Whey protein

Whey protein has been found to reverse or oppose the major factors implicated in metabolic syndrome. In human studies, whey has been shown to consistently reduce body weight, fat mass, and waist circumference while maintaining lean tissue when compared with carbohydrate, casein, or soy. Proposed mechanisms of action include stimulation of satiety hormones (CCK, GLP-1, GIP, leptin), suppression of ghrelin, a central mTOR/AMPK-mediated decrease in neuropeptide Y, an increase in diet-induced thermogenesis, and β-lactoglobulin-mediated reduction in intestinal lipid uptake. Co-ingestion of 20-50 g of whey with carbohydrates leads to a 30-40% decrease in post-prandial glucose, while also raising insulin and incretin concentrations in both healthy and type 2 diabetic subjects. Longer supplementation may increase insulin sensitivity, and thereby permit a reduction of medication. These beneficial effects are associated with both BCAA-fuelled insulin secretion as well as the whey-derived inhibition of dipeptidyl-peptidase IV, a molecule that breaks down GLP-1.
Whey protein also possesses systemic anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects: it reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1β) and oxidative markers (malondialdehyde, ROS) while increasing glutathione, superoxide dismutase and catalase activity in rodents and in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis or stroke.

Fig. 1 Main mechanisms of action of whey protein. (Sousa G T D.; et al. 2012)

The whey protein-polysaccharide bigels were prepared by an emulsion-templated process. Oleogel was prepared from a whey protein isolate-xanthan gum corn-oil emulsion system, while hydrogel was prepared from whey protein nanofibers and sodium alginate. The hardness, viscosity, and storage modulus increased with the increasing oleogel fraction (0-40%). The β-sheet content increased and α-helix decreased, which improved hydrophobic interactions and gel strength. BG4 (40% oleogel) exhibited the best microstructure, high thermal stability and good oil binding. The spread made from the optimized bigel (BG4) was found to be visually similar to dairy cream in terms of appearance, texture, and flavor but had better heat stability and a clean label, making it a potentially sustainable and healthier alternative to synthetic-fat based creams.

Fig. 2 Formulation of bigels utilizing whey protein and polysaccharides. (Jiang L.; et al. 2024)