To whey or not to whey?- Busting Myths

“Hey, why don’t you drink whey if you need to complete your protein requirement? Whey protein is the best source of protein which is as good as the protein you get from meat, dairy, fish or lentils.” Has anyone ever suggested this to you? Well, I don’t think so. Most of the people generally advise us to not drink whey protein giving us many reasons as to how it is harmful to our body or how it is not the right source of good protein. Well, all these people are not the right source of information unless they are certified nutritionists. You should be able to come to a conclusion after you have debunked all the myths associated with it. Let us separate fact from fiction and demystify the various myths associated with whey.

Myth 1: Whey protein is not a natural source of protein

This is the most common misconception related to whey. Milk after being extracted from a cow, is sent to a processing plant, where two types of protein—whey and casein—are separated to create different types of protein powders. Whey is created in the cheese making process, it is the liquid part and casein is the solid part of the milk and is completely natural. Remember the rhyme we learnt in school ‘Little miss muffet sat on a tuffet eating her curd and whey…’

Myth 2 : Whey protein make women bulkier or it is not necessary for women to have whey

The only thing that can make a women bulky or put on weight is having a calorie surplus diet combined with heavy weightlifting. Whey protein is just a glass of drink which has around 110-150 calories in general, like Xoog Whey Protein Isolate, and the right amount of necessary protein which each women requires. Protein will actually help you to achieve a lean and toned body, retain muscles, be energized and perform workouts and lose weight without feeling hungry.

Myth 3: If I don’t workout, I don’t need to have whey

Whey is a source of protein. With or without working out, it is great for the purpose of strengthening and replenishing existing muscles. Whey protein is erroneously associated with gym and workouts but it actually helps to completely satisfy our necessary protein requirements suggested by various food councils like ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research). Whey is simply a food supplement nothing more or nothing less

Myth 4: Whey loses its properties if it is cooked

The only time the structure of whey changes is when you heat it beyond a certain point and it is called denaturing. The process of “denaturing” happens when the shape and structure of your protein’s amino acids begin to change. But this is the same for any protein source. Your body is still absorbing the same amount of protein, whether you’re eating it cooked or not

Myth 5: Whey contain steroids

As we have read earlier whey is created from milk. In its purest form, whey is just a dairy product whereas steroids are synthetic drugs. Whey helps in the development and repair of muscle and is a naturally occurring product. It helps in the synthesis of protein which helps boost growth hormones. Protein is also produced by our body. Unless artificially added, whey protein by its own does not contain any steroids.

Myth 6: Whey is harmful for the kidneys

This myth is the most rampant one and is the thing that comes to every person’s mind when somebody talks about whey protein. Whey protein is one of the safest, wellstudied, and a high-quality protein supplement. It is considered safe and approved as a food ingredient by both USFDA and FSSAI. The main function of the kidneys is filtration of harmful substances through urination. If your kidneys are healthy, they will work hard to push out protein but it will not harm them. However, in case of damaged kidneys protein intake needs to be controlled; hence, whey protein should be avoided.

Myth 7: Whey protein causes gas

Many people suffer from lactose intolerance. Whey being a by-product of milk may contain some amount of lactose and could cause gastric issues to those with lactose intolerance. However, it is important to remember that there are three different type of whey proteins and the primary difference is how they are processed. The three types of whey are isolate, concentrate and hydrolyzed. Lactose intolerant people should consume whey protein isolate, like Xoog Whey Protein Isolate, as it contains far less lactose.

Myth 8: Whey protein must be consumed within 30 minutes of workout

Whey protein is a food supplement. It can be consumed at anytime to complete your daily protein requirements. It can be taken at breakfast, pre-workout, post-workout, evening snack or at bedtime. However, when you train hard in the gym your muscles undergo severe wear and tear and protein helps in replenishing it quickly.

Hence, having protein powder within 30 minutes after workout window is a great idea to fix any wear and tear of the muscle.