Whey protein powder has topped the charts as the number one best selling protein powder for many years, actually decades! It is the highest quality and most efficient source of protein that we know of to date. This means it is the best protein food source that builds muscles and athletes and bodybuilders can tell the difference! This is the fundamental reason of whey protein powder’s success.
Besides whey protein powders superior ability to build muscle it also has some other less known and useful health benefits. So lets take a look!
Weight Loss Aid?
Whey protein powder and specifically a more pure form of whey protein called whey protein isolate can be a useful food in weight loss efforts. Because whey protein isolate is a more pure extract of whey protein, it contain less fat, cholesterol and lactose than its less pure counterpart – whey protein concentrate. In fact the amount of fat and lactose (lactose is milk sugar, whey is extracted from milk) in whey protein isolate is very little, it is pretty much pure protein. This makes whey protein isolate a great food as a part of a weight loss plan. Protein takes longer to digest than carbohydrates and fat so it helps to keep us feeling satiated for longer. Protein also takes more calories to digest than fat and carbohydrates. Whey protein in particular has the added benefit in that it contains amino acids called branched chain amino acids (BCAA’s). BCAA’s are digested directly into muscle tissue and are therefore key ingredients in producing lean muscle mass and are much less likely to be turned into fat.
Boosting The Immune System
Improving our immune system is a surprising health benefit provided by whey protein. When we think of immune system boosting foods we may think of fruits and vegetables that are high in antioxidants or drinks that are high in antioxidants like green tea and fruit juicer recipes. So how does whey protein powder boost the immune system? The answer is by raising the amount of glutathione in our cells. Glutathione is a protein itself that is made up of the amino acids that are delivered abundantly by whey protein powder. Glutathione is the most powerful antioxidant that we know of and for this reason is often called the ‘master antioxidant’. It is the only antioxidant that protects the inside of our cells from oxidative damage inflicted by free radical damage and is therefore an essential part of the immune system. It is so important in fact that glutathione levels in the body are the best indicator of our overall health and life span!
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