The Wild Guide To Whey Protein
"The best feeling in the world is a hard workout, a shower, and a protein shake."
- Mirko Cro Cop
What Is Whey Protein?
Whey is the liquid that remains after milk has been curdled and strained and is usually the byproduct of the cheesemaking process.
Whey was considered a waste product until the 1970s when Frank Thomas figured out how to convert the liquid whey into a dried powder.
This new idea led to the creation of a whole industry: whey protein supplements. It also aided the growth of the supplement industry as a whole.
Nowadays, all cheese operations include processing and selling whey or whey powder as a part of their business model.
What Is Whey Protein Made Of?
The proteins beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, and serum albumin found in whey are "complete" and "essential" to the human body. This is why whey has become so popular as a nutritional protein supplement.
We need to eat essential nutrients to stay alive, but we don't need non-essential nutrients, or our bodies can make them in other ways.
Whey protein aids in the body's ability to meet its protein needs due to its high bioavailability. This, and the fact that it was first created from a waste product (cheese making), has helped it become one of the top-selling supplements worldwide, especially in the bodybuilding and fitness communities.
But whey is more than just a way to ingest more quality protein. If quality whey didn't provide other health benefits besides simple protein absorption, we probably wouldn't bother sourcing and selling it.
Current manufacturing methods and much research have proven that grass-fed whey protein is a superfood! And since superfoods are our favorite foods, we made it a mission to bring premium quality whey under the Wild Foods brand.
Whey usually has between 1% and 8% lactose and tiny amounts of casein, so most people who can't handle lactose or casein can still use it.
Due to its long shelf-life and easy-to-make convenience, oatmeal has become a staple in the health and fit-conscious individual's program.
Whey protein can be a meal replacement in its purest form—with just water—or in a shake or smoothie concoction with other ingredients.
A whey protein supplement can also be used in recipes such as bars, desserts, and baked items, to name a few. It is also commonly used as a pre- and post-workout recovery drink to aid protein synthesis and repair.
Types of Whey Protein
Whey protein powder comes in three varieties, each with its own unique nutritional profile and manufacturing process. These are whey protein concentrate (most common), whey protein isolates, and hydrolyzed whey protein.
Whey concentrate makes up the bulk of the protein powders on the market. The protein level in a concentrate can vary from 25% to as much as 90%, the most common.
The remainder of whey contains various amounts of lactose (avg of 1%-8%), fat, minerals, and water.
Whey Benefits
- Whey can help you reduce calories by providing a low-calorie meal replacement.
- Increase intake of branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) that form the building blocks of life.
- Increases intake of leucine, a growth-promoting essential amino acid used in tissue repair and growth
- Includes cysteine, an essential amino acid that converts to glutathione, a powerful antioxidant in promoting health and longevity
- Aids in protein synthesis, ideally before and after workouts
- It helps promote muscle mass and growth (significant for males, females, young, and old)
- Increases daily protein intake (Most people don't consume enough protein)
- Helps control appetite
- Supports the immune system through immunoglobulins
Whey Research
- Therapeutic applications of whey protein
- Whey protein's newfound health benefits and therapeutic applications.
- Effect of whey protein isolates on intracellular glutathione and oxidant-induced cell death in human prostate epithelial cells.
- Glutathione (GSH) modulation and whey protein concentrate (WPC) for cancer therapy.
- A high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet affects glucose production and metabolic rate.
- Nutritional therapy of chronic hepatitis by whey protein (non-heated).
Casein vs. Whey
How Cheap Whey Is Made
Step #1: Dairy cows produce milk
The first step in determining the final powder's quality starts with the dairy cows' diet and lifestyle.
Unhappy cows living in inhumane and disgusting conditions on factory farms produce milk that doesn't taste good and is unsuitable for you. (This is a proven fact of all food produced in these conditions, especially animals.)
Step #2: Raw milk is cooled and transported by tanker trucks to a cheese manufacturer
After this step, most whey protein on the market enters the cheesemaking process, which starts with separating the cheese curds from the whey and draining off the whey to make whey protein powder.
The whey is usually heated and processed in more than one way. All of these steps damage or denature the proteins in the whey. The bioactive cysteine-rich proteins in raw milk are destroyed when it is denatured. This is raw milk's primary health benefit.
Step #3: The raw milk is used in the cheesemaking process, and the liquid whey, which used to be considered a waste product, is drained off
It's common practice to separate the whey from the curds using enzymes such as animal rennet.
