Whey Protein side effects - natural protein resistance?!

Whey Protein side effects - natural protein resistance?

Has anyone ever heard that taking whey protein can cause an inability to metabolize natural protein and cause like an immunity or resistance?

2 weeks ago
Thanks Matt.

I also had this same thought and was unable to find anything to suggest otherwise. Someone mentioned this to me so I was curious :)

I have never heard this and it doesn't really make any sense.

Whey protein IS a "natural protein" -- it's a by-product of cheese making from cow's milk. Whey occurs naturally in all cows milk, although when you purchase whey in a store, it has been concentrated down, isolated, or hydrolyzed to make it more protein-dense and quickly digested.

Indeed, whey protein is one of the most easily digested proteins available and it has a complete amino acid profile.

You cannot develop a "resistance" or "immunity" to whey protein because it's not a pathogen. Some individuals may have problems digesting whey protein, but that usually is a problem with residual lactose in the mixture, and not because of the whey itself. If you are lactose intolerant, you need to look for a whey protein that is lactose free or includes lactase digestive enzymes. I'm personally lactose intolerant, and Optimum Nutrition 100% Whey works great for me (not all of them did.)

Finally, realize that whey protein is not a drug or anabolic steroid -- it's a food product. Unless you have kidney disease (which high protein diets can aggravate), there should be no side effects to pure whey protein. If that's not the case for you, check the label to make sure the manufacturer is not adding other supplements like creatine, which might cause a reaction.

Best of luck!