Protein shakes are convenient and popular diet supplements and meal replacements. As a diet supplement, protein shakes offer the opportunity to enhance your regular diet with healthy food choices when you select the supplement carefully. Using protein shakes as meal replacements requires deliberate planning to ensure you include essential nutrients that would otherwise come from food. Whey, soy and flaxseed provide necessary and beneficial nutrients in your protein shake, whatever your fitness goal.
Easily Absorbable Protein
Whey proteins are a collection of cow's milk proteins isolated from the leftover liquid, or whey, of the cheese-making process. According to the University of Illinois McKinley Health Center, whey offers the highest biological value of any protein; in other words, your body absorbs and utilizes whey proteins more completely than any other protein. Whey is rich in leucine, a branched-chain amino acid important in maintaining lean muscle mass while encouraging fat loss, states Dr. Donald Layman in the January 2003 issue of the Journal of Nutrition. Whey proteins may contain lactose, however, so if you are lactose-intolerant, choose a protein shake containing whey protein isolate, rather than whey protein concentrate, to avoid possible gastrointestinal problems.
Healthy Protein
Soy protein is a very high quality plant protein and an excellent substitute for fatty, cholesterol-rich animal proteins, recommends the Cleveland Clinic. Isolated from soybeans, soy protein may be rich in isoflavones, depending on the method of protein extraction. Isoflavones are plant-based compounds that may provide several health benefits, including cancer prevention, bone strength improvement and menopausal symptom relief, explains the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. In addition to isoflavones, soy foods add essential vitamins, minerals and fiber to your diet. Include soy in your protein shake to help maintain well-balanced nutrition as part of your fitness program.
Fiber and Heart Healthy Oils
Flaxseed, also known as linseed, comes from the flax plant. Flaxseed helps regulate your digestive system by providing fiber and mucilage, a natural substance that forms a gel when it contacts water. Flaxseed contains high levels of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids, the same essential fatty acids found in fish oils. The seeds are also good sources of protein, relative to their small size, and of lignans. Lignans are phytochemicals that mimic estrogen, similar to isoflavones in soy, and they may offer some measure of protection against prostate, colon and skin cancers, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Grind flaxseed before adding it to your protein shake, suggests Registered Dietitian Katherine Zeratsky of MayoClinic.com, to unlock its many health advantages.
References
- University of Illinois McKinley Health Center: Creatine and Whey Protein Supplements
- "Journal of Nutrition"; The Role of Leucine in Weight Loss Diets and Glucose Homeostasis; Donald K. Layman; January 2003
- Cleveland Clinic: Soy Foods
- Oregon State University Linus Pauling Institute: Soy Isoflavones
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Flaxseed
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