Whey protein has always been a star companion to the athletes in their diet plan. However, its use as a supplement to a meal or as a foundation of starting your day, whey protein is showing great results. According to study results presented at last April's annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, a big breakfast that contains whey protein may help manage type 2 diabetes.
“A high-calorie protein breakfast, medium-sized lunch and small dinner is a proven successful strategy for weight loss, improved satiety and reduced glucose spikes throughout the day in people with obesity and Type 2 diabetes,” says lead study author Daniela Jakubowicz, MD, professor of medicine at Tel Aviv University.
“However, the benefits of high protein content at breakfast also depend on the protein source and quality,” Jakubowicz says. “Whey protein powder, which is a byproduct of milk during cheese production, induced greater satiety and reduction of glucose spikes after meals compared to other protein sources, such as eggs, soy or tuna.”
GOT WHEY PROTEIN?
Whey protein ingredients are currently playing a key role in effectively and efficiently replacing milk in many edible products,
according to BCC Research analyst Pankaj Chaubey. Primarily, whey proteins were used in intensive sports nutritional products and were restricted to usage by athletes. However, with increased awareness among mass consumers, the consumption of this commodity has increased in the form of nutrition bars, nutritional beverages, infant nutritional formula and weight-management supplements.
“Fundamentally, increased focus on health across age groups and gender is driving adoption of whey protein beyond sporting activities,” Chaubey says. That includes meals like breakfast, he notes.
Whey protein usually refers to the watery section of the milk that is separated from the curd while making cheese. Currently, the industry offers whey protein in three primary forms.
Whey protein concentrate (WPC). This forms a major component of protein beverages and nutritional supplement production. There are popularly two variants of WPC that are produced and utilized–-WPC35 and WPC80. WPC35 has certain properties such as water-binding ability, fat-like taste and being gelatin-like. This makes it useful in bakery production, diet foods, infant nutrition and confectionaries. It can also be used as a replacement for skimmed milk. WPC80 is used mainly in nutritional and protein-based beverages, low-fat-content products, bakery products and meat commodities.
Whey protein isolate (WPI). WPIs can be up to 90% protein content. The major difference between WPI and other whey protein variants is that the protein content is higher in WPI. It is the most pure form of protein without the presence of carbohydrate, lactose, fat and cholesterol. Popularly accepted as a sports nutrition drink, WPI is often preferred by athletes. The presence of beta-lactoglobulin in whey isolates increases the protein density in various food products. It is also used in infant nutrition formula and favored for production of snack foods and beverages.
Hydrolyzed whey protein (HWP). The major portion of the whey protein market (in both value and volume) is held by HWP. Used mainly in sports nutritional beverages, protein bars and infant nutritional formula due to its easy digesting feature, HWP absorbs relatively faster than other whey varieties.
WHEY PROTEIN FOR BREAKFAST DOES A BODY GOOD
Chaubey says that HWP is favored in the clinical segment because of its angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitory characteristics, which control high blood pressure, as demonstrated in the study to determine if whey protein can help manage type 2 diabetes.
That study investigated whether whey protein for breakfast is more effective than other proteins for weight loss, satiety and reduction of glucose spikes and HbA1C levels in overweight and obese people with T2D. Forty-eight overweight and obese participants with T2D were randomly assigned to one of three diets that contained the same number of calories. The average age of participants was 48.
Each of the three diets consisted of three meals per day, with approximately 660 calories for breakfast, 560 calories for lunch, and 280 calories for dinner.
The lunch and dinner contents were identical between the diets. For one diet (whey-based diet), 17 participants consumed 42 g of whey-based protein for breakfast. In the second diet (non-why protein based diet), 16 participants consumed 42 g of non-whey protein for breakfast. Fifteen participants in the third diet had a diet high in carbohydrates and only 17 g of protein.
After 12 weeks, the group on whey protein lost the most weight: 7.6 kg (16.7 pounds), compared to 6.1 kg (13.4 pounds) for those on the other proteins, and 3.1 kg (6.8 pounds) for those in the carbohydrate group. Whey protein diet participants were more satiated and less hungry throughout the day, with lower glucose spikes after meals compared to the other two diets, and their HbA1C also decreased more than with the other two diets.
“The whey protein diet significantly suppresses the hunger hormone ‘ghrelin.’ A whey protein drink is easily prepared and provides the advantages of a high-protein breakfast on weight loss, reduction of hunger, glucose spikes and HbA1c,” Jakubowicz says.
Chaubey anticipates the global whey protein market to will reach $13.5 billion in 2020, up from $9.2 billion in 2015, reflecting a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.5%.
