Effects of Whey Protein, Carbohydrate, and Fibre Combination on Health Indicators: A Systematic Review

Abstract

This systematic review has synthesised the available evidence on healthy indicators of whey protein combined with carbohydrates and fibre intake in adults, providing a comprehensive overview of existing research. For this purpose, a comprehensive search was performed across the following databases to retrieve all relevant studies (n = 21; Kappa = 0.758): Scopus®, EBSCOhost, and PubMed®. The studies included, which involved both athletic and non-athletic participants, argue that the intake of whey protein and carbohydrates has a positive impact on the average blood glucose and insulin response, while others have found no significant effects. When projecting the research toward the health benefits of whey protein and fibre consumption, the divergence decreased. Researchers demonstrate that the whey-protein-with-fibre combination intake improves glycemic control more effectively than consuming whey protein or carbohydrate alone. One potential approach is the balance by incorporating fibre, which may help mitigate adverse effects, contributing to reducing hepatic toxicity, caused by whey protein intake, due to dietary fibre’s ability to promote partial nutrient absorption. These findings support the use of whey protein and fibre combination as an efficient dietary approach to improved functional food formulations designed for specific health outcomes such as supporting chronic disease prevention and health-promoting diets worldwide. Nevertheless, there are a few limitations in the research, such as the heterogeneity of population characteristics, participants’ diet, and lifestyle.