question on whey protein..

[mystery]

i work out intensly 5 days a week and was wondering how healthy is whey protein really? i know it's processed and it's not really a natural food,but it does help build and maintain muscle mass.I am just curious on how healthy it is for my body overall.

[Health Dr. 1]

Whey protein can be very healthy depending on the source and the manufacturing techniques that are used. Let’s begin at the beginning; the source from which the whey is derived can be very important in the overall purity of the end product. It is best to look for products that come from organic sources so that growth hormones and antibiotics are not passed on. Next, the processing techniques that are used dramatically affect the protein quality . Generally speaking, you do not want a cheap product that has been acid-hydrolyzed. This process denatures some of the protein and makes it unusable by the body; it can also potentially add some chemicals to the end product. Probably the best products are the ones that use a low-heat process and microfiltration in order to come up with a high-quality whey protein isolate. At this point, you would also look to see that the manufacturer does not add unnecessary additives to the product which can decrease the nutritional value. The whey protein itself actually contains many immune system stimulating compounds such as immunoglobulins and lactoferrin , and it can actually boost the body’s production of anti-oxidants. One excellent product that you may want to look at is called Imu-Plus by SBI, Ltd. In short, whey protein can be very healthy not only as a protein source but also for various other nutrients; just be careful that you are purchasing a product that is high-quality from a reputable manufacturer.