I thought about posting an update on supps, few new additions there, but a quick glance at looking at my kitchen cabinet :smileeek: killed that desire instantly
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Will get onto it soon enough, I promise !
Something else I want to talk about today:
WHEY
* Why ? Because it is the most consumed bodybuilding supplement and yet when it comes to choosing the best product a lot of people seem to use senseless criteria. Like taste. I mean, pizza and donuts taste awesome :doh: but you wouldn't incorporate them in your bodybuilding arsenal.
* OK, so most of us do know that Whey Concentrate sucks, what about the praised isolate ? Well, it all comes down to how it has been processed....
* Before I get into it, let me just make a brief
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WHEY MICROFRACTIONS
Whey protein is not simply one protein, but a mixture of many. Individual whey proteins, known as microfractions, are responsible for whey's functional and biological benefits. If, as often happens in processing, these microfractions are altered or denatured, much of the health promoting value is lost. Some of the microfractions found in whey and their biological benefit are:
Beta-Lactoglobulin:
- Source of essential and branched chain amino acids.8
Alpha Lactalbumin:
- Primary protein found in human breast milk.
- Source of essential and branched chain amino acids. 8
Glycomacropeptide:
- Can reduce appetite via stimulation of CCK
- Acts as a Prebiotic
- Immunomodulator 24
Bovine Serum Albumin:
- Contains abundant glutamylcysteine sequences, precursors to glutathione. 24
Immunoglobulins:
- Primary protein found in colostrums.
- Imparts immune system modulating benefits.8
Lactoperoxidase:
- Inhibits growth of bacteria. 8
Lactoferrin:
- Antioxidant
- Antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal
- Promotes growth of beneficial bacteria 8,16
Also, while we're on the subject,
many ready-to-drink whey-based protein beverages on the market are subjected to such harsh processing as to make the protein nearly nutritionally worthless and potentially toxic.15,18,22,23 Retort and UHT (Ultra High Temperature) processes used in the manufacture of such drinks, has been shown to denature fragile whey proteins, and produce foreign protein structures. 15,17,18,19,21,22
Proper, low temperature, whey isolate processing produces a product with the lowest amount of denatured proteins, and the highest most balanced ratio of active microfractions.
WHEY ISOLATE
In general terms, whey isolate is any whey protein achieving 90%+ protein content. There are two general types of processing which can produce a whey isolate. They are known as ion exchange, and microfiltration.
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The Ion exchange process of isolating whey protein was the first to yield protein contents of 90%+ while ridding the product of lactose, fat and cholesterol. Even today, after improved methods of whey extraction have been perfected, many unscrupulous supplement companies continue to tout Ion Exchange whey as a superior Whey Protein Isolate. The Ion exchange process involves separating the protein in whey from the undesirables on the basis of electrical charge. This method is able to extract the most protein, and the resultant product yields the highest protein percentage available. There is a big price to be paid for this seeming benefit, however.
You see, a drastic shift in pH is required to drive the chemical reaction which isolates the protein. In so doing, the nature of the whey protein is compromised. The relatively allergenic Beta-Lacto Globulin fraction becomes predominant (instead of the more delicate Alpha-Lactalbumin) and many of the valuable microfractions of whey are lost or reduced including: glycomacropeptides, immunoglobulins, lactoperoxidase and lactoferrin. So in essence,
what is produced is a stripped down protein that doesn't deliver many of the benefits of filtered whey.
So, in the Ion-Exchange process, ratios and quantities of valuable protein fractions are altered to produce a protein which may impart less of a heath promoting effect than that of a filtered whey.
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As discussed earlier, when a filtered protein reaches 90% protein the resultant protein is known as a whey isolate.
A well manufactured filtered whey isolate will provide undenatured, usable protein and retains a whole host of other microfractions in proper balance, giving whey functional benefits above and beyond just the amino acid profile.
The microfiltration process allows only soluble proteins to pass through the membrane, thus removing the highest level of lactose, fat, cholesterol, and denatured proteins (denatured proteins are relatively insoluble). A well made protein will then be spray dried at low temperatures to maintain the structural and biological integrity of the protein.
So, to sum up the benefits of a properly produced filtered whey isolate:
Lower in cholesterol
Less allergenic
More immune boosting microfractions
More growth promoting microfractions
Less denatured proteins
Lactose free
Higher protein percentage
Better, cleaner taste than a concentrate
Mixes easily
The benefits of such a protein should now be overwhelmingly evident. There are still many, however, who are either ignorant of the health-promoting benefits of quality whey, or stands to gain financially from the sale of cheaper whey protein products. Many consumers are rightfully outraged when they learn the truth: that nutritional supplement companies often have no interest in producing health-promoting products. When damaging lies of this sort are perpetrated against so many, for so long, under the guise of promoting health, it is not the charge of simple ignorance which must be levied against these companies, but that of absolute, calculated fraud.
