Whey Protein For Weight Loss: Things You Need To Know Before The Holidays

There are different ways to lose weight without putting your health at risk. By eating the right amount of food, you can shed off those extra pounds. Cutting some of your carbs out is one effective way to lose weight fast. A low carb meal should consist of a protein source, fat source and low carb vegetables. Making your meals in this way can bring your carb intake down.

Protein

Protein is a nutrient that the body needs to grow and maintain itself, says a study about “Protein and the Body.” [1]. Protein, next to water,  is the most plentiful substance in our bodies. Every single cell in the body has some protein; just about everyone knows that muscles are made of protein. Every person needs protein depending on a person’s body size and special needs such as growth because all the important parts of the body like the hair, skin, eyes, and body organs are made from protein. If you consume too little protein, the result will be a gradual breakdown of body protein tissues and loss of muscle tissue resulting in the body to not be able to function properly under these conditions.

Eating enough protein is an essential part of the weight loss process. According to a study, consuming more frequent, higher protein (HP)  meals is one of the more commonly practiced dietary strategies among Americans to increase healthy eating and promote weight loss [2]. It can reduce cravings and obsessive thoughts about food by 60%, reduce the desire to snack late at night by half, and make you feel full.

What is Whey Protein?

Protein is a significant nutrient for weight loss. By getting enough of this, it can boost your metabolism, reduce your appetite, and help you lose body fat without losing muscle. Whey protein is an easy way to add protein to your diet plan and is proven to have been effective for weight loss. Whey  protein  is one  of  the ingredients  of  milk  which  is  considered  as  a  useful  food  source.  Milk  has  valuable  protein  sources such as whey protein and casein. Moreover, milk is a valuable nutrient which is available everywhere and people can have it in their daily diet. Whey protein  can therefore be used as  a healthy and  valuable food supplement  by individuals in a daily basis diet. In a study, it is said  that the percentage of these proteins  (whey and casein) is  different  between  human  milk  and  cow milk. Cow  milk contains  about 80%  casein and  20% whey  protein  whereas  human  milk  has  60%  whey protein and 40% casein [3]. Whey is made by being separated out during the manufacturing of cheese from dairy milk which in turn will be filtered, purified and dried to form whey powder.  Whey powder is a complete protein source because it is low in lactose and it contains all nine essential amino acids but essential vitamins and minerals like calcium and vitamin B12 are retained.

Whey Protein Aids in Weight Loss

Whey protein can play a significant role in weight loss management because it is a source of protein that helps improve the nutrient content of the diet and helps strengthen the immune system. It is loaded with the essential and non-essential amino acids with few carbohydrates and little fat content making it easier to decrease hunger and curb your appetite resulting in feeling full for longer. Moreover, it can boost your metabolism, helping you burn slightly more calories each day. Based on the article “How Protein Shakes Help You Lose Weight And Belly Fat”, high-protein diets can help you lose more fat, especially fat from the belly area [4]. In one study, participants on a diet with 25 percent of calories as protein lost 10 percent more belly fat after 12 months than those eating half that amount. In another study, participants, in spite of not consciously changing anything else in their diet, were given an extra 56 grams of whey protein per day and lost 5 pounds more at the end of a 23-week study period.

In a research study conducted “Whey Protein,” it is said that specific  factors  in  whey  protein  like leucine are being investigated for their ability to promote weight loss  by increasing satiety, influencing glucose homeostasis, and maintaining lean body mass and promoting fat loss [5]. Whey has been shown to be effective in increasing satiety and modulating energy intakes, which may result in a loss of body fat and weight. Whey protein is shown to be more effective than soy, egg, and meat proteins in  suppressing  food  intake according to several studies. For  these  reasons, incorporating whey protein into the diet could be an ideal solution for the many consumers interested in high-protein and moderate carbohydrate diets.

In order to maintain weight after losing some, one needs to have a high intake of protein. One study reports that a relatively high percentage of energy intake as protein has been shown to increase satiety and decrease energy efficiency during overfeeding [6]. As a matter of fact, the high protein group regained only 9 percent of the lost weight, whereas the low protein group regained 23 percent. The experiment gave participants who just completed a weight loss intervention a supplement that provided 48.2 grams of protein per day.  Compared to those participants with no supplement, participants who were given the supplement felt fuller after meals and had regained 50 percent less weight 6 months later.

The Different Types of Whey Protein And Its Uses

The table above shows the process involved in manufacturing whey protein. As you can see, there are three main types of whey protein broken down into whey protein  concentrate, whey protein  isolate and hydrolyzed whey  protein [7].

The above table shows the protein concentration, lactose and fat content in percentage weight of the different types of whey protein. It also shows some of its uses, which we will further discuss.

