Whey protein has several health benefits. We discuss a handful of these below.
It helps boost protein and BCAA intake by our body – Proteins are made up of amino acids. While a portion of our amino acid requirement is produced by the body itself, the rest has to be gathered from the food we eat.
The amino acids that our body derives from external food sources are called essential amino acids. Whey protein consists of nine essential amino acids. On top of that, they are rich in crucial branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) such as leucine.
Leucine is a growth-promoting amino acid. It also contains cysteine which encourages glutathione levels, which is a cellular antioxidant. Whey protein is most effective for inducing growth in our bodies. Human breast milk, fed to newborns, is 60% whey as compared to cow’s milk, which contains only 20% whey.