Whey Protein: From Sports Nutrition Ingredient To Mass Market Category



In previous years, functional dairy drinks were only known as supplements for better digestive and immune systems. Now, they offer more benefits to improve the lifestyle of consumers. Many dairy drinks available today contain whey protein.

Whey protein is considered more nutritious than any other form of protein. Many clinical documentations show that whey protein offers better benefits in muscle building than other forms of protein. Additionally, various recent studies reveal that whey protein has health benefits when it comes to addressing metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular issues.

Recently, sports nutrition is one of the key trends in functional dairy drinks. It started in bodybuilding market and evolved in mainstream market category. It is now popular to general consumers who are conscious in their diet and lifestyle. As a result, demand for drinks containing high-percentage of whey proteins is growing significantly. 


With or without approved health claims, protein has been proven effective by many studies in maintaining a healthy bodyweight. Protein has been popular in the meal replacement shakes for weight loss but now there is a significant increase in functional dairy drinks containing protein that offer weight management solution designed to fit very well into a normal, healthy diet.
Functional dairy drinks that promote healthy ageing are also gaining popularity, mainly because of the increasing number of senior citizens around the world who want to stay active.

Naturalness is another increasing trend in the beverage and whole food market, including the functional diary drinks category. Whey protein is one of the natural functional ingredients. Natural ingredients are considered as healthy by consumers in many markets across the globe.