I'm sure every one of you who's into fitness must have used Whey protein at one stage. But do you really know what's inside that massive tub? Delve deep and you'll find a list of unpronounceable ingredients. Here's a detail info on what's the job of each ingredient.
1.Whey protein
Well everyone knows what a whey protein is. It's technically a waste product i.e. the left-behind liquid when milk is processed into cheese. The real reason why people prefer whey protein is, you just scoop the white powder into a drink, gulp, and let those muscles start growing. Most proteins taste pretty terrible, but the dairy properties of whey make it more bearable.
Most important, whey is packed with essential amino acids.(EAA)
EAA's are chemical compounds the body needs but cannot produce on it's own. We can get that only through food.
Whey in particular contains three amino acids: leucine, isoleucine, and valine commonly known as BCAA's (Branched Chain Amino acids). The main job of BCAA's is to repair damaged muscle tissue and help that tissue grow.
2.Lecithin
See I told you, here comes the unpronounceable stuff.
Lecithin is a fat that is essential in the cells of the body that is basically derived from soy. It can be found in many foods, including egg yolks. Lecithin is often prescribed to patients for memory disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer's disease. It is also used for treating a skin disease called eczema.
So why use this ingredient in your whey protein??
Studies suggest that lecithin improves memory. It's main purpose is to improve texture of the powder.
3.Xanthan gum
xanthan gum is derived from a sugar compound mixed with bacteria. You consume this ingredient on a daily basis. It's in your toothpaste, your salad dressing, and your salt, etc. It is a powerful thickening agent.
It's main purpose is to act as a stabilizer to prevent ingredients from separating.
4.Raubidioside A
You know I mentioned at the start how proteins taste terrible, that's where this ingredient comes into play. It's basically stevia extract, a natural sweetener 200 times more powerful than sugar. It's job is to make sure that your drink taste good without adding loads of sugar in your protein powder thereby controlling your insulin spikes..
5.Aminogen
This compound helps your body absorb the protein more efficiently. Without this ingredient, most of your shake would just go in and out of your body without leaving behind any amino acids. And trust me that's really bad, because Amino acids are the basic building block. If this ingredient is absent your tub would be a sweet powder and a complete waste.
You'll generally find aminogen in whey protein isolate.
It is also used to speed up the process of digestion while also making the digestive process smoother for those who have issues regarding protein digestion.
Make sure you have this ingredient in your protein powder.
There are many more ingredients that I haven't mentioned. But these are the basic. If you've never used whey protein or planning to purchase one, keep this things in mind.
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