Whey protein has many benefits as it can turn your body into a fat-burning furnace and help build lean muscle.
Whey is a milk-based protein which is a by-product of cheese production. It has the highest biological value (BV) among all proteins.
This means that it has a higher amino acid content, and is the most easily absorbed by the body compared to other rich sources of protein, including milk, soy and egg whites.
Everyone knows that in order to attain an attractive, well-defined, firm and youthful body, one needs…protein, protein and more protein! When it comes to shaping your body, nothing is more important than protein for building lean muscle.
And when it comes to building lean muscle, nothing is more important than getting the right amount of protein. Here’s why:
Protein has 4 calories per gram, but when it’s being digested, it burns 6 calories per gram. Therefore, whereas both carbohydrates and fat burn calories equivalent to their respective caloric values, protein burns 50% more calories.
A diet rich in protein can also raise your Resting Metabolic Rate by as much as 68%. Simply said, just by eating protein, you immediately speed up your metabolic furnace, thereby enabling your body to increase lean muscle mass and accelerate the fat-burning process.
Whey protein is arguably the best protein source for building lean muscles. Many people have found that consuming a good whey protein supplement in addition to the protein they derive from meat and fish, is the ideal way to fortify their body with extra protein — especially because the body assimilates whey protein better than hard-to-digest animal flesh. Furthermore, it doesn’t have the saturated fats that beef and other animal proteins have.
Whey also has medicinal properties, and has been proven to prevent cancer in animals.
It has been shown to provide an extra boost to the immune system by increasing glutathione (GSH) levels in cancer patients, or patients with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), because whey protein is rich in the amino acid cysteine.
Whey protein powder is widely used by athletes and body builders, who consume 60 grams or more per day to maintain their muscle mass. That level of whey protein intake, however, is excessive for average individuals.
If you have a sedentary, non-athletic lifestyle, and you wish to use whey to support your weight loss goals, many people find that 20 to 40 grams a day is sufficient. For medicinal purposes, 40 to 80 grams has been shown to be ideal.
An often overlooked use of whey protein is among senior citizens. Benefits of whey protein has been shown to help prevent bone loss and limit muscle loss over time. Many nutritionists believe that whey protein should be part of every senior citizen’s nutritional diet.
Whey protein powder is widely available at health food stores (such as Whole Foods), supplement stores (such as Vitamin Shoppe), and from countless online retailers.
Always choose the non-denatured type of whey protein. That’s because the process of denaturation breaks down the natural protein structures and minimizes their biological activity.
Select a whey protein manufacturer that does not expose the whey to high temperatures (thereby affecting protein quality), and one that carefully does everything to preserve the vital whey protein fractions, such as the health-promoting immunoglobulins, glyco macro peptides, lactoferrin, etc. One such product is Designer Whey Protein manufactured by Next Proteins.
Caution: If you have milk allergies, you should try a small amount of whey protein initially to make sure you can tolerate the specific whey product you’re using. As with all supplementation, consult your medical practitioner for advice.