Demand for plant proteins — and not just soy, but pea, seed, bean and more — is reinvigorating the sector in whole new ways. While a 2015 report by the research firm MarketsandMarkets predicted dairy proteins will reach a value of $18 billion by 2020, plant proteins are hardly far behind. Mordor Intelligence research from 2017 estimates their value will top $14 million by 2022.

Providing a complete protein is one of the many qualities that makes dairy indispensable. These high-quality proteins that function across broad applications make dairy ingredients attractive to a wide audience. This is important as the demand for high-protein products continues to grow and protein inclusion in products becomes an expectation. Now brands are striving for robust claims to satisfy their protein-hungry customers.

The World Health Organization predicts that the percent of the world’s population over 60 years of age will nearly double in the next 35 years, growing to 22% in 2050 from 12% in 2015.

Protein may be a macronutrient the deficiency of which portends dire consequences for health. But it is amply represented in the American diet already. A 2015 analysis of the 2007-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey found that American men consume, on average, close to 100 grams of protein per day — nearly double the 56 grams generally recommended for the group.

Research and product innovation can help consumers incorporate whey protein into their diets. The result? People will lose more fat, maintain more lean muscle or both.