What about Whey? for Nurturing and Maintaining Immunity

What about Whey? for Nurturing and Maintaining Immunity

Little Miss Muffet most likely didn’t know what she was onto while she was busy eating her curds and whey, the by-products of cheese making. But whey has been shown to be a healthful addition to an anticancer diet, due to its immune-friendly and antioxidant effects.

An excellent source of essential amino acids, whey seems valuable on a number of fronts. For example:

• Whey protein is particularly rich in the amino acid cysteine. Women with high levels of cysteine have a lower rate of breast cancer than women with lower levels of cysteine (Zhang et al. 2003).
• Whey protein concentrate raises glutathione levels substantially. Glutathione is our own internal antioxidant that protects cells and serves as a primary detoxifier of carcinogens and other toxins. Glutathione levels are intimately tied to immune function (Fidelus and Tsan 1986). In fact, whey protein concentrates have been used for years to help improve the immune status of AIDS patients (Micke, Beeh, and Buhl 2002).
• Animals fed whey protein concentrate demonstrated an increased immune response to a variety of pathogens, including salmonella and streptococcus pneumonia (Bounous, Kongshavn, and Gold 1988).

Most whey products today come in the form of a powder that can be added to smoothies for extra protein and immune support.

THE WHATS OF WHEY

Although whey protein contains considerably less lactose than milk, people with lactose intolerance need to proceed with caution.

Because whey protein is popular with body builders, there are a great variety of whey products on the market. Find a whey product with the words “undenatured” and “cold processed” on the label. This assures you that the most nourishing components of the product have not been overprocessed or damaged.

If you put whey in your smoothie, add it just before you stop blending, to preserve its immunoglobulins and other precious nutrients.