Have you had your Protein Shake Today

Did you know that as we get older our muscle mass begins to decline and is often replaced with fat? As we approach midlife and after the age of 50, muscle strength becomes paramount in age management medicine. Losing muscle strength makes individuals more prone to injuries and actually increases their fracture risk. Studies are now showing that muscle mass is just as important as bone density and reducing fracture risk as we age. You may read more on my recent blog called “Dem Bones, Dem Bones”. This is a major reason why many people lose mobility and end up in extended care facilities and nursing homes. Just as hormones decline as we age, so does muscle mass. But just because this process is normal with aging, does not mean it’s necessarily good. There is a simple way to keep our muscles strong as we age. This one simple step in your diet can help you maintain your weight, strengthen muscles as they age, and even boost your immune system. This simple step involves the ingestion of protein.

Your body must have proper protein to manufacture muscle and build muscle strength and stamina. Protein is the underlying building block for our muscles, bones, enzymes, and even our hormones. It will help in the maintenance of our skin as well as our joint cartilage. As our body ages, protein digestion becomes more difficult. There are issues of poor absorption, and the protein we eat simply does not get digested and absorbed as well is when we were younger. One easy change in your lifestyle that can increase the protein absorption into your body involves the ingestion of whey protein. Whey protein contains the basic amino acids that are necessary for muscle development in the amino acids that are necessary in your diet. Whey protein is absorbed quickly and can enter your bloodstream as building blocks for your muscles, bones, skin, and cartilage. There is one caution however regarding whey protein products today. Many of the products are over-processed and come from cows containing antibiotics, pesticides, and various kinds of growth hormones. Nutritionally deficient whey protein may actually do more harm than good.

Here are some easy steps to consider when selecting whey protein for supplementation in your diet. Make sure the whey protein is free from toxins which may include or pesticides, insecticides and various chemicals. Whey protein must be carefully filtered to remove impurities while preserving the necessary amino acids. Many inexpensive products use manufacturing techniques that treat their product with acids resulting in higher amounts of toxicity. Make sure the whey protein contains natural sweeteners such as Stevia, instead of artificial sweeteners or refined carbohydrates and sugar. Check the label to make sure that the whey protein content is high. Usually 15 to 20 gms of protein per serving is considered to be a high-quality protein content. Some products have as little as 5 gms of protein which has little affect on boosting your daily protein intake. Make sure the whey protein is not an isolate. Even though an isolate has a higher percentage of protein content, this type of product is highly processed and removes important nutritional components such as lipoic acid, healthy fats, and CLA (conjugated linoleic acid). Whey protein concentrates contain these important ingredients by avoid being overprocessed. Make sure the whey protein is processed through a cold process mechanism (undenatured). Less expensive whey protein may be treated with heat and may also utilize acid in the cleansing process. Even though this is helpful in destroying bacteria, it destroys the importance ingredients that are necessary such as alpha lipoic acid, CLA, and I- cysteine. Muscle growth and repair is dependent upon these important nutrients. Finally, make sure the whey protein comes from organic and grass fed cows. Grass fed cows produce milk with much higher amounts of immune supporting nutrients. These include conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and lactalbumin, which have been shown to be cardioprotective.

So one important nutrient that everyone should have over the age of 50 includes a whey protein shake in their daily diet regimen. A shake a day is one of the best ways to maintain muscle strength, gut health, and immune system integrity. Did you have your shake today?