In research published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers from the University of Granada School of Pharmacy found that the milk protein known as Glycomacropeptide (GMP) was able to reduce intestinal inflammation on par with anti-inflammatory drugs in a rat model of chemically-induced colitis.
From the Study: Bovine Glycomacropeptide Is Anti-Inflammatory in Rats with Hapten-Induced Colitis
The magnitude of the anti-inflammatory effect was generally comparable to that of sulfasalazine, an established drug used in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease.
The findings add to the growing body of scientific evidence showing that dairy proteins may be significantly more bio-active and health-promoting than was once suspected. GMP has also been shown to suppress appetite by stimulating the production of the intestinal peptide cholesystokinin (CCK), and studies have shown GMP’s ability to modulate the immune response by supporting the growth of bacteria beneficial to the gastrointestinal tract - while, at the same time, inhibiting the growth of harmful organisms.
For example:
So, it's clear that GMP probably has much to do with the unique anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating properties of various dairy products - including properly prepared whey protein supplements.
What is Glycomacropeptide?
Glycomacropeptide is a protein which is separated from the casein fraction of milk during the manufacture of cheese. So, although GMP is technically a “casein protein,” whey - the watery precipitate from cheese-production - will contain relatively high levels of GMP. In fact, the biological activity of GMP is one of the major reasons why a quality whey protein supplement will impart health-promoting benefits above and beyond just supplying amino acids for tissue growth and repair. In an industry like sports nutrition which has diverted the public's attention away from the true health-promoting benefits of whey protein by focusing on lesser issues such as whey's biological value and amino acid profile, it's important to re-emphasize the fact that only a properly prepared whey protein will exert whey's full health-promoting benefits.
But, Not All Whey Proteins Contain GMP
As we’ve repeatedly mentioned on the Integrated Supplements Blog, not all whey proteins are created equal. We’ve shown you how the processing of whey protein concentrate, for example will produce a product which may contain high amounts of
But although they are generally better quality than whey concentrates, even some whey isolates – products containing 90% protein or above, and containing minimal, lactose, fat, or cholesterol. – may not deliver you the full benefits of the highest quality filtered whey isolate. In this regard, GMP is a perfect illustration.
Ion Exchange Whey Isolate Contains No GMP
Some of the most popular protein supplements on the market (if they contain whey isolate at all) often contain whey isolate produced by what is known as the ion exchange method.
The ion exchange process separates the microfractions (the proteins which make up "whey") from the lactose, fats and salts based upon the electrical charge of the protein. In the ion exchange method, whey protein is pumped through columns containing special resin beads chemically charged to attract certain whey proteins. Then, water with chemical buffers such as sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid is pumped through the same column to reverse the charge of the resin beads and release the protein into the buffer solution. While the ion exchange process removes nearly all lactose, fat, and cholesterol from whey, there are some MAJOR problems with this process.
For example, unlike other whey microfractions, GMP has a negative net charge at acidic pH, so it simply isn’t “attracted” to the same resins as the other proteins in whey. As the other whey proteins are picked up by the ion exchange resin, GMP simply passes through the column unscathed. This is why ion exchange whey isolate will contain negligible amounts of GMP.
CFM® Whey Isolate – High in Glycomacropeptide
Because filtration techniques aren’t dependent on a protein’s electrical charge, filtered whey isolates will usually contain significantly higher amounts of GMP than whey isolates produced through the ion exchange method (although there is still a wide variance in the GMP content of the different filtered whey isolates). The most technologically advanced filtration technology – the technology used to produce CFM® Whey Isolate - will produce a whey protein product loaded with GMP. CFM® Whey Isolate contains 21% Glycomacropeptides – a percentage simply unmatched by any other whey isolate produced today.
Buyer Beware
At Integrated Supplements we’ve taught you to be wary of the many whey protein-containing products which use whey concentrate as an ingredient. But it turns out that not even all whey isolates are created equal either. With the current worldwide dairy shortage putting nutritional supplement producers into a cost-cutting frenzy, most companies who are still using whey isolate in their products are scrambling to snatch up any whey isolate raw material they can get their hands on – from any manufacturer, produced by any method.
If your whey protein simply lists “whey isolate” as an ingredient, without telling you where they sourced their raw material from, you can bet that you’re getting whichever whey isolate happened to be the cheapest at the time the product was produced. Without a company disclosing the source of their raw material, you have no way of knowing exactly what type of whey you’re getting, how it was produced, or what level of GMP (or other protein microfractions) it contains. At this time of rapidly rising food prices, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that you may sometimes be getting much less than you think you are from your nutritional supplements.
Look For The CFM® Logo
That’s why we at Integrated Supplements have made a commitment to using only patented CFM® Whey Isolate in our whey protein product. We don’t “cut” the formula with cheaper proteins and pass it off as a “precision blend” like some other companies do; and we don’t constantly seek out the lowest priced whey isolate we can find simply so we can list whey isolate on the label.
To us, there’s something to be said for the peace of mind you receive from knowing you’re giving your body the best nutritional products available. In the end, we know that we wouldn’t be doing you any favors by filling our products with the cheapest ingredients we could find; and judging from the feedback we’ve received so far, there are more than a few of you out there who agree with us. You can be confident, that in buying our products, not only are you receiving the highest quality ingredients, but you’re proving everyday what many companies in the nutritional supplement industry continually fail to recognize – that consumers, once educated, will not settle for anything less than the best.
And for this, we thank you.
Comments