Raw Whey Protein Vs Whey Protein Isolate

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Both raw whey and whey are proteins containing all essential amino acids required by human body. These are high quality proteins contained in milk. They are also one of the best source of BCCAs (branched chain amino acids). Now many people think that raw whey protein is not effective as whey protein. Some says it put a lot of load on your kidneys. The other doubt arrives from its low cost. Compared to other whey products the price of raw whey protein is very less, some think this may be due to difference in results. In this post we are going to crack all these myths around raw whey protein. Let’s begin from the making process itself.

How Do Companies Make Raw Whey and Whey Protein Isolate?

Milk is a colloidal liquid in which butterfat globules and other colloidal particles are dispersed in water. For manufacturing cheese from milk we need to separate these colloidal particles from water.  For the coagulation of milk we add some chemical coagulants to milk. After coagulation we get 2 phases, one is in the solid form and the other is in the liquid form. The curd form is used to prepare cheese and the liquid portion is used to make raw whey and whey protein.

The liquid whey must be processed as soon as possible after it is drawn from the cheese curd. Since its physical conditions promotes the growth of bacteria that leads to whey protein degradation and lactic acid formation. The liquid whey is passed into a short duration buffer tank then charged to a clarifier, separated, pasteurised and then finally cooled into storage.

Raw Whey Protein 

The low temperature processed powder is called raw whey protein. The raw whey protein also contains fat and some carbohydrates. It is loaded with anti- inflammatory immune factors, minerals, and peptides along with anti oxidants. Raw whey protein is one of the natural supplement on the market. It does not harm your body. It is very closer to its natural form than whey protein.

The one disadvantage of raw whey protein is that it contains some fat but it has more amounts of BCAAs and glutamine. The fat contained by raw whey protein is not bad as you are thinking. It is necessary for the creation of some hormones and it is vital for the absorption of mineral and vitamins.

Whey Protein Isolate 

To remove the fat contained by the raw whey we process the whey at a higher temperature. The hot processed whey powder is called whey protein. The removal of fat is accompanied by heat treatment involving some chemicals. This process partially break down the whey protein and destroys other contents. So you will get protein plus some heavy metals, acids and other chemicals. To cover up this loss manufactures will add EAAs (essential amino acids), sugar, flavours, colour, minerals, digestive enzymes etc. after the high temperature process.

The high temperature process increases the percentage of protein. So they can claim more grams of protein on the label. This protein powder is then marketed as whey protein isolate. Most of the protein brands like Muscle Blaze and other premium brands import raw whey protein from brands like Davisco and Arla and process them and finally add flavours and other ingredients, then they sell it as whey isolate.

Raw Whey Protein: All Myths Busted

Is It Safe to Consume Raw Whey Protein? 

 Yes, it is completely safe to consume raw whey protein. The only thing raw whey protein differs from whey isolate is that it contains fat. Also it has less percentage of protein. So you need to consume more raw whey protein to reach your fitness goals. It does not have any added digestive enzymes, flavours and other additives. But it is rich with natural nutrients and more over it is close to its natural form.

Is raw whey protein is digestible? 

 Let me clear that we need protease enzymes and acidic medium to digest protein. Protease enzymes break down proteins into its elementary form which is amino acids. A complete protein digestion makes a number of amino acids that will be absorbed into your blood for circulation. These circulating amino acids are used to build muscles.

Among all dietary protein sources milk contain more amount of natural protease enzyme. Because newly born baby has less ability to produce protease enzyme to synthesize the protein content in mother’s milk. As we grew up we produce more number of protease enzymes so we are able to digest other protein sources even having some anti protease enzyme. Our Body produces continuously sufficient amount of enzymes available throughout our Digestive system right from our mouth (where saliva starts acting on whatever we eat).  So there is no digestion problems associated with raw whey protein.

Some people may suffer from digestive issues. For all types of digestive issues take Digestive Enzymes separately. It will not only correct digestive issues but will also increase the protein and other supplements absorption in the body leading to better results.

However  people having lactose intolerance should go with whey protein isolate.

Why Raw Whey Protein is Cheap? 

 Raw whey proteins are imported as a raw material thus import duty is extremely less in comparison to imported brands on which import duty is extremely high. Result-wise raw whey protein quality is as good as other imported brands because the main ingredient that is the whey protein is same in both. In imported brands there are added ingredients like flavors, sweeteners, colors, aromatic agents, preservatives etc.

Do Raw Whey Protein Put More Load on Kidneys? 

 One thing people complain about raw whey protein is that, it will put more load on kidneys. All these kind of fake news roaming around us are created by retail brands. It is there business winning strategy. As we said above, only amino acids are get absorbed into our blood. The undigested protein due to the lack of protease enzyme will came out in feces. The digested protein get processed by liver, which converts nitrogen into uric acid. So formed uric acid is then flushed out from blood by kidneys.

So there is no excess load on kidneys. But don’t take more than 25 grams of protein at a time because we can’t store excess protein in our body like glucose and fat. And make sure you are taking 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight when you are performing exercises.

Don’t miss: 

Best Protein Powders
Creatine Benefits for Muscle Building
Ashwagandha Powder Benefits for Bodybuilding

Now let’s go straight into the difference between raw whey protein and whey protein isolate. 

Difference between Raw Whey Protein and Whey Protein Isolate

What Do You Need? 

It depends on your fitness goal and budget. If you are budget oriented and don’t care about flavors go for raw whey protein. But buy it from a trusted manufacturer. If you are lactose intolerant or you need added flavors go for whey protein.

Benefits of Both Raw whey and Whey Isolate 

• Builds more muscle in less time. 
• Boost your metabolic rate. 
• Increase bone density 
• Fast digestion compared other protein sources. 
• Good for immune system. 
• Accelerate the recovery of muscle tissues.

If you have any opinion or queries regarding this article don’t hesitate comment below and stay tuned.