Without a doubt one of the most popular muscle building supplements to assist with gaining weight and muscle is protein powders. Protein encourages muscle growth and repair and is a part of every trainer’s post workout routine.

Whey protein concentrate, aka WPC, is composed of protein fractions including between 45 and 61 percent Beta-lactoglobulin, 17 to 25 percent alpha-lactalbumin, 15 to 20 percent glycomacropeptides, 2 to 7% Serum albumin, 2 to 5 percent Immunoglobulin G (IgG) and other minor fractions such as Lactoferrin, Lactoperoxidase, Lysozymes and Growth Factors. These words may be hard to pronounce but they are the heart of what makes a WPC tick. Will WPCs benefit the sick? Some recent research indicates a proposed immunological benefit of WPC in humans. Each specific protein within a WPC may hold significant value for promoting health, longevity, digestibility and absorption.

The current scientific belief is that the protein fractions above should be native (close to their natural form and concentration as found in whole cow’s milk). Research also tells us that various processing techniques, such as Ion-exchange, can remove 93 percent of the glycomacropeptide fraction of whey. Glycomacropeptides have been shown in preliminary work to be important bacteria scavengers, acting as receptors for bacteria, rendering some harmful bacteria inactive and simply excreted. More importantly, ion-exchanged whey may be considered a less native whey protein.

Whey proteins can be denatured when heated for prolonged periods at temperatures much above 150 degrees Fahrenheit. What does denatured mean? Simply stated, the proteins unfold into random structures, making them nonfunctional within the body. The issue of heat application and damaged WPC fractions is one of the most crucial aspects of WPC processing.

Milk must be pasteurized and this requires the application of heat to prevent harmful bacteria from causing potentially deadly diseases from invading our bodies. A review of published literature will reveal that High Temperature, Short Term (HTST) pasteurization techniques can be applied to milk and whole whey with an exceptionally low level of denaturation taking place, thus leaving the precious WPC proteins 97% undenatured and bioavailable. Honest Whey ™ protein is produced using only HTST pasteurization techniques. For this, you can expect a safe and fully functional WPC.

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Eating well is the most basic part of living longer. We often take it for granted but the food we eat can not only make us look younger, but it can also make us feel happier. We have all heard of a ‘balanced diet,’ but do you know what this means?

Calorie restriction – miracle number one

Believe it or not, there is one “miracle diet” that is actually likely to help you live longer, but you’re not going to like it. It’s calorie restriction- meaning not eating so much. There are numerous studies on animals showing that feeding them just enough food to survive, but not too little so as to cause malnutrition, leads to longer life-spans. At this stage the evidence suggests that the same effects occur in humans.

Calorie restriction has been linked to a better immune system and decreased risk of infection. Not having to break down so much food means less stress and oxidative damage to the body (for more about oxidative damage, look for the article on antioxidants at www.thaiantiaging.org). If you don’t eat that much, you will also have less sugar in your blood, helping prevent diabetes.

What does your body need?

Of course, you can’t to eat nothing – so what should you eat? There are lots of diet fads out there. What you need to know is what the main components of a balanced diet are.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the most important source of energy in the body. Most carbohydrates come from starches like rice, bread or potatoes. In our bodies, the starches turn into sugars, and these sugars are our major energy source – like gasoline for our bodies. The sugars we eat also get into our bloodstream to provide energy. Far from being the evil monsters some fad diets claim, carbs are critical to the body and are also needed to keep the brain functioning efficiently. Too many carbohydrates, however, will increase insulin levels and speed up aging.

Proteins

Just about every activity in your body is aided by special proteins, from your muscles moving and bringing nutrients and drugs into your cells to operating your immune system. Enzymes, which are needed for growth and repair in the body, are made of proteins. Proteins are strings of components called amino-acids. There are twenty amino acids that combine in various ways to make proteins in the body. Of the twenty, ten are called “essential” amino acids because the body can’t make these itself – they have to be eaten. And how do we eat amino acids? By eating proteins that are made up of them. The amino-acids are then turned back into protein by the body.

Fats & cholesterol

Nobody likes fats, but without them you could not live. Your heart and kidneys have a fat cushion around them to keep them safe- even star athletes are around 8-9% fat. Fats are a great way to store energy and they keep the body warm. Eating too much makes some of us too fat for good health. Remember that lowering calories is the best way to live longer –and fats have 9 calories per gram, whereas carbs and proteins only have about 4.

You’ve also heard a lot about ‘cholesterol, perhaps even “good cholesterol” and “bad cholesterol.” Like fats, it gets bad press, but it also has its uses, like making hormones such as testosterone and estrogen. Some cholesterol is made naturally by the body, whilst the rest comes from eating animal products. Cholesterol and fats cannot dissolve in the blood and are transported by two types of molecules called lipoproteins.

Low density lipoproteins, the “bad cholesterol,” can clog your arteries and increase the risk of heart disease. High density lipoproteins, the “good cholesterol,” are needed by the body to carry cholesterol away from the body and reduce the risk of heart disease. Cholesterol levels have been clearly tied to heart disease risk, and so it is important for everyone over 35 years to have their cholesterol checked at least once a year.

Fiber, vitamins, minerals and supplements

Fiber is important to maintain good bowel function, and there is some evidence suggesting it may be important for preventing colon cancer. Vitamins and minerals are called “micronutrients” because they’re so much smaller and there’s less of them than the other items. Still, the body could not function without them. How much of vitamins and minerals you need is a very debatable as traditionally doctors have been slow to realize the impact that supplements can have on a person’s life.

There is growing evidence that having higher levels of certain vitamins and minerals – for example the antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E – may be helpful in preventing heart disease and help you live longer. Antioxidant supplements are increasingly utilized by people to effectively combat the signs of aging.

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Whey protein is a type of milk protein and is made during the process of cow’s milk being turned into cheese. When the milk is being turned into cheese, the whey protein is a by-product. For years whey protein was thought to be a waste product and was discarded into lakes and rives near cheese factories!

Today, whey protein is typically known as a bodybuilding supplement. For the last 50 years bodybuilders have used whey protein to help build big muscles. Most of the muscles in the human body are made up of protein, so protein is essential for muscles to grow.

Recently scientists are discovering a lot more benefits of whey protein. Whey is the best source of protein for the human body, and here’s why:

1. It is the fastest digesting
2. Has the highest biological value (BV)
3. In isolate form contains almost no fat
4. Has a complete amino acid profile
5. Promotes a fast metabolism

Whey protein is now being used in a whole array of products from drinks for children, to snack bars and diet plans. As more research is done into whey we’re going to see more and more products containing it. What used to be a waste product is now a multi-billion dollar world wide industry.

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