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).

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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.

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.