I've heard that whey proteins are easily denatured through heat and pH change. What are the rules when mixing whey protein with other foods/liquids (resultant change in pH affecting absorption?) and applying heat (i.e., cooking, baking or heating with cereal, etc.).
Whey is a watery by-product that occurs during the making of cheese. Correctly processed, whey protein has the highest biological value (a measure of the ability of food protein sources to deposit nitrogen into muscle tissue) of any dietary protein source. The high BV is the result of whey’s significant levels of branch-chain amino acids, which are particularly effective at stimulating protein repair and growth (e.g., recovery of muscles following exercise).
The main issue surrounding the usefulness of whey as a supplement is how it has been treated during processing. Indeed, whey is a very sensitive product and can become easily denatured in the presence of heat or an acidic environment. Heat processing can disrupt the protein molecules. This is called denaturing. This in theory could make digestion and absorption of the protein more challenging. But the biggest issue surrounding heat processing is what it does to the cysteine bond.
Whey protein has a high concentration of the amino acid cysteine, which occurs in whey linked to another amino acid called glutamic acid. This link appears to be unbreakable by digestive enzymes. Cysteine, along with glutamine and glycine, is needed to make glutathione (GSH) in the human body. It appears, of these three amino acids, that cysteine is the limiting factor in glutathione production. Thus, whey has the ability to dramatically raise the body’s glutathione levels, perhaps the most important water-soluble antioxidant found in the body. To ensure that you are getting this benefit from whey protein, you need to find one that has been processed without heat such as the brand Immunocal (www.immunocal.com), and you also need to ensure it is prepared delicately (e.g., not cooked).
However, with that being said, I can’t see any reason why whey protein cannot be used in baked goods to give them a healthy protein boost. I often make my own energy snacks (see recipe below) for backcountry trips. It’s not that you are turning whey protein into an unhealthy product, it’s just that you won’t get all the benefits of the pure supplement.
No-Bake Recovery Bars
- 1 cup oats
- 4 scoops chocolate whey protein powder**
- 1 cup dry fat-free milk powder
- 1/3 cup each sunflower seeds, dried cranberries, coconut flakes
- 5 Tbsp Peanut Butter
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 ¼ cup water
**Can use regular or vanilla protein powder and add 1 Tbsp cocoa powder for a chocolate taste.
- Spray square baking pan with non-stick spray.
- Combine oats, protein powder, dry milk, seeds, cranberries and coconut in a medium bowl and mix well.
- Stir in peanut butter until mixture is crumbly.
- Add water and vanilla and mix until you get a smooth doughy consistency. Increase water if needed.
- Spoon mixture into pan and spread evenly.
- Refrigerate for a couple hours before cutting into 9 bars.
Nutrition Per Bar
- Calories: 285
- Protein: 19 grams
- Fat: 13 grams
- Carbohydrate: 25 grams