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Ingredients in Whey Shakes

Jul 10, 2011 | By Carly Schuna
Ingredients in Whey Shakes
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Whey protein shakes, whether commercially produced or homemade, can offer high-quality nutrition and significant health benefits. However, the health value of shakes is largely dependent upon their ingredients. Natural, vitamin- and mineral-rich ingredients tend to offer the most health benefits with the fewest calories, so it can pay off to read ingredient labels carefully and seek out shakes that don't rely on fortification.

Whey Protein Powder

Whey shakes primarily feature whey protein powder, a concentrated protein source that comes from dairy products. According to the Whey Protein Institute, whey protein powder is produced after manufacturers separate curds from whey in the cheese-making process and then dehydrate the liquid whey. One 30-g scoop of whey protein powder has about 110 calories, 2 g fat, 1 g carbohydrates, no fiber, 1 g sugar and 23 g whey protein. Whey protein isolate is the powder in a pure form, but some varieties contain added sugar and artificial flavors or sweeteners to improve taste.

Commercial Shakes

According to authors of a 2007 article published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition," the primary ingredient of most meal replacement shakes, including those that are whey-based, is sugar. Indeed, the main ingredients of Slim-Fast's weight-loss shakes are water, nonfat milk, sugar and canola oil in addition to milk protein concentrate. Ensure's nutrition shakes list primary ingredients as water, corn maltodextrin, sugar and corn syrup as well as milk protein concentrate, and Muscle Milk's chocolate protein shake includes water, calcium caseinate, sodium caseinate and vegetable oil in addition to milk protein isolate and whey.

Homemade Shakes

When you make your own whey shakes, you get to choose what goes into them and how many calories they contain. Although few commercially produced shakes contain only natural ingredients, it's easy to blend a completely natural shake at home that has no added sugar or artificial additions. In addition to using a scoop of plain whey protein powder, consider adding fresh or frozen fruit, nonfat yogurt, skim milk, soymilk or soy yogurt, nut butter, wheat germ and ground flaxseeds or flaxseed oil.

Considerations

Talk with your doctor before adding whey shakes to your regular diet. Although they can be useful and healthy additions if you don't get enough protein in what you typically eat, they may pose health risks if they contribute to you consuming protein in excess of your body's needs. According to registered dietitian Katherine Zeratsky, too much protein can raise your risk of liver and kidney problems.

References

Article reviewed by Khalid Adad Last updated on: Jul 10, 2011

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