Whey Protein Alternative - Egg Whites

If you are an athlete or body builder you must know the importance of whey protein. I have already covered the benefits of whey protein and whey protein side effects in my previous posts. But what happens if you are lactose intolerant or suffer from allergic reactions. This is where whey protein alternative comes in and after a lot of researching and testing I have finally found the best alternative to whey protein. Egg Whites.

Egg whites are the purest form of protein in nature. It has a Biological Value of 88-100. Which is almost the same as that of whey protein concentrate. Egg whites contain all essential amino acids. Essential amino acids are the amino acids that the human body is incapable of producing on its own. Amino acids are the building blocks of all proteins. So other than the ones I already mentioned, some other benefits of whey protein alternative are:

• Egg whites have no fat, no cholesterol and no carbohydrates. This makes them even better than whey protein concentrates. So by consuming egg whites all you get is pure protein, you do not have to worry about fat or carbohydrates.

• Egg whites provide a protein that is instantly absorbed by the body therefore egg white proteins are more readily available to the body. Other protein sources such as meat and whey protein concentrate must be broken down by your body first before it can be used. Due to this breakdown only 1/3 of the protein consumed is available to the body. Therefore by eliminating the breakdown process egg whites get to be the best source of 100% protein in nature.

• Aside form simply containing ample doses of muscle building protein, egg whites are an excellent source of vitamins including: vitamin E, vitamin K and vitamin A. As well as various B vitamins such as vitamin B12, riboflavin and folic acid.

• Consuming egg whites is an effective weight loss strategy. Since egg whites only consist of protein and no fat or cholesterol eating eggs for breakfast will give your body the fuel it needs to burn fat and calories. Studies have shown that participants eating two eggs for breakfast lost 65% more weight and felt more energetic than those who had a bagel containing the same amount of calories. (Conducted at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center).

If you are looking for a good place to buy egg whites from, i recommend "eggwhitesint.com" I have been using them for quite some time now and I am impressed with the results and how much its better than whey protein concentrate. Click on the banner below to check em out.

Whey Protein Isolate

If you have been following my previous posts you may have a pretty good idea what whey protein and whey protein concentrate is but now the question arises, What is whey protein isolate?

Whey protein isolate is the purest form of whey protein. It has the highest Biological Value (BV) for protein i.e. about 159. (The Biological Value (BV) of a Protein is a value that measures how well the body can absorb and utilize a protein. As a result, proteins with the highest BV promote the most lean muscle gains). The higher BV of whey protein isolate means that it is more quickly and readily available to the body therefore making it superior for pre and post workout protein supplementation. Whey protein isolate consists of about 90-98% protein by weight. Whey protein isolate also has a very small amount of lactose in them. Therefore it is perfect for lactose intolerant people, or they can use the whey protein alternative. Also due to the large percentage of pure protein the isolate has a very small amount of fat in them so it is perfect for diet conscious people.

But all these advantages come at a price. Whey protein isolate is way more expensive than whey protein concentrate. Also since the isolate is produced by further filtering the concentrate, this filtration removes some of the alpha lactoglobulins and lactoferrins that are important immune boosters.

Whey protein concentrate on the other hand has a much lower biological value (BV) i.e. 104. The lower Biological value of the concentrate provides a more "time released" mechanism helping to maintain a positive nitrogen balance and keep the body in a continually anabolic state. The amount of protein in the concentrate can vary greatly. The levels of protein can be anywhere from 30% to 75%. Also whey protein concentrate has a high level of lactose and fat in them, making it impossible for lactose intolerant to consume them. They should either consider the isolate or the alternative.

Whey Protein Side Effects

Although whey is an excellent source of protein it is still important for us to understand all there is to it like what are the possible whey protein side effects. Whey protein is used by almost all bodybuilders and athletes and most trainers recommend whey protein to their athletes. That is why there is a lot of contradiction between various fitness experts regarding the adverse effects of whey protein. Almost every expert has a different opinion regarding whey protein side effects. It should also be known that there has never been a proper study or pre-clinical tests of the side effects of whey protein on humans. However some tests were performed on rodents. The tests showed that some side effects of whey protein do exist. But most of these were found in rodents and not in humans.
There have also been many theories regarding the side effects of whey protein. One theory states that whey inhibits glutathione peptide which inhibits the function to fight free radicals. Free radicals are notorious for their effects on aging through damaging cell membranes. However this theorey has never been proved.
However some side effects have been found to exist in humans. These are:

• Whey protein is obtained from cow's milk which is rich in lactose. This can cause some alergic reactions along with some serious stomach disorders to people suffering from lactose intolerancy. However there is a way to avoid this side effect. Lactose intolerant people can consider using either whey protein alternative or they can use whey protein isolate. Whey protein alternative would be much better since it does not contain any lactose whereas whey protein isolate still consists of about 5% lactose.
• It has been theorized that consuming whey protein for an extended period of time can cause kidney disorders. (This also has not been proved yet)
• In some very rare cases excessive use of whey protein has been responsible for liver damage.

All of the above side effects can be avoided by taking a whey protein alternative.

Some Benefits of Whey Protein

Although whey protein may have some limited side effects their benefits cannot be overlooked. In this post I'll try to explain some of the many benefits of whey protein.

• Faster Healing: Proteins help in healing our wounds faster. Protein initiates the growth of new skin during the healing process. While healing wounds and abrasions the body needs increased amount of protein which can be provided by whey protein.

• Helps your Diet: When eating protein your body does more work than usual to digest protein foods. Thus it consumes more energy during protein digestion. So just by eating a protein meal you burn more calories. Whey protein is 100% protein with no fat or carbohydrates. The same is true for whey protein alternatives as well.

• Nutrition for Cancer Patients: Radiation treatment and chemotherapy causes loss of appetite due to which the patient cannot complete his or her daily nutritional requirement. The best alternative here would be whey protein which has high nutritional value and is also easy on the system. Recent studies have also shown that whey protein is rich in amino acid cysteine, which helps the immune system.

• Whey Protein for Diabetics: Diabetes (type-2) is a major problem especially in the United States. Whey protein can help diabetic people maintain a balanced and healthy diet. Studies have shown that whey protein has a high biological value (BP) and is perfect for diabetics who want to control their food intake.

• Physical Performance: Last but not least; physical performance. This is one of the main benefits of whey protein. Athletes have long considered whey protein and whey protein alternative to be the "legal" steroid. Proteins help build muscles and since whey is 100% protein it can really help an athlete or bodybuilder to improve their body composition and enhance athletic performance.

Welcome to Whey Protein Alternative

Welcome to the whey protein blog. Whey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, a liquid material created as a byproduct of cheese production. Or in simple words whey protein is just a super saturated form of pure protein. Whey protein has a lot of benefits as well as some side effects.
You guys might have read that whey protein is a miracle medicine. Aside from helping you build muscles it will also help you cure cancer and get rid of your diabetic problems. Where as on the other hand you might also have read that whey protein has a lot of side effects and should not be taken.
I will try to clarify all of this in my future posts. I will also be discussing some alternatives that can be taken in place of whey protein. Hence the name of the blog; whey protein alternative :)