Benefits and Risks of Whey Protein
Supplement manufacturers have done a wonderful job of confusing the fitness wanting public. For the last 5 years the bodybuilding community has gobbled up whey protein.
Research proved that quick stomach emptying by many of the amino acids consumed via whey protein are burned up with enzymes. Soy manufacturers decided to increase the number of protein grams in a serving because even more protein would have to be consumed, and more protein was sold.
Soy found its popularity primarily among vegetarians. The Soy industry watched as whey protein sales skyrocketed, thus, in order to grab their own position, they capitalized within a “health” marketplace, primarily targeting women. A few of the referenced studies are valid, but are not representative of “the whole picture.”
In one particular study, 2 groups of men were fed diets with one group ingesting soy and the other ingesting animal products as the protein source. The idea was to find out if there was a decreased likelihood for gallstones if animal proteins were replaced by soy protein. Since gallstone accumulation is often linked with crystallization of cholesterol, at the studies conclusion it examined cholesterol.
The study showed that cholesterol crystallization was slightly retarded in the soy group extrapolating that soy can aid in preventing gallstones. Here’s what the study did not seem to address. There wasn’t any control over fruit and vegetable intake. Soy is a vegetable, and it does happen to fall into the group of veggies that are high in isoflavones.
Isoflavones have been closely linked to health benefits including a lowering of cholesterol. We’ve known for years that a predominance of animal meats can have adverse affects on cholesterol, but that doesn’t mean that someone consuming soy would have better cholesterol levels than someone eating combinations of chicken breast, turkey breast, fish, and egg whites and a variety of natural vegetables. You can see how the conclusions drawn from studies can be misconstrued and over-emphasized in significance.
Scientific studies indicate that there are cancer fighting benefits of a meal plan rich in vegetables like soy. Most people would not assume that people who ingest soy instead of milk, egg-whites, and lean protein will demonstrate improved health, if a fitness ingredient is included, the study would be invalidated.
Much of the information promoted specific to soy is published by companies with a vested interest in Soy product sales, like The USB (United Soybean Board). This doesn’t mean that soy isn’t an excellent source of protein, rather it shows that the health benefits have been taken out of context to sell Soy products.
From a metabolic benefit standpoint, it appears based on the most recent and applicable studies, that you are best off getting your supplemental protein from a mix of whey and casein. Watch as the newest protein supplements to hit the market feature this mix. Unless you are vegetarian, I’d suggest you’re best off including as wide a variety of foods as possible in your complete dietary regimen. If this includes a daily soy protein supplement I believe you’ll do quite well.
