INSIDE: - US Dairy Export Council

Nutritionfat dried milk powder, cheese and yogurtcontains phosphopeptides which helpenhance the re-mineralization of toothenamel for stronger teeth and may alsohelp prevent dental caries when usedover longer periods of time. 4Whey & Immune SupportThe H1N1 virus has put people in manyparts of the globe on alert and madethem more conscious of building ahealthy immune system. One easy way tohelp enhance immune health is byadding whey protein to the diet.The body naturally forms free radicalsduring metabolism or when it needs helpin fighting off unwanted bacteria orviruses. Environmental factors includingpollution, cigarette smoke and UV exposurealso increase free radical production.When the body produces an excessamount of free radicals it creates a stateof imbalance called oxidative stress. Duringthis time the body has a reduced abilityto detoxify the system or repair anyresulting damage. Oxidative stress is directlyrelated to increased aging and avariety of health conditions includingcancer, obesity, diabetes and heart disease.The immune system plays a key role in reducingoxidative stress and this requiresan adequate amount of glutathione(GHS), an important cellular antioxidantthat helps neutralize the free radicals thatcan cause oxidative stress. Factors suchas stress, infection, medication and poordiet all deplete GHS levels. GHS isformed in the cells using the amino acidscysteine, glutamate and glycine. Cysteineis the rate-limiting amino acid in thisprocess and an adequate supply enablesthe body to ward off oxidative stress.Whey protein is among the richest naturalsources of cysteine and contains morethan four times the amount comparedwith other high-quality proteins. 5Whey protein, either in the form of wheyprotein concentrate (WPC) or whey proteinisolate (WPI), is often a preferred ingredientin immune support andenhancing products, both for individualswith special needs and for those in relativelygood health. The individual componentsor fractions in whey, such asimmunoglobulins which comprise10−15% of the total protein, have knownimmune-enhancing properties.Weight & Cancer ConnectionBreast cancer is the most prevalent typeof cancer in women, and generally arisesin mid-life. It is about 100 times less commonin men. Certain dietary habits havebeen associated with an increased risk ofbreast cancer, but this does not includethe intake of dairy foods. In fact, a largemulti-year study reported no consistentassociation between the risk of breastcancer and the consumption of dairyproducts. 6Excess weight is one of the better documentedrisk factors associated with an increasedcancer risk for men and women.According to the WHO, a Western diethigh in calories, fat and refined carbohydrates,combined with a lack of exercise,is responsible for the increase in obesityand cancer.Post-menopausal women are especiallyprone to weight gain—at a time whentheir risk of cancer is also increasing. Calcium-richdairy products have repeatedlybeen shown to help improve body compositionwhen included in a reduced fatand calorie diet. And just recently, a newstudy out of Australia reported evengreater weight loss when people on alower calorie diet ate five instead of threedaily servings of dairy products. Thebioactive peptides in dairy work togetherwith the natural calcium component tohelp increase weight loss, a result thatcannot be duplicated when dairy is replacedwith calcium supplements.Switching from a Western diet to a lowercaloriediet rich in low-fat dairy productsis one way to help look and feel betterwhile at the same time reducing cancerrisk.An added benefit of weight loss is a reducedrisk of heart disease. A body massindex of 25 or greater is a powerful predictorof hypertension and heart diseaseand increases risk by more than 40%. 7Cancer is often treated with chemotherapy,the side-effects of which includenausea, poor appetite and reduced immunity.Nutrition supplements formulatedwith whey protein provide an easy-to-digestsource of high-quality protein andare often recommended during the treatmentphase to help prevent muscle losswhile enhancing the immune system.Age-Related ChangesHormonal changes later in life have varyingeffects, some of which can be life-altering,such as osteoporosis. Menopausehas been shown to be the most importantrisk factor for bone loss in women. Duringtheir lifetime women lose approximately30−50% of their bone surface and bonetissue, and roughly half of this loss occursafter menopause. 8Osteoporosis is generally viewed as a “femaleissue” but it is a growing concernamong men. As men live longer the issuewill become even more apparent. Boneloss in men happens at a slower rate dueto their larger skeletons. Men aren’t affectedby hormonal changes in their 50’slike women, but by ages 65−70 men andwomen have equal rates of bone loss.11 USDECNews | September 2009