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A hydrolyzed protein is one in which the longer chains of amino acids (whole proteins) are broken up enzymatically into to smaller peptides (pieces of proteins.) This process can be performed to different degrees; that is, vastly different size peptides can be produced having different functional characteristics. Because of this, the consumer has no way of knowing exactly what sort of peptides (and of what size) may be present in their hydrolyzed whey.
You may also hear hydrolyzed whey referred to as pre-digested or partially pre-digested whey protein, because, in essence, the hydrolyzation process breaks down peptides enzymatically in a manner similar to digestion. This makes peptides and free amino acids from hydrolyzed whey very easily to assimilate, but this is not necessarily as good as it may seem.
The purveyors of hydrolyzed whey usually focus on two functional properties of hydrolyzed whey:
Reduced allergenicity
Faster absorption
The first of these is a legitimate benefit for individuals suffering from an allergy to certain whey proteins,
the second is probably only an illusory benefit, as even intact whey is absorbed very rapidly in its own right. Most of the marketing of hydrolyzed whey is based around a single study which showed improved nitrogen retention in rats from hydrolyzed whey versus intact whey protein. 25
In the light of these supposed benefits, keep in mind that hydrolyzing
whey destroys the protein structures and much of the functional benefit is lost. Whey's functional benefits have been shown to be related to the intact structure of whey microfractions, not just its amino acid profile. 3, 12
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As stated earlier, the degree of hydrolysis of a protein dictates how many bonds of the protein have been enzymatically "broken." Therefore, the greater the degree of hydrolysis, the smaller the protein fragments in a product become. The concept of hydrolyzing proteins arose to reduce the allergenicity of compounds such as dairy or soy. In fact you will often see hydrolyzed proteins used in baby formulas and enteric feeding formulas for sensitive or allergic individuals.
Free (non-protein bound) amino acids are not commonly found in unprocessed food, but may be liberated from native protein structures by certain types of processing, such as hydrolyzation.[/B] Somewhat surprisingly, free amino acids can have strikingly different metabolic effects in the body than those same amino acids consumed in whole food proteins. Considering that many amino acids act as precursors to, or are themselves, biogenic amines (brain chemicals), the effect of dietary free amino acids on the brain and nervous system can be significant. For example, Glutamic Acid (aka Glutamate), Aspartic Acid, and Cysteine, when in their free state, may act as excitotoxins. According Board-Certified Nuerosurgeon Russell Blaylock M.D.:
An excitotoxin is a substance added to foods and beverages that literally stimulates neurons to death, causing brain damage of varying degrees. They can be found in such ingredients as monosodium glutamate, aspartame (Nutrasweet), cysteine, hydrolyzed protein and aspartic acid.13
So, it's important to remember that undenatured, unaltered proteins contain amino acids as part of the native protein structure which the body can metabolize efficiently, whereas altered, denatured proteins and free amino acids can often have toxic effects, and in the case of excitotoxcicity, amino acids can literally excite neurons to death. Excitotoxcicity is a major field of study with researchers looking to unravel the mysteries of such neurological diseases as Alzheimer's, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Multiple Sclerosis among others. Keeping the above definition in mind, realize that whey contains abundant glutamic acid, aspartic acid, and cysteine. To hydrolyze such a protein and potentially free these amino acids from the native protein structure is flirting with neurological disaster.
Note: One purveyor of "natural" protein powder goes so far as to claim that his protein contains no MSG and that the glutamic acid present in his product is "inherent to whey protein" while using hydrolyzed whey in the formula. Putting aside the possibility that this individual is being blatantly misleading, he apparently is unaware that while MSG (monosodium glutamate) may not be added to the product, similarly excitotoxic free Glutamic Acid (or glutamate) is produced in the protein hydrolyzation process. This same individual also claims that there is not enough difference between a whey concentrate and isolate to justify the increased price of an isolate. It's just that sort of ignorance that this article is intended to combat.
Even if hydrolyzed whey were not toxic, the beneficial immunomodulating microfractions of whey are compromised with any significant hydrolyzation of the protein, 12 thus sacrificing one of whey's premiere benefits. In other words, the benefit of easier absorption of hydrolyzed whey comes at the expense of the glutathione-immune boosting properties of an intact whey protein. The vast majority of research literature on whey centers around the effects of various whey microfractions on immune function, and resistance to disease. Any practice which lessens these positive effects of whey shouldn't be embraced unquestioningly, especially considering the fact that intact whey is absorbed very rapidly in its own right.
With hydrolyzed whey, you sacrifice much, if not all of the immune boosting effect that makes whey so valuable for growth and repair of the body's tissues, and depending upon the degree of hydrolysis, you potentially run the risk of exposing yourself to excitotoxic amino acids that could be produced during the hydrolyzation process.
The whole article can be found here Invalid Link Removed
It is quite well referenced, I give it :thumbsup: