Whey, a protein complex derived from milk, is being touted as a functional food with a number of health benefits. The biological components of whey, including lactoferrin, beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, glycomacropeptide, and immunoglobulins, demonstrate a range of immune-enhancing properties. In addition, whey has the ability to act as an antioxidant, antihypertensive, antitumor, hypolipidemic, antiviral, antibacterial, and chelating agent. The primary mechanism by which whey is thought to exert its effects is by intracellular conversion of the amino acid cysteine to glutathione, a potent intracellular antioxidant. A number of clinical trials have successfully been performed using whey in the treatment of cancer, HIV, hepatitis B, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and as an antimicrobial agent. Whey protein has also exhibited benefit in the arena of exercise performance and enhancement.
Whey can also be incorporated in to different food products to increase the nutrient level of the food products and several positive impacts could be brought about in food products by incorporating whey. Several previous researches have been carried out by altering different characteristics of whey. Possibility of incorporating whey in to cheese has been studied. The effect of the diameter of whey protein aggregate on the gel firmness has been studied. Regardless of whey origin, adding larger-diameter whey protein aggregates to cheese milk had no negative impact on rennet-induced coagulation, whereas smaller aggregates decreased curd firmness. Adding whey protein aggregates to milk increased cheese yield and moisture, and the dispersion method had no influence on these parameters, suggesting that a valve homogenizer is not required, which simplifies the process for artisanal cheese production and it also has been found that the acid gels from milk with added whey protein had higher gel stiffness and yield stresses than those without added whey protein.