Amino acids in buttermilk and skim milk with added whey
What it found
Buttermilk has less of every essential amino acid than skim milk, even though their protein content is nearly the same.
Adding whey protein hydrolysate to a buttermilk and skim milk mix raised the amino acids enough for the authors to call it functional.
What they found
Buttermilk vs skim milk
Buttermilk and skim milk had almost the same protein content, 3.09 and 3.36 grams per 100 grams. Yet buttermilk had less of every essential amino acid, which the authors link to differences in the types of proteins in each.
Whey hydrolysate amino acids
Per 100 grams, the whey protein hydrolysate supplied 50.6 to 168.0% of the adequate daily intake of essential amino acids. Skim milk supplied only 3.0 to 22.3%, and buttermilk only 2.6 to 19.9%.
Functional claim for the mix
The authors say a 1:1 buttermilk and skim milk base with 3% whey protein hydrolysate can be called a functional product for valine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, tryptophan and tyrosine. A 200 gram portion gives 15% of the adequate daily intake of these amino acids.
Labeling suggestion
The authors suggest adding to the label that the product is low-fat, low-calorie, contains only natural sugars and is a protein source for people whose protein requirement does not exceed 99 grams per day.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude that the amino acid composition of a 1:1 buttermilk and skim milk mix with 3% whey protein hydrolysate can be presented as a functional product for valine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, tryptophan and tyrosine.
- They say a 200 gram portion provides 15% of the adequate daily intake of these essential amino acids.
- They advise adding information to the label such as low-fat, low-calorie, contains only natural sugars and a source of protein for people whose protein requirement does not exceed 99 grams per day.
How it was done
Many people's diets have the wrong balance of protein and essential amino acids, so the authors wanted to see whether a drink made from skim milk and buttermilk with added whey protein hydrolysate could help fill that gap.
They tested skim milk, buttermilk and a 1:1 mix of the two, then added 1 to 3% whey protein hydrolysate (about 60% of peptide bonds broken) to the same bases. They measured the amino acid composition using high performance liquid chromatography.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This was a lab analysis of amino acid levels, not a study in people, so it cannot show any health effect of drinking the product.
- It does not show whether people would absorb or use these amino acids the same way as measured in the lab.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- The authors declare no overt and potential conflict of interest related to the publication of this article.
- Authors work at
- Vologda State Dairy Farming Academy named after N.V. Vereshchagin, Russia; All-Russian Scientific Research Institute of Butter- and Cheesemaking - Branch of V.M. Gorbatov Federal Research Center for Food Systems of RAS, Russia
The paper
- Title
- [Analysis of amino acid composition of skim milk and buttermilk for the production of dairy drink when introducing whey protein hydrolysate]
- Type
- Study
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Novokshanova AL, Topnikova EV, Ababkova AA (2019). [Analysis of amino acid composition of skim milk and buttermilk for the production of dairy drink when introducing whey protein hydrolysate]. Voprosy pitaniia. doi:10.24411/0042-8833-2019-10034PubMed 31265780DOI
Summary written 26 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error