No Whey! 3 Ways Whey Protein Isolate Helps Your Immune System

In an effort to add quality lean muscle mass, many implement a whey protein powder into their regimen.  For most, a whey protein isolate is ideal as it removes almost all of the lactose and it is an extremely clean and pure form of whey.  Those who are lactose intolerant or who have sensitivities could even utilize such a powder.  That being said, whey protein isolate has one attribute that not many people know about – it can boost your immune system.

With so much talk about how people can naturally boost their immunity, everyone seems to be pushing vitamins and a whole slew of various ingredients.  Little do they know, good old whey protein isolate used as a protein shake or included in various foods can be used to aid in promoting a healthy immune system.  So, before you go out and buy all of these various supplements and ingredients, it would be wise to continue reading.

Note: By simply supplementing with whey protein isolate it does not mean you won’t ever get sick.  Utilizing whey protein isolate can, however, help with boosting your immune system to prevent illness, but it will not treat or cure any diseases or illnesses.  Should you already suffer from a disease or illness, always consult with your doctor before including any supplements into your regimen to ensure they won't interact with any medications you may currently be using.

Below, you will find three ways that whey protein isolate can help boost your immune system and keep you protected from viruses and other foreign molecules that can do the body harm.

1. Whey Protein Isolate Helps Restore Glutathione Levels

I know what you might be thinking… Gluta-what?  Glutathione is considered to be the most powerful antioxidant available.  This extremely potent antioxidant helps seek out and destroy free radicals before they can cause oxidative stress and damage to the body and cells.  The good news is that your body can produce glutathione on its own.  The bad news is that you can become deficient if it is used up due to stress, age, a poor diet, infections, certain medications, and trauma. 

When you consume whey protein isolate, you have the ability to boost your immunity by providing the body with key amino acids that can help replenish glutathione levels.  There are three amino acids in particular that help with the synthesis of glutathione – glutamate, glycine, and cysteine (which is truly the limiting factor in glutathione production).  Whey protein contains on average around four times the amount of cysteine when compared to other forms of protein.

To go along with whey protein isolate, the whole reason you are consuming it is to probably help your body recover from intense bouts of exercise.  Exercise, itself, can help boost glutathione levels.  Therefore, adding this duo to your daily list of activities seems like a no-brainer in giving viruses and illnesses a one-two punch.

2. Antibodies Are Actually Made from Protein

The ability for a whey protein isolate to fight off the nasties that enter your body comes down to the fact that the actual antibodies that combat these viruses are made from protein.  While consuming whey protein isolate isn’t a defense from everything, it can certainly help boost your immune system and allow it to function optimally.

Antibodies can be produced by the body through the ingestion of whey protein isolate which is then broken down into amino acids.  Once these antibodies are formed, they go out to disable, attack, and destroy pathogens that are in the body and are considered foreign.  These antibodies will directly attach to the pathogen in order to eliminate it.

Once the antibody has destroyed the pathogen, what is known as a B cell stays in the bloodstream and is able to produce a specific antibody should it recognize the same foreign pathogen has reentered the body.  Essentially, scanning and recognizing the threat before producing the appropriate antibodies to activate the body’s defense mechanisms.

3. Whey Protein Helps Reduce Exercise-Induced Immune Suppression

It only takes one killer workout to cause the immune system to take a hit.  Exercise by nature is stressful and such acts can suppress the immune system.  In addition, the act of breaking down muscle fibers and causing a temporary increase in inflammation can cause the immune system to weaken due to the body trying to recover and repair the torn down muscle fibers from a workout. 

Consuming whey protein isolate can help strengthen the immune system and allow it the ability to protect against foreign molecules that can do the body harm.  Whey protein isolate is broken down and absorbed by the body incredibly fast – faster than whey protein concentrate and casein.   

Whey protein is high in BCAAs (branched-chain amino acids) which can be metabolized into glutamine – an amino acid that helps boost the immune system and improve overall immunity. 

Those who utilize protein both before and after workouts have the greatest chance of helping reduce exercise-induced immune suppression (as well as help kickstart the muscle recovery and rebuilding process). 

Overall, whey protein isolate serves many functions in the body.  Some of these functions include being anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory, anti-oxidative, anti-microbial, and anti-hypersensitive.  Regardless if you exercise regularly or not, supplementing with a whey protein isolate would be a great idea to help boost the immune system.

Get Ahead of the Game!

If you want to improve your immunity and muscle-building potential, look no further than the ultra-pure Evogen Nutrition IsoJect whey protein isolate.  Utilizing a cutting-edge triple cold-filtered whey protein isolate, this protein powder uses a new proteolytic enzyme technology that allows for maximum protein utilization as well as the absorption of key amino acids to help improve lean muscle gains and immunity.

To take things one step further, you're only as good as what you can digest, and thanks to the formulation found in IsoJect, you’re better able to rapidly digest and absorb the whey protein isolate due to the inclusion of IGNITOR™ Enzyme Technology.  When quality and results matter, turn to Evogen Nutrition and IsoJect to get the job done!