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Dairy Council Digest Archives
Emerging Health Benefits of Whey
Health-Enhancing Potential of Whey and Whey Components
Beyond providing essential nutrients, whey is a source of nonessential trophic factors that are capable of improving health and preventing disease (2). Findings from in vitro, experimental animal, and limited human studies suggest the following beneficial bioactivities of whey, particularly whey proteins.
Antimicrobial and Antiviral Activities. Whey contains several components which may protect against toxins, bacteria, and viruses (1-3,7,10, 12,18,19). These components include immunoglobulins (Igs), lactoferrin and its peptide derivative, lactoferricin, lactoperoxidase, glycomacropeptide, and sphingolipids (12,18,19). In vitro findings indicate that the whey-derived sphingolipids, sphingosine and lysosphingolmyelin, have antimicrobial activity (20). Lactoferrin and lactoferricin inhibit a diverse range of microorganisms including gram-negative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria, yeast, fungi, and parasitic protozoa (9,10,18,19,21-23). Lactoferrin has been shown to inhibit the growth of some harmful foodborne pathogens such as E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes (7,19).
Antiviral activity has been described for several whey components including lactoferrin, lactoperoxidases, immunoglobulins, and minor whey proteins (3,18,19,24). Lactoferrin has significant antiviral activity against human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), herpes viruses, and hepatitis C virus, among others (19,24-29). Lactoferrin shows considerable inhibitory action against HIV, whereas lactoferricin's effect is modest (26). Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that intake of cysteine-rich whey protein formulas benefits patients with HIV/AIDS (30-32). In both short-term (2 weeks) and long-term (6 months) studies, supplementation with whey protein formulas increased plasma glutathione levels in patients with HIV infections (30,31). Further, the treatment was well tolerated. Also, intake of a cysteine-rich whey protein supplement for eight weeks increased weight gain, reduced the occurrence of gastrointestinal side effects, and improved tolerance to highly active anti-retroviral therapy in HIV patients (32).
Immune Modulating Activity. Whey protein concentrate, whey protein isolate, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, immunoglobulins, and glycomacropeptide are examples of whey products and their components shown to participate in host immunity (3,33). Lactoferrin is secreted by neutrophils and can stimulate the growth of various cells of the immune defense system including lymphocytes, macrophages/monocytes, humoral immune response, and antibody response (1,2,10). Recent studies in laboratory animals support an immunostimulatory effect of lactoferrin (34,35). In humans, increased immune responsiveness was recently demonstrated in patients given lactoferrin prior to thyroid surgery (36). A recent study in mice found that whey protein concentrate enhanced humoral immune responses to a variety of antigens such as influenza and poliomyelitis vaccines (37). The glutathione antioxidant system is a critical factor in the development of immune response by immune cells (38).
Whey contains bioactive components that may offer protection against infections and viruses, enhance immunity, protect against some cancers, positively affect cardiovascular health, and be advantageous for physically active individuals.
Anti-Cancer Activity. Increasing evidence from cellular and animal models indicates that whey, whey proteins (e.g., lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, alphalactalbumin, bovine serum albumin), and peptides, as well as other whey components, may protect against some cancers (2,3,39). In laboratory animals, whey-containing diets have been shown to reduce intestinal, mammary, and colon cancers (40-42). Researchers in Australia recently reported decreased levels of aberrant crypt foci, pre-cancer markers, in the proximal colon of rats fed whey protein concentrate and treated with a chemical carcinogen (43). In an in vitro study, whey protein isolate enhanced the effectiveness of an anticancer drug (44).
Among individual whey proteins, attention has focused on the cancer inhibitory effect of lactoferrin and lactoferricin (45,46). In laboratory animals given chemical carcinogens, bovine lactoferrin has been shown to significantly inhibit colon, esophagus, lung, and bladder cancers when administered orally in the post-initiation stage (45). A recent in vitro study found that lactoferrin exerted significant cytotoxic activity against three tumor cell lines by a direct antitumor mechanism (46).
The anti-cancer properties of bovine whey protein may be attributed to its ability to increase cellular levels of glutathione, an antioxidant (47-49). When human prostate epithelial cells were treated with whey protein isolate, intracellular levels of glutathione dramatically increased (48). Whey's anti-cancer effect may also be explained by the ability of glutathione to enhance the immune system (39). Other components such as sphingomyelin and CLA in whey lipids and the calcium content of whey may contribute to whey's cancer protective property (49). Sphingomyelin and other sphingolipids suppress colon tumor development in animal experiments (13,14). A variety of studies suggest a beneficial role for calcium against some cancers (16,17,49).
Cardiovascular Health. Whey contains bioactive components that may positively affect cardiovascular health (3). For example, whey-derived peptides may protect against hypertension, inhibit platelet aggregation, and lower blood cholesterol levels. Whey peptides have been shown to inhibit the activity of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) (50-52). ACE converts the inactive angiotensin I hormone into angiotensin II which constricts vascular smooth muscle, thereby increasing blood pressure. Inhibition of ACE lowers blood pressure. A number of whey protein-derived ACE inhibitors (e.g., alpha-lactalbumin, beta-lactoglobulin) have been identified (7,50-52). A recent preliminary study in humans found that intake of a specific hydrolyzed whey protein isolate with bioactive peptides for six weeks reduced blood pressure in untreated borderline hypertensive adults (53).
Some whey proteins may also affect blood coagulation (54). In vitro and experimental animal studies suggest that peptides derived from glycomacropeptide and lactoferrin may inhibit platelet aggregation and thrombosis (54). In addition, whey proteins may reduce blood cholesterol levels or have a favorable affect on blood lipid levels (2,55,56).
Increasing knowledge of the potential health benefits of whey/whey components offers to expand their use in a variety of functional foods tailored to meet the health concerns of specific population groups.
Physical Performance. Whey and whey components offer several benefits for individuals with physically active lifestyles, according to a recent review (57). Whey proteins are easily digestible high quality proteins with a relatively high proportion of branched chain amino acids such as leucine (1-3,57). These amino acids provide an energy source during endurance exercise which allows athletes to train more intensively for longer periods of time. The abundance of leucine in whey plays a role in the synthesis of muscle protein (58). Also, whey proteins are rich in the amino acids, arginine and lysine, which may increase the release of growth hormone, a stimulator of muscle growth. In addition, bioactive compounds isolated from whey protein (e.g., lactoferrin, lactoferricin) may improve immune function and gastrointestinal health, as well as reduce excess free radical production in athletes when intensive training compromises these systems (57).
Other Health Benefits. Studies suggest other potential health benefits of whey and whey components. In vitro and in vivo studies in Japan have demonstrated that milk basic protein, a component of cow's milk whey protein, increases bone mineral density, primarily by suppressing bone resorption (59-62). A recent in vitro study in rabbit cell cultures found that lactoferrin decreased bone breakdown (63). Some whey components (e.g., proteose-peptones) may protect against tooth tissue demineralization, and other whey components, because of their immunostimulatory effects, may have favorable effects on dental plaque (64,65). A recent double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in humans found that alpha-lactalbumin, a whey protein in cow's milk with a high content of tryptophan ( a precursor of serotonin), improved cognitive performance (i.e., memory scanning) in stress-vulnerable individuals (66).
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