Development of a functional whey beverage, containing calcium, vitamin D, and prebiotic dietary fiber, and its influence on human health

This study describes the development of a beverage made from curd whey with the addition of functional ingredients such as calcium, vitamin D3, prebiotic dietary fiber, and its influence on human health. Samples of beverages with added calcium phosphate or calcium lactate were analyzed for the selection of optimal calcium preparation. Quality attributes of beverages were evaluated in their fresh state and during storage at intervals of 15, 30, and 45 days. The beverage with calcium lactate was chosen as the one with most stable quality indices for evaluation of the effect on health status of volunteers (n=30). Five hundred milliliters of beverage were consumed daily by the volunteers over a period of 21 days. A significant decrease in low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol (P < 0.01) and triglycerides (P < 0.01) concentrations after consumption of functional whey beverage with calcium lactate, vitamin D3, and prebiotic dietary fiber was determined.