The Official Aminogen Blog

The Scoop: Single Serve Protein Facts

Not to be missed! From the American College of Nutrition, this paper isn't brand new, but it is chock full of information on whey protein.  Lactalbumin, glycomacropeptides, immunoglobulins and other words you'll want to throw around the gym... just kidding.  But you will want to know more about these powerful components of whey.

The Scoop: Single Serve Protein Facts

A Better Whey to Get Full-Fat Flavor

Undoubtedly, milk fat has benefits. But there are still plenty of people looking for low fat foods. If you are formulating a product and you need to reduce the fat content, consider using whey.

A recent study in the LWT- Food Science and Technology finds that replacing some of the milk fat in yogurt with whey protein produced superior sensory and functional properties such as firmness over traditional fat- replacers like hydrocolloids. Swapping whey protein for fat may work for cheese too!

The Scoop: Single-Serve Protein Facts

Think Fast. Danish researchers publishing in the journal Clinical Nutrition report that a high-protein diet increased reaction time when compared to an average-protein diet.

They postulate that increases in plasma levels of branched-chain amino acids and phenylalanine in the high protein group may account for the improved reaction times, since these amino acids are known to play a role in neurotransmitter metabolism, cognitive function and brain cell repair.

Want to test your own?  Take this reaction-time test next time you whip up your favorite protein drink.

[Note: No sheep were harmed in the making of this reaction-time test.]

The Scoop: Single Serve Protein Facts

"Both quality protein intake and frequency are positively associated with favorable body composition and bone health."

That's the conclusion from this study published in the December Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism. Researchers found that the number of times each day subjects took in at least 10 grams of essential amino acids from quality protein directly correlated with improvements in lean mass, bone mineral density and bone mineral content.

The link between lean muscle and bone health is clear. For Aminogen fans who know that the enzyme was shown to increase levels of amino acids by 100 percent, and branched-chain amino acids by 250 percent, this is good news!

The Scoop: Single Serve Protein Facts

We already know that that muscles are an important part of the immune system, and that branched-chain amino acid arginine is a precursor of nitric oxide (which is antimicrobial).  Now researchers are figuring out just how arginine works as part of the immune system, above and beyond nitric oxide production.  

Turns out, this amino acid signals immune system cells called macrophages to start doing their thing.  (Think of a macrophage as a cellular-sized, disease-chomping pac-man).  These guys help to get rid of invading cells and bacteria - and arginine seems to really get macrophages moving.  In fact, scientists reported in the August 17th issue of Science Signaling that adding arginine to the diet of malnourished mice improved their immune response. They theorize arginine does this through three different mechanisms: nitric oxide production, cytokine stimulation and macrophage signaling. 

The Scoop: Single Serving Protein Facts

Ever wonder what an amino acid looks like?  Sure, you may have seen the molecular structure of an amino acid as they are typically represented in textbooks, etc., but how about an actual picture?

Check out these amazing pictures taken with a microscope, from the Florida State University Research Foundation and Micheal W. Davidson.

The Scoop: Single Serving Protein Facts

The amino acid arginine is used to make nitric oxide (NO) in the body.  Nitric oxide is an important gas- signaling molecule that promotes the relaxation of smooth muscle, and therefore vasodilation.  Bodybuilders like to increase their vasodilation to get that "pumped" look, fireflies use it to light up, and without it, mice age and die prematurely.

One way to increase your nitric oxide?  Breath in through your nose, where your body's highest concentration of nitric oxide can be found.  Also good to know: In a clinical study Aminogen was shown to increase branched-chain amino acids, including arginine, by 250 percent.

 

The Scoop: Single Serving Protein Facts

If you thought ordering your steak rare was daring, check out what human ancestors were doing two million years ago.  Archeologists from Johns Hopkins have discovered evidence that hominids from this time feasted on such sources of protein as sea turtles and alligators.  They speculate that the increased protein may have eventually led to larger brain size.