Whey protein (low carbs) and hot water

(Doing a Mediterranean Keto) #1

I am using whey protein as a “pleasure”. The chocolate taste of several brands is decent, and carbs and sugar are quite low.

The other day, I mixed the whey protein with very hot water, and instead of dissolving, it created a quite thick paste. I found it surprisingly interesting in texture, and better than liquid.

Of course, it does not have the creaminess of a mousse, but it was good enough.

But googling, I saw some references to “denaturing” of the whey protein when heating to high temperatures. Could it be that with the very hot water, the whey protein loses some properties? Or it should be OK?

(Laurie) #2

The way I understand it, yes, the thickening indicates denaturing, and a decrease in usable protein.

(Allie) #3

Always let the water cool a bit before mixing with whey. I make hot chocolate this way, and add it to coffee too.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #4


39%20AM

Thank you for bringing this matter to general attention. I for one use powdered whey protein as a protein source in my daily morning coffee, which I generally drink hot - about 70°-80°C. If due to indirect heating - I add heated coffee to a mix of whey and melted fats - I’m actually not getting as much protein as I calculate, then I need to figure out how much I am getting.

The article I’ve posted here seems quite thorough in its analysis - but I’m afraid it’s a bit beyond my capacity to determine just how much usable whey protein remains in my coffee after mixing. Anyone who can do so, please help me figure it out by simplifying and/or deciphering this article. For example, if I’m losing half the protein due to heat, then I have to double the amount I use. Thanks.

PS: Am I correct to conclude that ‘denaturing’ renders the whey protein indigestible? What happens to the amino acids of ‘denatured whey’ proteins? Do they just pass through?

PPS: For a couple of months I experimented with eating my whey/fats mix separately like pudding and drinking my coffee black along with it. I did this as an experiment for summer coffee drinking when many times I like to have cold rather than hot coffee. My mix won’t mix into cold coffee. In a worst case scenario where adding hot coffee to the mix destroys a major portion of the protein, I could live with eating the mix and drinking my coffee separately.

(Doing a Mediterranean Keto) #5

There are some webpages arguing along the following lines:

Does Hot Water Destroy Whey Protein?

Hot water, below 100 degrees celsius, can cause denaturing which impacts the whey protein’s ability to dissolve in liquid. However, it does not impact the benefits the protein provides when consumed.

If you’ve ever googled why your protein powder gets clumpy in hot water you may have uncovered that heat causes whey protein to denature. This can sound a bit alarming and lead you to wonder whether that whey protein is still just as beneficial to consume. Lucky for you, the answer is no, heat will not destroy the whey protein. Let me explain further.

When whey protein is exposed to high heat, the outside structures of the protein molecules will unfold and aggregate together. This is just a fancy way of saying the molecules will clump together. Research shows that below 100 degrees celsius, these changes are purely cosmetic and do not impact the nutritional benefit the whey protein provides.

Above 100 degrees, there can be some further changes that slightly impact the whey’s nutritional benefits, however, this is nothing to be concerned about. These changes are quite minor and similar to what happens when you cook other protein sources.

It’s also important to remember that you aren’t likely to find your whey heated up to above 100 degrees unless you are baking with it. If you are simply mixing whey with hot water you will be well below this threshold and have nothing to worry about.

https://feastgood.com/whey-protein-with-hot-water/

But I would like to know for sure.

(Michael - When reality fails to meet expectations, the problem is not reality.) #6

@Arbre Thank you very much for the article link.

‘Denaturing’ with heat, then, only affects how well/much the whey powder will mix into any liquid. It does not affect the digestibility nor availability of amino acids. That’s great to know.

By much trial and error over the course of many months I determined for myself that mixing whey into a liquid - like coffee, in my case - can be problematic. I ultimately resorted to using a countertop blender to mix ingredients. It worked, but added another prep step to morning coffee plus another cleanup step. See here, here, here, and here, for examples.

Instead, as I noted above, I’m now preparing the ‘keto mix’ separately from the coffee, then adding the coffee. Alternatively, I just eat the keto mix like pudding and drink the coffee black. I’m sure all the coffee purists here would agree with this option! And have no issues with it either. One can, in truth, taste more of the subtle coffee flavours when there’s nothing but coffee in the cup, after all. :heart_eyes: