How to complement your diet with whey protein
sattu (flour made from fried gram), and eggs instead of whey protein supplements. While her emphasis on whole foods was spot on, I sensed an underlying fear of whey protein. There’s a popular meme that captures this sentiment well: “Desi moms look at whey protein with the same suspicion they reserve for drugs." Ironically, even alcohol seems to get a free pass in many households, but protein supplements are often viewed as dangerous.
Many medical professionals also discourage protein supplements without adequate reason. Whey is the liquid that remains after making paneer from milk. The protein extracted from this liquid is what we call whey protein.
If you don’t fear milk, there should be no reason to fear whey protein. Terms like concentrate, isolate, and hydrolysate refer to different processing levels of whey protein, catering to various nutritional goals, lactose tolerance levels and budgets. There are also whey protein blends, which are a mix of these variants.
Understanding these basics can help make informed choices without undue fear. One of the biggest myths around protein supplements is that they cause kidney damage. However, a 2016 study published in The Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism found that athletes who consumed a high-protein diet—up to 3.3g per kilogram of body weight daily for a year—experienced no negative effects on kidney or liver function, lipid profiles, or body fat percentage.
That said, individuals with pre-existing kidney diseases should consult their doctor before taking protein supplements. The more significant concern with whey protein today is the rapidly growing market flooded with numerous brands, not all of which are trustworthy. Issues such as counterfeit products and the addition
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