Whey Protein Lowers Cholesterol, Study Finds
Your health and fitness goals may be more easily met with the addition of a high-quality whey protein, finds new research, particularly if the whey is fortified with calcium, vitamin D, and prebiotic dietary fiber.
The research was conducted by Lithuanian scientists and published in a recent issue of the Journal of Food.
The study’s goal was to better understand how or if adding calcium, vitamin D, and the prebiotic fiber would impact the health of the study volunteers. The researchers were also looking at overall impact on taste of the beverages as well—an important factor in encouraging consumption of healthy drinks.
"Sometimes consumers agree to compromise sensory attributes for other perceived benefits, such as nutritional value or country of origin of the products. However, if the sensory attributes of the product do not meet consumers' expectations, it is unlikely that such product will be used again," the researchers said.
While taste didn’t seem to vary too much between the two types of beverages, the samples made with calcium phosphate seemed to not fare as well after a period of time.
But as for health, after a three-week period, the test subjects’ blood showed notable decreases in LDL cholesterol, which is considered the “bad” kind of cholesterol linked with heart disease.
The study highlights whey’s inherent benefits—not just as fuel for fitness enthusiasts seeking to build muscle or lose weight. Its ability to assist in the decrease of LDL cholesterol makes it a legitimate health doos.
"Nowadays, consumers can find very different functional products with the same ingredients and the same effect on health, so sensory properties of products should meet consumers' expectations in order to encourage consumers to include the product in their diet," the researchers concluded.
Quality of whey protein may also play a role in its health-promoting effects. A grass-fed organic whey product is going to be free from harmful levels of antibiotics, pesticides and herbicides, genetically modified ingredients, and growth hormones routinely fed to conventionally-raised livestock animals.
image: carbon nyc
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