Whey: Encyclopedia - Whey

Whey

Whey or milk plasma is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained; it is a by-product of the manufacture of cheese or casein and has several commercial uses. Whey is used to produce ricotta and gjetost cheeses and is used to make many other products for human consumption and as an animal feed.

The whey protein separated from this mixture is often sold as a nutritional supplement. In addition, liquid whey contains lactose, vitamins, and minerals along with traces of fat. Researchers at Lund University in Sweden discovered that whey appears to stimulate insulin release. Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition[1] they also discovered that whey supplements can help regulate spikes in blood sugar levels among people with type 2 diabetes.

As the most commonly used curdling agent is rennet, neither whey, curd, nor cheese automatically qualify as vegetarian foods. Vegetarians generally use vegetable-source rennet or lemon juice (or pure citric acid or sulfuric acid) to separate milk into curds and whey.

An allergic reaction to whey is fairly common.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Whey", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki