3 Metabolic Benefits Of Eating Whey Protein Powder Daily 

Only 12% of U.S. adults are considered metabolically healthy. So most of us have some room for improvement when it comes to blood sugar, lipids, and blood pressure. And one (very easy) thing you can do to sway your health for the better is to eat more protein—specifically whey protein powder. 

This study is so comprehensive because it's an umbrella systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Interpretation: It's a detailed report that summarizes findings from a bunch of other reports of individual studies.

A scoping analysis like this lets us take a step back to get the full picture of everything we currently know about whey and metabolic health. 

Eating whey protein was consistently found to improve blood glucose (or sugar) levels—including fasting blood sugar, blood sugar after a meal, insulin, and hemoglobin A1c levels (a long-term indicator of blood sugar control).

How does it do that? Like all proteins, whey is composed of a slew of amino acids—including the branched-chain leucine, isoleucine, and valine. These branched-chain amino acids, especially leucine, are known to have a strong positive effect on insulin. (Whey protein is a solid source of leucine compared to plant-based alternatives like soy or pea1.)

Insulin is the hormone responsible for lowering blood sugar when it's elevated (say after a carb-containing meal). You want your body to efficiently trigger the production and release of insulin when this happens, and whey helps that process along. 

Overall, there was convincing evidence showing that whey protein can improve triglyceride levels. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood. Some levels of triglycerides are normal (because fat provides us with energy). But eating sugar-heavy foods or taking in more energy than you burn can cause triglyceride levels to be high, which is concerning for both heart health and liver health2.

Just two of the reviews included in this analysis specifically looked at blood pressure, but results were promising on whey's role in lowering already high levels. 

How does it do that? Whey can help relieve blood pressure by blocking a substance that constricts blood vessels and encouraging another substance (nitric oxide) to help widen blood vessels.

Adding whey protein to your daily menu is such a convenient (and tasty) way to help you reach your daily protein goals (which are higher than you might think) and improve your metabolic health. And let's not forget that being metabolically healthy reduces your risk for chronic conditions like Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.