Peptides and proteins in whey and their benefits for human health

Whey protein is derived from milk or the watery by?product of cheese production and is rapidly digested and absorbed. In addition to vitamin?binding proteins and several enzymes, whey protein contains a number of bioactive components including beta?lactoglobulin, alpha?lactalbumin, serum albumin, immunoglobulin, and lactoferrin. These components demonstrate a range of immune enhancing and antioxidant properties that result in effects on hypertension, cancer, hyperlipidemia, and virus infections. The conversion of the amino acid cysteine to glutathione can partially explain these effects. Further, whey protein is a great source of branched chain amino acids, which are particularly useful for athletes and sarcopenic conditions. In this review, we summarize the characteristics of whey protein and the recent findings regarding the effects of whey protein on specific conditions?disorders.