Whey Protein Micro-Filtered Isolates:

This takes us nicely into looking at the micro filtered whey isolates. With the array of more recent processing techniques used to make WPI's - or pull out various subfractions - such as Cross Flow Micro filtration (CFM®) ultra filtration (UF), micro filtration (MF), reverse osmosis (RO), dynamic membrane filtration (DMF), ion exchange chromatography, (IEC), electro-ultrafiltration (EU), radial flow chromatography (RFC) and nano filtration (NF), manufacturers can now make some very high grade and unique whey proteins.

Perhaps the most familiar micro filtered isolate to readers, would be CFM®.

Although the term "cross flow micro filtered" is something of a generic term for several similar ways of processing whey, the CFM® processing method uses a low temperature micro filtration techniques that allows for the production of very high protein contents (>90%), the retention of important subfractions, extremely low fat and lactose contents, with virtually no undenatured proteins.

CFM® is a natural non-chemical process which employs high tech ceramic filters, unlike ion exchange, which involves the use of chemical regents such as hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide. CFM® whey isolate also contains high amounts of calcium and low amounts of sodium.

The Future For Whey

There are several interesting directions in the development and processing of the next generation of whey proteins.

Optimizing Sub Fraction Ratios:

Another fairly new development in whey processing is the ability to isolate out certain bio active sub fraction proteins on a large scale from whey proteins, such as lactoferrin or Glycomacro peptide, using some of the processing methods mentioned above.

This was not possible to do on a large scale just a few years ago but can be done today with modern filtering techniques employed by a small number of companies.

This allows for a truly tailored protein supplement; the ability to add back in certain subfractions in amounts that can't be found in nature. Take for example the subfraction lactoferrin. In many whey products, it is nonexistent due to the type of processing employed.

The best whey products will contain less than 1% lactoferrin and more like .5% of this rare but important micro-fraction. Some companies are now able to add in a specific subfraction to get a truly "designer" protein.

One company is also working on making an isolate that will have higher levels of the beneficial subfraction, alpha-lactalbumin, and lower levels of the more allergenic and less nutritive subfraction, Beta-lactoglobulin. "High alpha-lac" whey isolates would be potentially superior to what is currently on the market in large scale production.

On the concentrate front, there is a company that is producing a concentrate with much higher levels of the aforementioned growth factors (IGF-1, TGF-1, and TGF-2), and other bio active compounds, such as various phospholipids, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), immunoglobulins, and lactoferrin and has a fat content of approx 15%, which is 5-10% higher in fat than most concentrates, but it's the fat that contains those compounds.

Hydrolyzed Proteins Make A Comeback:

Most people remember hydrolyzed proteins were all the rage a few years ago, then dropped off sharply. "Hydrolyzed" basically means the protein has been 'broken down' partially into peptides of different lengths.

Because the protein is already partially 'broken down' it is absorbed faster, which may have positive effects under certain circumstances, such certain metabolic conditions (i.e., burn victims or people with certain digestive disorders and pre-term infants).

Whether or not hydrolyzed proteins are truly an advantage to athletes has yet to be proven. The hype over hydrolyzed proteins was based pretty much on one rat study that found fasted rats given Hydrolyzed protein had higher nitrogen retention then rats fed whole protein.

Too bad no one ever followed up with a human study with athletes showing the same thing. Regardless, the reason Hydrolyzed protein supplements never became more popular was due to the fact they tasted awful, were expensive, and lacked enough data to really support its use.

The way they were produced at the time also denatured the protein heavily. One company has a method for Hydrolyzing whey protein that uses an enzymatic process that tastes OK and does not denature the protein.

It also appears to be fairly cost effective. This type of Hydrolyzed whey may have some interesting, albeit poorly researched, applications for bodybuilders and other athletes.