton of benefits to taking whey protein. The most popular benefit is that of helping to increase lean muscle mass development.

  • Helps increase muscle mass
  • Stabilizes blood sugar
  • Helps in weight loss/fat loss
  • Enhances immune function
  • Encourages bone growth
  • Absorbed and utilized better than other proteins
  • Helps increase mental and physical energy
  • May help prevent prostate cancer
  • May help prevent chronic periodontal disease

There are also a ton of different whey protein powders on the market. I prefer ones that don’t contain artificial sweeteners or artificial flavors. There are some good ones that use stevia (herb commonly used as a sugar substitute) as a sweetener and taste really good.
Reference:
Whey Protein FAQ
Whey Protein (Wikipedia)
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