by Christine H. Farlow, D.C
Centuries ago, fresh raw whey was used to heal people of a whole spectrum of ailments. People flocked to spas all over Europe to get the benefits of this whey cure. The drawback was that the benefits of the whey were only when it was very fresh. The longer it sat out, the less benefit.
Raw, unheated whey protein powder does not have the drawback of the fresh liquid whey. The problem is that most whey protein powders on the market are not raw and not unheated. The majority are heated and pasteurized. Therefore, they do not have the amazing healing benefits associated with fresh raw whey.
While an authentic raw, unheated whey protein powder can be a truly health giving supplement, it is not for everyone.
Why Whey Is Not For Everyone?
You are a unique individual. There is no one else on the planet with the same DNA, the same biochemistry, or the same genetic makeup as you.
Most everyone knows people with allergies to certain foods, like peanuts, eggs, soy or dairy.
Perhaps you even have some food allergies yourself.
In addition, many people have hidden food allergies, also known as food sensitivities or food intolerance. You could have these sensitivities without even knowing it.
You can be sensitive or intolerant to just about any food, including casein and whey.
If you have an allergy or intolerance to whey, then whey protein is not an amazing healing food for you. It is an inflammatory food.
Separating Protein From Whole Food Forms Hidden MSG
When protein is extracted from whole foods, like whey protein from milk, egg protein from eggs, soy protein from soybeans, pea protein from peas, rice protein from rice, the process of separating the protein from the whole food can cause the formation of processed free glutamic acid, commonly referred to as MSG or hidden MSG.
According to TruthInLabeling.org all these proteins are hidden sources of MSG. However, the few companies who do not use heat to make their protein powders and whose protein powder is natural can claim that their protein powders do not contain hidden MSG.
Now, I have tried a couple of these protein products myself. The first one, after a few days to a week, I felt myself having a mild MSG reaction.
My Experience With Whey Protein and MSG Reaction
I am allergic to MSG. Within a short time of eating something containing MSG, my speech is garbled. It feels like my tongue is disconnected from my brain. In order to talk, I have to think and speak very slowly and deliberately for the words to come out of my mouth so I can be understood. This is a reaction that I had only experienced when I had eaten something containing MSG.
So, naturally, when I was having a slight indication that I was having difficulty speaking clearly and understandably, I automatically assumed that this whey protein powder contained hidden MSG, even though the manufacturer claimed that it did not. However, they did not provide me with any test results to prove their claim.
When I found the ultimate organic, raw, unheated, pure whey protein powder, I was excited to try it and to experience the awesome benefits that they claimed it offered. But, I was disappointed again. After taking it for a few days, I experienced my mild MSG reaction. So even though they claimed that it was totally unprocessed and totally free of any traces of hidden MSG, I wasn’t convinced.
It was a few years later that I tested myself for food sensitivities.
Now, I’ve been eating very healthfully since 1975. I am very picky about what I eat, what I use on my body, in my home and around my yard. I’ve taken only the best whole food supplements for many years. So you can imagine my surprise when my test results came back and I saw that I had a long list of food sensitivities – severe, moderate and mild.
And guess what?
I was moderately sensitive to whey!
So, my reaction to the whey protein powders that I thought was a mild MSG reaction was a hidden allergy or sensitivity to whey.
Reaction May Be Delayed by Several Days
Unlike my allergy to MSG, the reaction did not occur immediately. It was delayed by several days. The reaction was also milder. I didn’t have to work so hard to speak clearly, though it did take a concerted effort.
Had I not done the food sensitivity testing, I would never have known that I was reacting to the whey. I probably would have continued to believe that the whey protein I had reacted to still contained hidden MSG, even though the products were supposed to be the best on the market, the purest and have tremendous therapeutic benefit.
So, if you’re thinking about using whey protein, or maybe you’re already using it, make sure that you don’t have a hidden allergy or sensitivity to whey. If you do, not only will you not get the health benefits of the whey, you will be causing an inflammatory reaction in your body that will cause your health to decline.
(This guest post is by Christine H. Farlow, D.C. Dr. Farlow provides nutritional consultations in her office and by phone. You can request a FREE consultation to learn more about food sensitivities and how the ALCAT Test can help you to improve your digestion and your health at http://christinehfarlowdc.com/.)
Be the first to comment