Step #4: The liquid whey is transported (again) to the whey manufacturer
Step #5: The whey is made into whey protein powder using one of the following
Micro-filtered - a method of passing the whey through superfine particle filters to filter out fat, lactose, and carbohydrates, leaving whey protein behind
Ultra-filtered - Micro-filtered and then filtered again, often with acid processing, to make whey protein isolate (not ideal as this further damages/removes nutrition) (Also not suitable due to your body being unable to assimilate proteins in the isolate form.)
Acid or ion exchange method - Uses chemicals to separate whey from fats. Not ideal.
Hydrolyzed whey method - A process known as "enzymatic hydrolysis" is used to further break down the proteins into a more accessible digestible form. This is often done using either an acid method or an enzyme like pancreatic protease. As you might have guessed, this could be better, and we recommend you steer clear of anything hydrolyzed.
Proprietary filtration method used to produce "Undenatured" whey - The technique used to make our Wild Whey. It uses a proprietary filtration and drying process that involves minimal processing. It creates a superior whey full of glutathione-promoting cysteines and the natural immune-boosting protein components; immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, and serum albumin.
Step #6: The final powder is stored in large 20-40lb paper bags before shipping to the co-packer.
Step #7: The whey powder is packed in various retail sizes and shipped to retailers to sit on a shelf.
How Non-denatured Cold Process Whey Is Made
Step #1: Dairy cows produce milk
The first step in determining the final powder's quality starts with the dairy cows' diet and lifestyle.
Unhappy cows living in inhumane and disgusting conditions on factory farms produce milk that doesn't taste good and is unsuitable for you. (This is a proven fact of all food produced in these conditions, especially animals.)
Step #2: Raw milk is cooled and transported to the protein manufacturer
Step #3: The raw milk is single pasteurized (by law) and then immediately re-cooled
Step #5: The single-pasteurized milk enters the whey manufacturing process using the following
Proprietary filtration method used to produce "Undenatured" whey - The technique used to create our Wild Whey. It uses a proprietary filtration and drying process that involves minimal processing. It makes a superior whey full of glutathione-promoting cysteines and the natural immune-boosting protein components; immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, and serum albumin.
Step #7 (In the case of Wild Whey): The final powder is stored in large 40lb paper bags and shipped to Wild Foods HQ
Step #8 (In the case of Wild Whey): Retail sizes of the undenatured whey are then shipped to customers
Step #9: Wild Customers consume Wild Whey and feel healthy, strong, and happy!
What Makes Wild Whey So Great?
- It's made from grass-fed cows year-round from their raw milk and not from denatured whey, which is the byproduct of the cheesemaking process.
- It is hormone-Treatment-Free
- There is no added sugar.
- It is gently processed using single pasteurization and dried using ambient air temperature.
- Naturally sweetened with Stevia, Nature's zero calories sweetener... it tastes great!
- It includes a complete list of essential amino acids to increase muscle growth and faster recovery times.
- Biologically active and non-denatured, Wild Whey is packed with only natural nutrition.
What Makes Wild Whey So Great?
Maintaining a balance between your macronutrients, micronutrients, and vitamins and minerals is essential. Your body can function at a higher level when you find this balance.
It is safe to have more than one protein shake per day, but experts recommend no more than three. Even though more research is needed on protein consumption, the National Institutes of Health warns against excessive protein consumption.
Whey protein overconsumption may aggravate lactose intolerance symptoms. You can experience muscle cramps, diarrhea, bloating, and gas. If you are lactose intolerant, you want to choose a whey protein isolate supplement and not a whey protein concentrate.
Constipation is also a risk if you don't eat enough fruits and vegetables or are on a low-carb diet. The fruits and vegetables you consume daily are a good source of fiber.
Finally, over time, too much whey protein could cause your kidneys to work overtime as they must work harder to filter your blood. This can ultimately result in kidney damage or worsen kidney disease. However, a higher protein diet shouldn't affect you as much if you are healthy with no other health conditions.
Everyday How Many Tablespoons of Whey Protein Should I Take?
The recommended dosage of whey protein per day is 1 to 2 scoops, which comes out to around 25 to 50 grams daily. You always want to follow the serving suggestions on the label of your whey protein.
Also, if you already have a high protein intake, you may not even need to add this amount of whey protein to your diet daily.
When Should I Take Whey Protein?
The best time to take your whey protein is after or right before a workout because it has been shown to increase muscle growth.