Casein: Pros and Cons of Consuming

Casein is a type of protein, widely found in milk and cheese. It is known to be the slowest-absorbing protein we consume, and can be found in the “micellar”, “calcium caseinate” or “isolated milk protein” variations.

It has as nutrients a wide variety of essential amino acids, which the body does not produce. It is usually ingested or in the form of food or supplementation before bed, so that the muscles do not go into catabolism with fasting, since their digestion takes hours to finish . But its consumption is controversial and cannot always be considered a health benefit.

What Casein Supplement Is For

The casein supplement is used by people who train weight training to assist in lean muscle mass gain, and prevent muscle loss . It has types of amino acids such as BCAAs: leucine, isoleucine and valine, or glutamine. Casein also reduces tooth erosion and is sometimes used by dentists to treat tooth enamel .

About Casein Intake

Casein intake among those who practice intense physical activity can vary between 1 and 2 g kilo of body weight. The powdered supplement is mixed with water or skimmed milk. Casein has the ability to satiate for a long time. During digestion, it coagulates in the stomach, forming large globules, and forms a kind of gel inside the intestine that is difficult to digest. The intestine absorbs its nutrients little by little into the bloodstream, and studies say it can take up to 7 hours to be fully digested.

In milk, it is the protein in greater proportion, about 80%. This protein, as well as other components of milk, is very inflammatory , which is why its indiscriminate use and large sale and advertising about its supplement products is a matter of concern for health professionals. The consumption of dairy products or regular casein supplements can affect the development of intolerances and indigestion, heartburn, diabetes, heart disease or even cancer.

This is argued because intestinal mucosa is a producer of hormones such as serotonin and digestive enzymes, and inflammation of your villi can impair the functions that these hormones and enzymes have in the body.

Casein tends to be “left over” in the industrial processes of extracting milk proteins , and for this reason it is advantageous to sell it also. Some chemical methods used to extract casein use acids such as hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid, found in fertilizers and inexpensive. However, it is often found on the market at the same price as “Whey Protein”, another milk protein considered safer to be consumed.

Types of Chemical Supplements with Casein

Casein supplements can be extracted in several ways. The “Micellar” type is pure casein, more expensive and considered better. The type “Isolated Milk Protein” has in its composition both “Whey Protein” and Calcium Caseinate, and is generally used only as an item in recipes, as it is considered inefficient for the purposes of athletes.

But the calcium caseinate consists of a “calcium salt”. The micelles of casein proteins break down and combine with calcium in the process to form caseinate. There are 2 different processes used in the industry, one is for decomposition of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) with casein, and the other for a solution of calcium hydroxide (Ca (OH) 2) used in casein.

Calcium Caseinate has less than 1% lactose, and can be used by some intolerants, and its flavor is considered better, so it is more commercialized and used as an emulsifier in processed foods.

Difference and Casein and Whey Protein

The difference between casein and Whey Protein, which is the protein present in whey, is in the time of digestion . While casein is difficult to assimilate, Whey Protein is quickly absorbed and more useful in increasing the speed of protein synthesis in the body, to generate anabolism, muscle growth.

Many athletes and bodybuilders, or even temporarily those who are in weight training to gain lean mass, use supplementation of the two proteins together : Whey Protein, for muscle growth, and casein, to maintain growth even when you are not eating. . To find out when it is safe to use this type of supplement or whether or not casein is harmful to your diet, consultation with health care professionals and nutritionists is essential.

See Also: Yam Tea To Get Pregnant – How To Take It?

Dr. Alexis Hart
Website | + posts

My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.

Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.

Dr. Alexis Hart

My name is Dr. Alexis Hart I am 38 years old, I am the mother of 3 beautiful children! Different ages, different phases 16 years, 12 years and 7 years. In love with motherhood since always, I found it difficult to make my dreams come true, and also some more after I was already a mother.Since I imagined myself as a mother, in my thoughts everything seemed to be much easier and simpler than it really was, I expected to get pregnant as soon as I wished, but it wasn’t that simple. The first pregnancy was smooth, but my daughter’s birth was very troubled. Joana was born in 2002 with a weight of 2930kg and 45cm, from a very peaceful cesarean delivery but she had already been born with congenital pneumonia due to a broken bag not treated with antibiotics even before delivery.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Posts