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For most people, the question isn't whether to use whey but which grade to choose. These are the questions our naturopaths ask in store before you look at brands.

A good fit if

• Dairy sits well with you and you want a complete protein in the grade that digests fastest
• Bigger amounts of dairy don't sit well, but a coffee or a yoghurt is fine. A low-lactose isolate is the sensible grade to try
• You'd rather have a plain powder with a short ingredient list than an all-in-one formula with a long one
• You already eat enough protein most days and want one reliable top-up for the days you don't
• You want to understand what each grade actually changes before you choose

Check with us first if

• You're lactose intolerant. Concentrate has the most lactose, and no whey grade is certified lactose-free. healthdirect notes most people can manage about half a cup of milk at a time, but everyone's limit is different.
• You have irritable bowel symptoms. Lactose is only one trigger. The gums, sweeteners and sugar alcohols in flavoured whey are other common ones.
• You have, or have had, kidney or liver disease. How much protein you should have in total is a medical decision for your doctor.
• You're tested under an anti-doping code. Check the batch-testing status of any whey powder before you use it.
• You're buying from an overseas website. Those products aren't regulated in Australia for quality or safety, and independent testing has found detectable lead or cadmium in most of the powders sampled.
• You have a soy or egg allergy. Whey powders often contain soy lecithin to help them mix, and some list egg, so read the allergen statement rather than assuming a dairy powder only contains dairy.
• You take prescription medicines. Check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before starting.

• Whey protein concentrate (WPC). Best known for: The default grade. It's standardised at up to 80 per cent protein, with the milk fat, minerals and lactose that filtering left behind. Absorption: Fast. Lactose is the biggest part of what isn't protein, so concentrate is the grade a lactose-sensitive person notices first. Typical use: The everyday choice if you handle dairy comfortably and want a simple protein top-up.
• Whey protein isolate (WPI). Best known for: About 90 per cent protein, because extra filtering removes almost all of the lactose, fat and minerals. Absorption: Fast, and the lowest-lactose whey grade. It's still a milk protein, so it isn't an option if you have a cow's milk protein allergy. Typical use: Suits lactose sensitivity, and anyone watching the carbohydrate or fat in a serve.
• Whey protein hydrolysate (WPH). Best known for: Whey already broken into shorter peptides by enzymes before you drink it, which makes it the fastest-absorbing grade. Absorption: The fastest of the three. Noticeably bitter, which is why it's usually blended with isolate rather than sold on its own. Typical use: The evidence that it does better than isolate on real results is inconclusive, so treat it as a choice about texture and speed, not results.
• Native whey protein. Best known for: Filtered straight from skim milk rather than recovered from the whey left over from cheesemaking. Absorption: Skips the heat and acid of cheesemaking, so more of the protein stays in its natural state. A higher leucine content is the usual claim made for it. Typical use: Uncommon and premium in Australia. Human data comparing it with ordinary whey is thin, so the evidence doesn't yet set it apart.
• Grass-fed whey. Best known for: A claim about how the cows were fed, not a filtration grade. Grass-fed whey can be concentrate, isolate or hydrolysate. Absorption: No different from the same grade of regular whey. Pasture feeding changes the milk fat, and an isolate has had almost all its fat removed anyway. Typical use: Judge the tub on its grade and protein per serve first, then on sourcing if that matters to you.

Reference values. Whey protein isn't a nutrient in its own right, so the NHMRC doesn't set a Nutrient Reference Value for it. Australia's protein reference values apply to your total daily protein from all foods, whey included.

Typical supplemental range. The International Society of Sports Nutrition suggests an effective single serve is 0.25 g of high-quality protein per kilogram of body weight, or 20 to 40 g containing 700 to 3,000 mg of leucine. That sits within a daily intake of 1.4 to 2.0 g of protein per kilogram for people who train. The grade changes how much protein you get per scoop. A 30 g scoop of an 80 per cent concentrate gives you roughly 24 g of protein, while the same scoop of a 90 per cent isolate gives you roughly 27 g.

Upper level. There's no Upper Level of Intake for whey. In practice, what limits a single serve is how comfortable your gut feels, not any safety limit, and it's usually the lactose and the flavourings that set that limit, not the protein.

Worth knowing. Check which grade the ingredients list actually starts with. A tub can say isolate on the front and list concentrate first in the ingredients, and the order of ingredients tells you what you're drinking. Whey only helps if you're short on protein, and past about 1.6 grams per kilo a day, more adds nothing. Training is what builds the muscle. What you need depends on your age, diet and health, so talk to one of our naturopaths.

Food first, where the diet allows it.

• Cow's milk: the source of all whey; whey is the fraction that stays dissolved when the casein curdles: 1 cup (250 mL)
• Ricotta: a whey cheese, made by heating the whey drained off other cheeses rather than from curd: 1/2 cup
• Natural and Greek yoghurt: the thin liquid that pools on top of the tub is whey: 200 g tub
• Milk powder and milk-based drinks: carry both milk protein fractions in the ratio of the milk they came from: varies by product
• Fresh curd cheeses such as cottage cheese: mostly casein, with residual whey held in the moisture: 1/2 cup

If any of these sound like you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before you start.

• You have a cow's milk protein allergy. Every whey grade is milk protein, including isolate and hydrolysate. It isn't suitable.
• You're lactose intolerant. Concentrate has the most lactose; isolate and hydrolysate are low-lactose but aren't certified lactose-free.
• You have a soy or egg allergy. Soy lecithin is a common emulsifier in whey powders and some products declare egg, so check the allergen statement.
• You have, or have had, kidney or liver disease. Talk to your doctor about your total protein intake first.
• You're pregnant. A product labelled as a formulated supplementary sports food must say it isn't suitable for pregnant women except under medical or dietetic supervision.
• Children and teenagers under 15. The same required statement applies to formulated supplementary sports foods.
• You have irritable bowel symptoms. Lactose, polyols and gums in flavoured powders are common triggers.
• You compete under an anti-doping code. Check for batch testing before use.
• You're buying from overseas websites. Those products aren't regulated in Australia for quality or safety.
• Heavy metals. A 2018 survey found detectable lead or cadmium in over 70 per cent of protein powders.
• If you take prescription medicines, check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths before starting.