Whey Protein

No protein has such a high biological value as Whey. Where in the past a chicken egg was considered the most valuable source of protein, nowadays whey is at the top of the ranking. This is due, among other things, to its high proportion of branched chain amino acids (or the bcaa's). This essential amino acids play an important role in building and repairing the body.

Whey is extracted from milk. Eighty percent of milk consists of casein and the remaining twenty percent of whey. When these two parts are separated, different end products can then be made from this. The most sold whey supplement, and also the most popular contemporary protein powder, is wei concentrate, as can be found in 100% whey protein. Most whey concentrates contain 70 to 80 percent protein. Both the carbohydrate and fat percentage is usually between 5 and 10 percent. Whey concentrate contains lactose. Although this is not a large amount, it may be wise for people with a lactose intolerance to choose a different protein supplement. Whey concentrate is rich in alpha-lactalbumin, glycomacropeptides and lactoferrin. These naturally occurring substances in milk can have a beneficial effect on our immune system.

Whey isolate contains such an 90 percent protein. It therefore has a higher protein percentage than whey concentrate. Whey isolate is also completely or almost completely stripped of fat and carbohydrates, so it also no longer contains lactose. With lactose intolerance, whey isolate is therefore a safe choice in most cases. Because whey isolate has a higher percentage of protein, it also contains a higher proportion of essential amino acids (including the bcaa's) than whey concentrate. An example of a whey isolate is Iso-whey.

Part of the product in whey hydrolyzate consists of peptides. This offers the advantage of easy digestion and rapid absorption by the body. Whey hydrolyzate almost never contains more than 20 percent peptides, and in most cases this is considerably lower. The non-peptide portion consists of whey concentrate or whey isolate. The protein percentage of whey hydrolyzate is usually between 70 and 90 percent. The product may contain lactose and is therefore not suitable for lactose intolerance. Because peptides give the product a bitter taste, protein shakes made from whey hydrolyzate are often not the most delicious.