Health Benefits of Whey Protein

Human and animal scientific studies have shown many potential health benefits of whey protein such as the ones listed below;

Human studies have found the following Health Benefits Whey Protein;

Reduce muscular atrophy (muscle loss) also known as sarcopenia that occurs as a consequence of the ageing process ⁽¹⁾.

Improve athletic performance, endurance and stamina ⁽²⁾.

Facilitate muscle growth by increasing the body's retention of nitrogen. Nitrogen retention from whey protein is believed to be sixteen times that of free amino acids and twice that of whole food ⁽³⁾.

Increase muscle strength and growth ⁽³⁾.

Enhance the function of satellite cells, which are involved in the repair, and regeneration of muscles ⁽⁴⁾.

Reduce weight in persons afflicted with obesity by stimulating the production and release of cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (both of which reduce appetite by increasing a sense of fullness), and by inhibiting ghrelin which stimulates digestion ^(5,8).

Help to prevent and treat osteoporosis (by activating osteoblasts which are cells responsible for bone growth and repair) ^(6,7).

Reduce appetite by stimulating the production and release of cholecystokinin (CCK) and glucagon-like peptide 1 (both of which reduce appetite by increasing a sense of fullness), and by inhibiting ghrelin which stimulates digestion ⁽⁸⁾.

Be useful for children with autism (due to its ability to increase glutathione levels which reduces oxidative stress in the brain) ⁽⁹⁾.

Counteract some of the negative effects associated with excessive stress (specifically the tryptophan content of the alpha-lactalbumin component of whey protein may increase the brain's serotonin levels – excessive stress often causes serotonin depletion and this depletion of serotonin is one of the causes of the cognitive impairment experienced during stress) ⁽¹⁰⁾.

Inhibit the constriction of the bronchial tract in (exercise-induced) asthma patients ⁽¹¹⁾.

Reduce the severity of psoriasis (possibly due to the transforming growth factor-beta2 content of whey protein) ⁽¹²⁾.

Improve liver function in (chronic) hepatitis B patients ⁽¹³⁾.

Counteract the suppression of the immune system that occurs in people who engage in excessive exercise ⁽¹⁴⁾.

Be a valuable treatment for acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) – it significantly improves the function of the immune system in AIDS patients ^(15,16).

Lower blood pressure in hypertension patients (due to the alpha-lactalbumin and beta-lactoglobulin content of whey protein inhibiting angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) ^(17-19).

When correctly processed cause sustained increases in the body's glutathione levels (due to the high content of cysteine (a precursor of glutathione) in whey protein) ^(20-24).

Animal studies have found the following health benefits of Whey Protein;

Possess life extension potential (it has caused a significant increase in longevity in mice studies) ⁽²⁵⁾.

Counteract the ability of excessive iron to cause cardiomyopathy ⁽²⁶⁾.

Help to prevent alcohol-induced gastric ulcers ^(27,28).

Help to prevent cataracts (by supplying the lens with additional cysteine, the precursor of glutathione, itself the precursor for glutathione peroxidase) ⁽²⁹⁾.

At dosages of 30 grams per day, inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and may cause the regression of some existing breast cancer tumours ^(30-33).

Reduce the risk of colon cancer ^(34-36).

Enhance the function of the immune system ^(37-39).

Help to prevent cirrhosis of the liver ⁽⁴⁰⁾.

Be useful for the treatment of hemochromatosis (due to its ability to reduce the excessive generation of free radicals caused by the increased iron levels of hemochromatosis patients) ⁽⁴¹⁾.

Help to prevent/treat insulin resistance ^(42,43).

Reduce weight in persons afflicted with obesity by stimulating the production/release of cholecystokinin (CCK), the hormone responsible for satiety (i.e. reduced appetite) ^(42,43).

Alleviate (atopic) eczema ⁽⁴⁴⁾.

Increase liver glycogen levels ⁽⁴⁵⁾.

Stimulate the endogenous production of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) ⁽⁴⁶⁾.

When correctly processed cause sustained increases in the body's glutathione levels (due to the high content of cysteine (a precursor of glutathione) in whey protein) ^(47,48).

Important Notice: The studies represented above provide information to enhance knowledge and is not meant to be a diagnosis or treatment of any illness or ailment. We recommend that you contact your healthcare professional for further health advice.

References:

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