There are various protein concentration levels like WPC 34 percent, WPC 50 percent and WPC 80 percent of whey protein concentrates (WPCs). Concentrates  contain  a  low  level  of  fat and cholesterol but, in general, have higher levels of bioactive compounds, and carbohydrates in the form of lactose. Concentration and the other ingredients added are the basis of WPC’s protein percentage. True WPC80 with 80 percent protein content makes it a perfect ‘all-rounder’ protein because it tastes great.

Whey protein isolates (WPIs), on the other hand, are the purest form of whey protein and contains 90%  or  greater  protein  with  minimal  lactose  (<1%) and virtually no fat and is of high cost. Isolates are processed to remove the fat and lactose, but are usually lower in bioactive compounds. Furthermore, isolates are generally the highest quality of whey supplement, and therefore usually the most expensive. These  products  “isolate” the  whey  protein by going through the most advanced filtering process to remove carbohydrates and fats. Thus, they have the highest percentage of protein compared to other whey products. The whey isolate supplements are very quickly  absorbed  and  are  therefore  very  fast-acting. WPCs are products that do not go through such an advanced filtering  process as the whey isolate.  Hence, they generally  contain  about 10–15%  less  protein and most  likely include  some  fats  and  carbs.  Some  WPC products also have some whey isolate blended in.

Lastly, hydrolyzed whey protein (WPH), are predigested, partially hydrolyzed whey proteins that, as a consequence, are more easily absorbed, thus not requiring as much digestion as WPC. However, their costs are generally higher than the WPC. It is frequently used within medical protein supplements or infant formulas. Oftenly, it has a bitter taste requiring many other ingredients to sweeten and mask its natural flavour. Highly hydrolyzed whey may be less allergenic than other forms of whey. Hydrolysis  process  breaks  down  protein  chains  into small fractions called peptides.

Who Can Benefit From Using Whey Protein?

Whey protein is beneficial for promoting weight loss, increasing the muscle mass and healthy aging. It is helpful to athletes, bodybuilders, fitness models, figure competitors or even just a regular person who exercises and wants to lose weight. Whey protein is the most easily and quickly  absorbed protein available. It helps build muscle by stimulating maximum protein synthesis. Protein supplements are being used every day by both old and young people. Most of these people are avid  exercisers  who work  out and  tear  their muscles apart on a daily basis. Protein is what helps the body build  its  muscles  back  together,  and  therefore  has  a major role  in  making the human body stronger. Whey protein contains the highest percentage of protein source and branched chain amino acids. BCAAs help stimulate protein synthesis or muscle growth which is important in muscle building and muscle retention. Whey protein also protects the degradation of muscle protein.  Whey  is  necessary  in  building  blocks  to produce the amino acids that the body uses to build lean muscle tissue. Whey is also a fast acting protein,  which  means that  it is absorbed  quickly  into the  bloodstream.  It  is  widely  believed  that  drinking a  protein  shake  that  contains  whey  shortly  after  a training session can speed up muscle recovery by making  the  essentials and  BCAAs  readily  available to the muscles.

Aside from the weight loss and muscle building benefits, whey protein is also good for children. It helps stabilize children’s blood sugar and increases the production of feel-good brain chemicals that help increase mental clarity and focus. It also provides the protein essential for growing bodies, particularly the brain.

In addition, adults and elderly people can greatly benefit from whey protein. As  a  person  gets  older,  his/her  body  becomes  less efficient  in  absorbing  protein.  Whey  protein  is  the most easily absorbed protein available. It can reverse the aging process and rebuild the immune system. It can  ensure  that you  are  rarely, if  ever,  sick, and  that you will  begin  to look and feel younger in years.

Summary

Whey  protein  is one  of  the useful  and important  protein  sources for  human’s health  due to having bio-active  components. It is a pure, natural, high-quality protein from  cow’s  milk. Since this  protein has unique  characteristics, it  is considered  as a  valuable protein  source due to having a rich  source  of  all  of the essential amino acids needed on a daily basis by the body. Having whey protein in your daily diet plan will undoubtedly result in weight loss.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any agency thus the information provided is not medical advice and is not approved/endorsed by the FDA.

References:

Protein and the body http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2473/T-3163web.pdf

The effects of consuming frequent, higher protein meals on appetite and satiety during weight loss in overweight/obese men Leidy, Tang, Armstrong, Martin, & Campbell https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4564867/

Whey proteins health benefits and food applications https://www.researchgate.net/publication/299286785_WHEY_PROTEINS_HEALTH_BENEFITS_AND_FOOD_APPLICATIONS

How Protein Shakes Help You Lose Weight and Belly Fat, Healthline https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/protein-shakes-weight-loss#section4

Whey protein https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313715199_Whey_protein

High protein intake sustains weight maintenance after body weight loss in humans Westerterp-Plantenga MS;Lejeune MP;Nijs I;van Ooijen M;Kovacs EM; https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14710168/

Whey protein https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313715199_Whey_protein