What is Whey?
Whey is a watery, slightly green liquid with a relatively unpleasant taste.
Whey is produced as a by-product during the manufacturing of cheese and curd cheese. Whey is separated as a liquid from the cheese/curd cheese mass.
There are two types of whey:
- Sweet whey: When milk is thickened with rennet (an enzyme from calves’ stomachs) sweet whey is produced.
- Sour whey: When lactic bacteria are used to thicken, soured milk or curd cheese separate and can be further processed to make cheese. The whey is what is left over.
The composition of sweet whey and sour whey varies only slightly.
Fresh whey only last for about 2 hours. Shortly after the extraction the whey begins to perish. For this reason only pasteurised and dry products are available in stores. The taste and the colour of whey are not very pleasant and so for this reason it is rare to find whey in its pure from. Vitamins and mineral nutrients are often added.
top 
Whey Protein
top |
Substance of Content in Whey
The content of vitamins and mineral nutrients is similar to other dairy products.
Below is a table with a comparison of the most important nutritional values of whey and milk:
per 100g |
Whey |
Milk 1.5% |
| Calories |
24 kcal |
47 kcal |
| Water |
93.6 % |
89.3 % |
| Fat |
0.2 g |
1.5 g |
| Protein |
0.8 g |
3.4 g |
| Carbohydrates |
4.7 g |
4.9 g |
| Sodium |
45 mg |
49 mg |
| Potassium |
129 mg |
155 mg |
| Calcium |
68 mg |
123 mg |
Effect of Whey
It is often reported that whey is meant to help with stomach, gall and kidney problems. Even gout and cardiovascular disorders are also meant to improve. This has not yet been scientifically proven.
Whey is not a miracle product. However whey is a low fat and low calorie product that contains high quality protein along with high contents of vitamins (B1, B2, and B6) and mineral nutrients (sodium and potassium). As a result of the substances of content, whey has a positive effect on the digestive tract. Sour milk products such as whey or yoghurt help to create an intact intestinal flora with the lactose that they contain. During the digestion of lactose, dextrorotatory lactose forms in the intestines. This enhances the build up of healthy intestinal flora.
Careful! People who are lactose intolerant should avoid whey and all other dairy products. If great amounts of dairy products are consumed, diarrhoea or colic can be caused as a result of the lactose intolerance.
top |
