MERKURY ARENA LABS
(Whey protein with DHA)
What is Whey Protein Made From?
As mentioned earlier, whey protein is a high quality protein supplement derived from cow's milk. Milk contains two types of proteins- Casein and Whey Protein in the ratio of 80:20 respectively. Technically speaking, whey protein is a mixture of globular proteins isolated from whey, the liquid material created as a by-product of cheese production. The casein (or curd) and a portion of the milk-fat are churned out to make cheese. Many specialty filters are used to separate whey protein from the remaining liquid whey. The concentrated liquid is then further concentrated to get pure whey protein. It is then dried and packed to be sold as whey protein powder.
Uses of WHEY Protein Powder

• Taking protein powder every day can boost immune system health.
• It also helps in facilitating the healing of wounds after surgery or injury.
• It promotes healthy skin.
• It helps in muscle strength and development.

Benefits of Whey Protein
As whey protein is a high quality, complete natural protein, with all the essential amino acids, it is considered the richest known source of naturally occurring branched chain amino acids (leucine, isoleucine and valine). Therefore, it is recommended for active individuals and people who need to improve their overall health due to its many benefits.

• Whey protein stimulates protein synthesis that speeds up recovery and adaptation to stress.
• Considerable amounts of whey protein can increase cellular glutathione levels. Glutathione is an antioxidant responsible for defending the body against free radical damage and toxins.
• Some studies in animals have suggested that milk proteins might reduce the risk of cancer. Whey protein is essentially a milk protein.
• Whey protein plays an important role as an antioxidant to help increase body immune system.
• Consistent whey protein intake combined with exercise lead to consistent muscle building.
• Whey protein might help T-cell activity and can also decrease wasting tissue.

Side Effects of Whey Protein
Although whey protein is one of the most excellent forms of protein, it can have dangerous side effects if taken excessively and even in normal situations like for people who are lactose intolerant.

• Many people cannot tolerate milk or other dairy products that contain lactose. These people have what is called lactose intolerance. Such lactose intolerant people may develop allergic reactions after having whey protein which is made from milk. However, two forms of this protein- whey protein isolates and hydrolysates- are processed to remove the fat, and lactose and therefore they might not cause allergy to such people who can't tolerate milk products.
• Whey protein consumed in very high quantities can affect kidney functions negatively.
• Extremely high doses of whey protein exerts unbearable pressure on liver and may lead to liver damage.
• Again, if whey protein is taken excessively, it can lead to an imbalance of minerals in the bones causing loss of bone mineral density. This can result into osteoporosis.

Thus, excessive whey protein intake should be avoided to keep its side effects at bay. Generally, it is recommended to take about 1 gram of protein (or a little less) per pound of one's body weight. Training athletes may consume 25 grams of whey protein per day. Bodybuilders who want some serious body muscle gains may consume 150 grams per day but only if they exercise heavily.

