What Is The Difference : Whey Concentrate vs. Isolate
Most of us struggle to find the best protein supplement. We have received inquiries about which protein supplement we recommend which is better – whey concentrate or whey isolate. T.Hopefully his post will clear up your doubts about what is whey and what the difference is: whey concentrate vs. Isolate.
What is whey?
Whey is the liquid part of milk that is separated from the curd cheese during cheese making. It can be said that whey is a by-product of the cheese-making process. Whey contains nutrients – proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals.
Why is whey so popular?
Whey has a strong amino acid profile and is easily absorbed by the body. This makes whey the most popular protein food supplement. Whey protein has been found to promote:
- Decrease insulin sensitivity
What's the difference: whey concentrate vs. Isolate
To understand the difference between whey concentrate and whey isolate, one should understand how whey is made. In its natural form Whey contains fat and lactose (milk sugar). A filtration process is carried out to remove these. The end product is a more concentrated protein that can be concentrated, isolated, or hydrolyzed. I won't go into hydrolyzates for now.
Whey protein concentrate is made by forcing milk through a very small filter that allows water, minerals, and other organic materials to pass through. The large proteins that cannot pass the filter are collected. This yield of protein powder is called whey concentrate. Whey concentrate contains 70-85% protein, but also 5% lactose. Lactose intolerant people have problems consuming whey concentrate.
Whey concentrate also contains various protein subfractions that have significant biological health benefits. Now these must remain in their original form (the 3-D form found in nature) in order for them to have these health benefits.
Whey concentrate is further processed and purified into whey isolate, which contains very little carbohydrates and fat. In short, it's almost pure protein. Lactose intolerant people can safely use whey isolates. Needless to say, whey isolate is more expensive than whey concentrate. The 3-D protein sub-fractions are broken down in the process. However, amino acids remain unaffected and the protein's ability to build muscle is retained.
I hope I have been able to explain the difference between Whey Concentrate and Whey Isolate in simple terms so that everyone can choose a proper protein supplement. In my next post, I am going to cover how to choose a protein supplement for different health goals you may have 🙂
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