| Raw Whey Protein Powder- The Ultimate Protein Source Raw Whey Protein Powder is a food partial derived from cow's milk. The casein, which is a milk protein commonly associated with allergies, is separated when producing whey protein. Raw Whey Protein powder contains an excellent spectrum of amino acids which are the building blocks of protein and are also the precursors of hormones and neurotransmitters such as thyroid hormone, serotonin, melatonin, dopamine, adrenaline, etc. Raw whey protein contains a large amount of beneficial proteins called immunoglobulins which help the body heal and develop proper immunity. Egg white was long considered the gold standard for protein quality and was assigned a biological availability value of 100%. Every other protein source such as beef or fish was measured as a percent of the quality of egg white. But when the biological availability of raw whey protein was discovered to be more than 70% greater than that of egg whites, the percents were changed to whole numbers. Egg whites were assigned a value of 100 and raw whey protein powder measures around 170 depending on the production methods. Are all Whey Proteins the Same? NO! Just as there are many different types of cheese, there are also many different methods of extracting whey protein from whole milk and each process has an effect on the quality of the whey produced. There is micro-filtration, ultra-filtration, cross-filtration, and ionization to name a few. But the most important aspect of whey processing is heat, or more specifically, lack of heat. Raw milk has never been through the heating process of pasteurization which destroys many of the beneficial enzymes of raw milk. Pasteurization also denatures the protein which means the beneficial immunoglobulins are broken down into the individual amino acids, losing the beneficial healing effects of the immunoglobulins. Further, heat causes the amino acid cystine to be broken down into two molecules of the amino acid called cysteine which when ingested does not make it through the digestive process in tact. This may be the most important aspect of raw whey protein versus pasteurized whey. Raw whey protein is full of cystine whereas pasteurized whey contains very little. That cystine will make it through the digestive process and once absorbed it will be broken down into the all importent amino acid called cysteine. What is Cysteine? How does this help us Detox? Cysteine is one of the 20 or so amino acids that combine to make up all of the different proteins that make up life. Different combinations of the 20 amino acids make the diversity we see in the proteins that make up enzymes, bones, muscles, nerves, hormones, etc. When we do not have enough of one of the amino acids, our ability to make the proper proteins that our bodies need is severely diminished. Although every amino acid is important, the amino acid cysteine should hold special importance to those trying to detoxify their bodies. Cysteine contains sulphur which means that cysteine can bind to toxins and ship them to the liver where the liver can further detoxify and eliminate those toxins. Without high sulphur containing amino acids such as cysteine, the body can not effectively detoxify. Cysteine is also a precursor to the most important anti-oxidant in the body- glutathione. Glutathione is the most abundant anti-oxidant in the body that protects us from damage due to toxins and free radicals. Glutathione is found in the highest concentration in the brain and the liver. No wonder low glutathione levels are closely linked to neurologic disorders such as parkinsons and alzheimers as well as cirrhosis of the liver. Glutathione is also in charge of pushing toxic metals, such as mercury, out of brain cells so that the other detox pathways can eliminate the toxic metals from the body. Without cysteine, there would be no glutathione to help your body eliminate toxic metals or to protect your precious brain or liver. Clearly, our bodies require large amounts of cysteine (from cystine) which is most available in Raw Whey Protein. Can I get Cysteine/Cystine from other protein sources? In short, not enough. We've already established why pasteurized milk and pasteurized whey protein are poor sources for cysteine/cystine. But let's look at other common protein sources. Goat's milk- As a whole food, goats milk is preferable over cows milk because it contains very few allergens and is much easier to digest than cows milk. But when you compare the protein content in goats milk to that of the low allergen raw whey protein, there is no comparison in the bio-availability and cysteine/cystine content. Raw whey is much higher in both and raw whey is equally as easy to digest as goats milk. Further, raw goats milk is very difficult to obtain unless you own a goat. Yet, unpasteurized (raw) whey protein is available. Soy- If you want to detoxify, this is definitely NOT the protein source for you. For one thing there is virtually zero cysteine in soy protein and second, soy contains high amounts of phyto-estrogens which will bog down your detoxification pathways. In fact, one serving of soy based infant formula contains the same amount of estrogen as five birth control pills!!! Stay away from soy protein. Where can I get Raw Whey Protein? Unfortunately, most health food stores and nutrient shops do not understand the benefits of raw whey protein versus pasteurized whey so the best place to obtain it is from Complete Health. I carry a professional grade raw whey protein that was made from organic milk of grass fed cows using only a low heat filtration system that completely leaves the cysteine in tact. This also insures that the milk is high in omega-3's and another molecule called CLA which aids in fat burning. It is by far the finest source of whey protein I have found. For more information on this product and others such as Complete Organic Greens Powder, click the image to the right or contact Dr. Webster. 972-735-0707 |
