Not only does whey have excellent processing properties, it is also a far more versatile component in our diets than most people might think.

The wide range of positive qualities and effects of whey - appreciated even back in ancient times - are what makes whey and whey products so nutritionally valuable. A fact which extensive research has repeatedly proved.

Because of their amino-acid composition, whey proteins, a key constituent in whey, are among the most valuable of dietary proteins. The high concentration of essential amino acids they contain mean these proteins are an ideal addition to others, especially vegetable proteins, which they enhance considerably. Table 2 provides a comparison with other dietary proteins. This comparison uses sweet whey, the type of whey most frequently used in food production, and illustrates just how valuable whey is in terms of its nutritional value. Sweet whey is rich in vitamins, most notably B-group vitamins, the most prominent of which are B2, B12, B1 and B6.

The FAO's recommendation for adults and the concentration of essential amino acids [mg AS/g crude protein] in a selection of food proteins
Amino Acid	FAO Recommendation	Sweet whey *	Whole egg	Beef		Wheat* (whole grain)
His	16	24	22	34		24
Ile	13	71	54	48		46
Leu	19	117	86	81		78
Lys	16	96	70	89		32
Met+Cys	17	34	57	40		43
Phe+Tyr	19	80	93	80		90
Thr	9	85	47	46		37
Trp	5	21	17	12		13
Val	13	76	66	50		53
Total	127	604	512	479		416
* calculation based on data contained in: "The Composition of Food, Nutritional-Value Tables", 5th edition, published by the German Research Institute for Food Chemistry, Garching bei München, 1994