Whey is one of the two major classes of protein in milk.
(The other is
casein, the “curds” of “curds and whey.”)
Proteins are made of amino
acids, and whey contains high levels of the amino acid cysteine.
This
is the basis for many of its proposed uses.
It also contains branched
chain amino acids (
BCAAs
).
However, while there is no question that whey is a highly digestible
and rich protein source, there is no meaningful supporting evidence that
it provides any specific health benefits.
There is some evidence that whey can raise levels of
glutathione.
Glutathione is an antioxidant
that the body manufactures to defend itself against free
radicals.
In certain diseases, glutathione levels may fall to
below-normal levels.
These conditions include
cataracts,
HIV, liver disease,
diabetes,
and various types of cancer.
This reduction of glutathione might in turn contribute to the symptoms
or progression of the disease. To solve this problem, glutathione
supplements have
been recommended, but glutathione is essentially not
absorbed at all when it is taken by mouth.
Whey protein may be a better solution.
The body uses cysteine
to make glutathione, and whey is rich in cysteine.
Meaningful
preliminary evidence suggests that whey can raise glutathione
levels in
people with cancer,
hepatitis, or
HIV.
