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tract, cysteine rapidly oxidizes and generates free RAW EGG WHITE: TRUSTY SIDEKICK?
radicals that can wreak havoc on the delicate The researchers searched over thirty publi-
structures of our cells and tissues. Consequently, cations identifying the sequences of edible plant
our bodies don’t let free cysteine linger, and when and animal proteins and concluded that the only
we eat lots of it, we convert the excess to taurine two types of protein in the food supply contain-
and sulfate and get rid of it. ing these unique bonds are whey proteins and
Never fear! There is more to the story than egg white proteins. They observed the following:
regular ol’ animal protein. Valiant, free-radical- “It may also be noteworthy that from time
wrestling, toxicant-thwarting raw milk and her immemorial, whey from raw milk or undena-
courageous army of raw food volunteers are here tured raw egg white have been administered
to rack up our glutathione points even higher. to children and to the sick as prophylactic or
therapeutic measures in folk medicine.”
UNDENATURED WHEY PROTEINS I have heard of a number of cases of people
SAVE THE DAY benefiting from raw egg whites in their diet. It
In the late 1980s, a group of researchers from should be noted, however, that raw egg whites
the Montreal General Hospital Research Institute contain substances that inhibit digestion and de-
and McGill University compared the ability of crease the availability of biotin. Some people may
different proteins to stimulate immune function benefit from their apparent glutathione-boosting
in mice. They kept the level of protein constant ability, and this may be especially important for
at 20 percent, but varied the type of protein, people who cannot tolerate milk, but in others
testing casein, soy, wheat, corn, egg white, fish, the risk of biotin deficiency or digestive troubles
beef, spirulina, another alga called scenedesmus, might outweigh this benefit. Intestinal flora
and, finally, whey. The whey protein promoted produce biotin, and egg yolks are loaded with
better immune function than all of the other it. Maintaining proper intestinal flora and eat-
proteins, and it achieved this marvelous feat by ing plenty of egg yolks may allow some people
increasing the amount of glutathione available to reap the benefits of raw egg whites if they do
to the spleen, allowing the rapid multplication not have trouble digesting them.
of immune-enhancing white blood cells.
In 1991, however, these researchers stumbled ATTACK OF ULTRA-HIGH
upon a critical discovery: whey proteins only TEMPERATURES
boost glutathione status in their raw, undenatured As milk is heated, the delicate whey proteins
state. They made this discovery by complete denature and start to associate with the casein
accident when a shipment of whey protein from fraction. Even the small amount of heat involved
Denmark mysteriously lacked the glutathione- in pasteurization decreases the whey protein In 1991
promoting activity of the preparation they had concentration of milk, but ultra-high temperature researchers
been using before. So they put a number of whey (UHT) pasteurization and sterilization cause stumbled
proteins to the test by feeding them to mice and the worst declines. Figure 1 reflects data from a
measuring the concentrations of glutathione in study for which milk was purchased from sev- upon a
their livers and hearts. Only their original prepa- eral sources, each prepared in a different way. It critical
ration boosted glutathione status. What turned shows the percentage of total protein in the milk discovery:
out to be the difference? Most of the products represented by whey proteins. Since the different
had undergone much more extensive heat treat- milks were from different sources, the difference whey proteins
ment, causing two very delicate proteins, beta- could reflect both the heat treatment and the fact only boost
lactoglobulin and serum albumin, to head for that the milk came from different cows that may glutathione
the highway. These two proteins contain unique have otherwise been treated differently. In any
glutamyl-cysteine bonds that resist digestion case, it suggests the pasteurized milk we buy at status in
and enter the blood stream intact. The glutamyl- the store has much less whey protein than the their raw,
cysteine bond is two-thirds of a glutathione raw milk we get from the farm. undenatured
molecule, and thus much more easily turned into Since pasteurization decreases the total
glutathione itself. protein content of the milk, the concentration of state.

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