DHA
The omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is crucial for the healthy structure and function of the brain. An optimal intake of (DHA) is especially essential for pregnant and nursing mothers to ensure adequate brain development in their children.
DHA Supports Brain Development and Protects Neurological Function
One of the major building blocks of the brain, the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is critical for optimal brain health and function at all ages of life. Researchers are now finding that DHA provides brain-boosting benefits in infants and aging adults. Recognizing DHA’s crucial role in neurological and visual development in infants, manufacturers are rushing to incorporate DHA into infant formulas and baby foods. Similarly, adults seeking to stave off psychiatric and neurological ailments such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease are now paying careful attention to their DHA intake.Here, we’ll discuss DHA’s integral role in ensuring optimal cognitive and neurological health.
DHA and Brain Development
One of the major building blocks of the brain, the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is critical for optimal brain health and function at all ages of life. Researchers are now finding that DHA provides brain-boosting benefits in infants and aging adults. Recognizing DHA’s crucial role in neurological and visual development in infants, manufacturers are rushing to incorporate DHA into infant formulas and baby foods. Similarly, adults seeking to stave off psychiatric and neurological ailments such as depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and Alzheimer’s disease are now paying careful attention to their DHA intake.Here, we’ll discuss DHA’s integral role in ensuring optimal cognitive and neurological health. DHA and Brain Development
A growing number of studies in both human infants and animals are showing a strong correlation between the intake of omega-3 oils, especially DHA, and cognitive function, visual acuity, and overall brain development.13-15 In the human infant, brain development undergoes its most rapid and complex growth during the last trimester of pregnancy and the first two years after birth. This means that during this period the child’s eventual neurological development is highly dependent on its dietary intake of essential nutrients, especially omega-3 oils. Because the fetal and infant brain is unable to convert enough alpha-linolenic oil (an omega-3 oil found in some plant oils) into DHA, the baby almost totally depends on its mother for its supply.16 There is good evidence that the placenta selectively takes up DHA so as to ensure an adequate supply for the growing baby.17,18 Some 70% of energy supply during fetal development is devoted to brain development, and lipids make up 50 to 60% of the structure of the brain, with DHA making up 30% of the brain and 50% of the retina’s structure. However, since the baby depends on the mother for its supply of DHA, omega-3 deficiencies in the mother can lead to increases in DHA deficiency in the infant brain with each successive birth. Studies have shown that brain DHA deficiency is limited to about 30% with the first generation, but by the third generation, brain DHA levels can fall by as much as 85%.19 The average DHA and EPA intake combined in the USA is about 100-200 mg/day, far below the 650 mg of DHA plus EPA that experts recommend for healthy individuals.20 Furthermore, it has been shown that after birth, DHA levels fall between the ages of 6 and 12 months mostly due to low DHA content in most baby foods and formulas,21 which can have a profound effect on postnatal brain development. A study that measured the impact of DHA on visual development in 6-month-old infants found that retinal and visual cortex maturation was greatly improved in infants receiving DHA-enriched egg yolk versus control infants who were deficient in DHA. In fact, the researchers found that even in breast-fed infants, DHA levels fell, whereas levels rose by 34% in the supplemented infants.21 In developing babies, higher levels of DHA levels are needed for the growth of neuronal cells than other brain structures.22 The composition of the membranes of neural cells is under constant reconstruction, and can change drastically with changes in diet. It has been shown that while other fatty acids plateau at birth, DHA levels actually double, mainly during periods of intense nerve cell development, that is, during intense brain growth. Overwhelming evidence for the benefits of DHA comes from a recent review of some 50 studies, which concluded that higher DHA in babies’ diets translates into better brain function, especially for cognitive and visual function.23 Further evidence that DHA may promote healthy nervous system development comes from a recent study in which researchers divided 53 normal, healthy infants into those exclusively breast-fed and those exclusively bottle-fed with a formula containing no DHA. Using assessments of visual, auditory, and sensory perception, they found definite abnormalities in all three tests in the bottle-fed babies at one year of age.24 A devastating consequence of low DHA status is its impact on the development of neurological abnormalities. In another study, researchers measured DHA, essential fatty acids, trans fatty acids, and arachidonic acid levels in the umbilical artery and vein of infants. They found that infants with neurological abnormalities at birth had significantly lower levels of arachidonic acid and DHA and higher trans fatty acid levels.25 In contrast, infants with higher arachidonic acid, DHA, and essential fatty acid levels had more normal neurological function. Editor’s note: While excess levels of arachidonic acid contribute to chronic inflammation in aging humans, arachidonic acid is a critical building block to developing brains. In a further test of cognitive development in infancy, researchers found that maternal and fetal DHA levels measured at birth correlated with attention and distractibility at 12 and 18 months, with those having higher DHA levels fairing better than those with low levels.26 It is also interesting to note that DHA plays a major role in muscle function and coordination in developing infants. A recent study using newborn baboons revealed that the highest levels of DHA are found in the motor control areas of the brain,27 which also play a major role in memory, social development, and behavior. So we see that adequate DHA in the mother’s diet is critical for normal brain development in her babies, and that with the first baby, her DHA level will fall even more because the placenta will preferentially extract the mother’s DHA for the baby. This means that subsequent babies will have even lower DHA levels as the mother’s DHA is further depleted.
The big question is, can developmental problems triggered by low DHA levels be reversed? The evidence seems to indicate, yes. For example, in one study, rats fed low-DHA diets for three generations from birth (producing severe deficiencies in brain DHA levels) and then fed a DHA-enhanced diet for six weeks achieved the same level on testing of spatial learning as animals maintained on an omega-3-adequate diet for three generations.28 A DHA-enriched diet for less than six weeks had no effect.
However, the rate of recovery of brain DHA varies among studies, depending on the experimental animal model and other variables. In another study, rat pups that were fed DHA-depleted diets for two generations followed by an omega-3-containing diet beginning at 15 days after birth began to regain DHA in essential brain structures within one day, but full recovery took one month.29 This slow recovery in rats was confirmed by other scientists.30 In the rhesus monkey, recovery of brain DHA can take as long as 12 weeks.
In addition, the brain recovers its lost DHA slower than peripheral tissues. In one study, the rate of recovery of brain DHA went from 19% at one week, to 35% at two weeks, and to 80% at eight weeks in rats. In the retina, which has an even higher DHA content than the brain, recovery was faster than the brain, reaching 72% at four weeks, and was fully recovered at eight weeks.32 Recovery of DHA by the adult brain, however, is slower and less complete than the infant brain.33