WHEY PROTEINS- NUTRACEUTICAL APPLICATION 

            WHEY PROTEINS ARE THE WONDER PROTEINS FOR NUTRITIONAL, CLINICAL, DIETETIC, SPORTS, INFANT, PROTEIN FOODS ETC. BECAUSE OF: 

-         THE BEST POSSIBLE ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS PROFILE

-         THE BEST PROTEIN EFFICIENCY RATIO

-         THE BEST BIOLOGICAL VALUE

-         EASY DIGESTIBILITY AND ASSIMIBILITY

-         NATURAL TASTE IN NATIVE FORM

-         COMPLETELY AND EASILY SOLUBLE 

A.NUTRITIONAL & DIETETIC FOODS: 

            Whey proteins provide excellent nutritional values in nutrition foods formulated for kids, adults and old aged people as growth tonic for body health maintenance.  The major products are general health food products as well as protein supplements as under: 

Nutritional supplements for all age-groups contain USP as high protein foods, low fat foods, low salt foods etc.: 

v    For Lactose Intolerance for all ages

v    Geriatric Food formulations- for old aged people with low digestibility

v    For pregnant, lactating and nursing women

v    Pediatric foods for growth of children, for anemic children, for memory boosting of children

v    For faster post-operative recovery or recovery from illness

v    For general health beverages, stamina building & vitality 

Whey proteins fulfill the need of Essential Amino Acids for growing kids as they require constant supply of high amount of essential as well as non-essential amino acids.  The excellent PER value gives the regular weight gain as per their growth requirements. 

For adults whey proteins are highly recommended as these proteins facilitate the weight control management of body. 

Lactoferrin present in Whey Protein improves iron absorption in body. 

Since Whey Proteins are rich in calcium and phosphorous, they provide good bio-availability of these minerals essential for bone formation and better bone strength. 

Concentrated Protein levels lend whey protein powders to use in product categories such as nutritional bars where it leaves maximum space in the formula for addition of other ingredients such as fruits, nuts and honey. 

CLINICAL FOODS: 

            It is established that Whey Proteins are digested much faster than less advanced proteins.  Increased rate of digestion has been shown as results in increased plasma amino acid and proteins synthesis attributes, which makes it particularly attractive to the fields of clinical nutrition. 

            Whey Proteins are studied by various nutritionists and it is of great interest that whey proteins are very useful in post operative care of patients as the best digestible proteins.  It is highly recommended in body cell repairing and growth as it provides all Essential Amino Acids in sufficient amount to provide the best possible solution for formulation of clinical foods. 

            Whey Proteins consist of various minor proteins like L-lactoalbumin, Lactoferrin, immunoglobulin, Serum albumin, Lactoperoxidase etc. having high therapeutic values.  These constituents have special medical application in dietetic products to treat and prevent a large number of clinical problems such as:- 

v                Special formulations for cancer/tumor patients

v                Special formulations for diabetic patients

v                For cardiac ailments

v                For high cholesterol patients

v                For liver; arthritis patients

v                For burnt patients

v                To deal with situation like renal failure, gout, trauma etc. 

INFANT FOOD FORMULATIONS: 

            Formulation of Physiologically suitable infant foods necessitate reduction of protein and mineral levels from bovine milk – rich in lactose and whey proteins and containing appropriately low levels of essential minerals.  Demineralised Whey is an ideal ingredient for infant formula.  Demineralisation of whey permits formulation of infant foods with a gross composition closer to that of mother’s milk. 

            Lactose and its breakdown products, glucose and galactose have several metabolic and developmental functions in infants.  Whey proteins extracted from milk are universally known for their immunological values for infants.  That is the most important factor in mother’s milk considered the best for babies. 

            In low birth weight baby formulations, the level of Whey proteins is now made mandatory in the ratio of 60:40 with Casein; hence fortification with whey proteins is the only solution to achieve this. 

SPORTS FOODS: 

            The importance of Whey Protein supplementation is critical to any individual looking forward to build and maintain muscle mass.   Proteins have been called the “building blocks of life” and without proper Whey protein supplementation the task of building and maintaining muscle mass is next to impossible.  The reasoning for this is that whey protein has superior biological value (which means it may “yield” more usable grams of protein than other protein supplements). 

            Every athlete is aware of the importance of protein supplementation.  If you are on any strength-training program, building muscle will meet or defeat optimum performance. 

            Whey proteins have been enriched by nature with Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA), namely-L-Isoleucine, L-leucine, L-Valine.  These branched chain Amino Acids must be present in the muscle cell to promote protein synthesis.  These BCAA help increase the bio-availability of high complex carbohydrate intake and are absorbed by muscle cells for anabolic muscle building activity. 

            The current theory is that during prolonged exercise, the BCAA are released from skeletal muscle, the carbon part is used as fuel and the nitrogen part is used to make the amino acid alanine which then goes to the liver where it is turned into glucose for energy.  So for athletes who want to protect their existing mass, the idea is to take a BCAA source before and after the exercise.  The issues being investigated are whether BCAA reduce muscle breakdown and act as an energy source during this period.  While maintaining exercise performance and delaying exertion, BCAA are very important for muscle growth. 

            It is compelling scenario for strength athletes and body builders.  “The use of branched chain amino acids in sports nutrition is especially interesting in making exercise feel easier.  These amino acids improve the turnover of muscle proteins which is very important in athletes”.  Whey proteins also help in speedy repairing of injured and torn muscles during practice and performance.