Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 Feb 9;7(2):1131-43.
doi: 10.3390/nu7021131.

Effect of whey supplementation on circulating C-reactive protein: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Ling-Mei Zhou  1 , Jia-Ying Xu  2 , Chun-Ping Rao  3 , Shufen Han  4 , Zhongxiao Wan  5 , Li-Qiang Qin  6   7
Affiliations
Review

Effect of whey supplementation on circulating C-reactive protein: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Ling-Mei Zhou et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Whey supplementation is beneficial for human health, possibly by reducing the circulating C-reactive protein (CRP) level, a sensitive marker of inflammation. Thus, a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted to evaluate their relationship. A systematic literature search was conducted in July, 2014, to identify eligible studies. Either a fixed-effects model or a random-effects model was used to calculate pooled effects. The meta-analysis results of nine trials showed a slight, but no significant, reduction of 0.42 mg/L (95% CI -0.96, 0.13) in CRP level with the supplementation of whey protein and its derivates. Relatively high heterogeneity across studies was observed. Subgroup analyses showed that whey significantly lowered CRP by 0.72 mg/L (95% CI -0.97, -0.47) among trials with a daily whey dose≥20 g/day and by 0.67 mg/L (95% CI -1.21, -0.14) among trials with baseline CRP≥3 mg/L. Meta-regression analysis revealed that the baseline CRP level was a potential effect modifier of whey supplementation in reducing CRP. In conclusion, our meta-analysis did not find sufficient evidence that whey and its derivates elicited a beneficial effect in reducing circulating CRP. However, they may significantly reduce CRP among participants with highly supplemental doses or increased baseline CRP levels.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow chart of study selection.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Meta-analysis of the effect of whey supplementation on circulating CRP level as compared with the control. WMD, weighted mean difference.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Sousa G.T., Lira F.S., Rosa J.C., de Oliveira E.P., Oyama L.M., Santos R.V., Pimentel G.D. Dietary whey protein lessens several risk factors for metabolic diseases: A review. Lipids Health Dis. 2012;11:67. doi: 10.1186/1476-511X-11-67. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tong X., Li W., Xu J.Y., Han S., Qin L.Q. Effects of whey protein and leucine supplementation on insulin sensitivity in non-obese insulin-resistant model rats. Nutrition. 2014;30:1076–1080. doi: 10.1016/j.nut.2014.01.013. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Qin L.Q., Xu J.Y., Dong J.Y., Zhao Y., van Bladeren P., Zhang W. Lactotripeptides intake and blood pressure management: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials. Nutr. Metab. Cardiovasc. Dis. 2013;23:395–402. doi: 10.1016/j.numecd.2013.02.006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Broekhuizen R., Wouters E.F., Creutzberg E.C., Schols A.M. Raised CRP levels mark metabolic and functional impairment in advanced COPD. Thorax. 2006;61:17–22. doi: 10.1136/thx.2005.041996. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ridker P.M. Clinical application of C-reactive protein for cardiovascular disease detection and prevention. Circulation. 2003;107:363–369. doi: 10.1161/01.CIR.0000053730.47739.3C. - DOI - PubMed