Do the words whey, lactose, isolate, casein, protein concentrate, and vegan protein have clear meanings for you? Also, do you know what kinds of protein you consume? When the body is sensitive to certain food items, it can manifest various symptoms within a couple of hours. Among these are vomiting, abdominal pain, and swollen or deflated stomach. The body can also produce excessive gassy symptoms. It can also cause a thick throat or a stuffy nose. It’s important to start paying attention to what you eat.
When it comes to protein shakes, it is important to understand the terms used to describe the product. Understanding the difference between whey and protein shakes can help you make the right decisions when it comes to your health.
Whey is a protein found in milk. The two are separated by enzymes, which separate the milk into solid and liquid particles. The whey then undergoes further processing to remove its fat, carbohydrate, and water content. When it comes to whey protein, concentrate, isolate, and hydrolysates are often used. The former provides a low-fat, carbohydrate, and lactose-free option, while the latter is commonly used by medical professionals for infant formulas. Unfortunately, there are many people who suffer from protein intolerance or allergic reactions to traditional protein supplements. Over the years, I’ve worked with some of the best skeleton and bobsled athletes.
As a nutrition consultant, I spend a lot of my time with these athletes to make sure that everything is in place for their success. I also make sure that they are consuming the proper amount of food and timing their food intake. I had to take away 5 athletes from whey protein due to their negative reactions. For one of them, their belly would bloat up to 25% of its normal size after drinking their shake. Another professional athlete also claimed that he developed a low-grade cold when he used whey protein during his training sessions. He said that the intense exertions during his sessions caused him to have a hard time sleeping. The other athlete would often develop a thick coating of mucous inside his throat after taking whey protein.
These symptoms are often linked to food allergies or food intolerances. Unfortunately, they are often ignored or simply learned to live with them. How often do you feel bloated and gassy? If these symptoms are happening to you often, it’s time to look for the cause of the problem and see what can be done about it.
Lactose Intolerant
Individuals with low levels of lactase enzyme activity can't digest lactose properly, which then passes through the stomach. This causes gas to form in the intestines.
Protein Allergy/Intolerance
Aside from the usual symptoms, milk protein allergy or intolerance can also cause other issues. For instance, casein protein can trigger an inflammatory immune response that can lead to blocked airways and thick throats.
Your supplement manufacturer claims that the protein they sell you is high quality. But, hey, it could be that the isolate is not containing enough lactose. Even if the whey protein concentrate claims are made on the label, it still contains lactose. This is because whey protein powders contain lactose.
Sources also believe that many companies are inflating the quality of their products in order to boost their profit margins. They also believe that consumers are getting confused with the whey protein concentrate they are buying. Since whey is a great source of protein, I’m not trying to hide anything here. However, if you have a protein allergy or intolerance, then it would be very difficult to avoid using high quality protein products.
Some of these suggestions will help you avoid experiencing issues with protein supplements.
Switch brands: If you get gassy, bloated, or stuffy after using a protein product, it might be time to switch brands. One of my athletes had a great week after switching to a milk protein blend instead of a whey protein isolate. This worked so well that all of their complaints disappeared immediately.
Switch Protein Type: If you have an intolerance to milk protein, you might want to try rice protein isolate. This is because they are more allergen-friendly and have added amino acids.
Think about you dairy: It’s also possible that the protein content of dairy products is the culprit. Milk, cheese, and yogurt may be the culprit, but other dairy products could be the issue. If this is the case, then switching to non-cow’s milk dairy may be the solution.
The point of this article is to encourage you to think about the dairy and protein supplements that you consume and whether or not they’re helping. Having a general idea of how food affects you can help make changes in eating habits. Having a specific food can also help with mood changes.
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