Life today can be hectic, and time short. Even getting in your basic 3 meals a day can seem like a time consuming hassle, let alone several other meals if you are on a specialized diet. Maybe that’s why you are now looking towards supplementation to help you fulfil your dietary needs, minus the hassle. Protein is an essential nutrient for health, but what about whey protein for women: are there any inherent dangers you should be wary of, and, what are the benefits for women taking it, if any? All will be revealed in this short article.
Generally speaking, natural whole foods which haven’t been heavily processed are the best and most healthy, because they haven’t had their useful nutrients destroyed, or less-healthy ingredients added. It may come as a surprise then, that heavily processed whey protein supplements are – calorie for calorie – arguably the best source of protein.
Far from being processed into crap like most foods, whey protein is a natural protein derived from the cheese making process, which has been filtered to improve it’s nutritional value. This is achieved by extracting and discarding less-than-helpful nutrients such as fat and lactose to leave as pure a form of protein as possible. Whey protein concentrate is the least pure form of whey, followed by whey protein isolate, and the grandmaster of them all is hydrolyzed whey protein; in ascending order of price.
Note: Purity varies; budget whey protein concentrate of higher than 70% is good enough for most people’s uses, and the closer to 100%, the better.
What you get from whey protein supplements then, is less fattening fats and carbohydrates and more protein. Studies, including vast empirical evidence indicates that taking in regular quantities of learn protein can help a person to maintain or gain muscle mass, lose fat, and maintain good health.
What about whey protein for women then, should they take it?
Through a quick (some may say unfortunate quick) of nature, women are more prone to putting on and storing fat than men, and as women age their metabolism slows making fat even harder to burn. By having regular but small protein containing meals throughout the day – spaced around 3 hours apart – rather than ‘the big 3’ – a woman can ensure she keeps her metabolism high, and feeds her muscles with much needed high quality protein which in itself helps to burn fat.
Whey protein is also absorbed by the muscles super quickly, so it’s the ideal source of protein for women to take because it’s far less likely to be stored as fat, and far more likely to be taken in by the muscles and put to positive use. And, as muscle mass helps to burn calories, that means the more you maintain or build muscle, the more fat you burn. It’s win-win.
There is no evidence at all to suggest that women can’t gain as much benefit from whey protein as men, and I thoroughly recommend it as a supplement.
Please be aware though that whey protein is only a supplement and should not replace regular meals. Make sure each of your other meals contain a good dose of healthy protein too, such as fish, beef, chicken, egg and so forth. Whey protein for women in this capacity can only be a good, healthy and convenient choice.