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New types of whey have recently emerged. They are called Clear Whey (translucent or transparent whey). Are they more effective because of their novelty?
Contents :
- An invisible super-whey
- Clear Whey vs classic whey
- Clear Whey Problems
- Clear Whey in conclusion
An invisible super-whey
As their name suggests, once diluted in a liquid, Clear Whey leaves no trace; they are invisible! But does their invisibility make them more effective?
No, because it is still whey of cheese origin . So why does Clear Whey seem so revolutionary? Quite simply, because they perfectly solve the problems faced by manufacturers of ready-to-drink protein shakes.
As these drinks must be sterilized before putting them on the market, the high temperature undergone by the protein cooks part of the whey, which creates residues which fall to the bottom of the bottle. These deposits are perceived as waste by consumers, who turned away from these drinks.
Clear Whey vs classic whey
There are two big differences between classic whey and Clear Whey.
These are:
- Centrifuged to remove insoluble protein aggregates.
- Made very acidic in order to perfectly amalgamate with the liquid and to be able to undergo the heat treatment without coagulating.
On average, Clear Whey have a pH which must be less than 4 (the lower the pH, the more acidic the protein). Beyond a pH of 4, the heat treatment inevitably produces residues. For comparison, Nutrimuscle Native Whey Isolate has a pH of 6.5 . It is therefore much less acidic.
Clear Whey Problems
Here we see a quadruple problem inherent in Clear Whey:
- They are ultra acidic , which is not good, neither for the stomach nor for your blood pH which will acidify as much.
- They are of cheese origin, therefore denatured and of poor quality .
- Due to the addition of several additional manufacturing steps, they are more expensive .
- In ready-to-drink protein shakes, the mandatory heat treatment will further degrade the quality of the protein .
Clear Whey: in conclusion
For engineers, Clear Whey is an amazing technological feat. For commercials, Clear Whey provides an additional selling point since they try to make believe that a protein which is diluted well is necessarily a protein of very high biological quality. But for the athlete, Clear Whey proves to be a step backwards both for his muscles and for his wallet.
Scientific references
LaClair CE. Ingredients and pH are key to clear beverages that contain whey protein. J Food Sci. 2010 Jan-Feb;75(1):C21-7.
LaClair CE. Turbidity and protein aggregation in whey protein beverages. J Food Sci. 2009 Sep;74(7):C526-35.
