What is sodium caseinate? Everything you need to know

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Calcium or sodium caseinate and micellar casein (casein) are dietary supplements that have a complex molecular structure and an ambiguous effect when consumed. The potential harm of casein is a subject of close attention among athletes and ordinary consumers.

The problem requires explanation. Each of us becomes acquainted with curdled protein as soon as we begin to eat mother's milk or infant formula. It is necessary for the formation of hair and nails. The famous professor I.P. constantly talks about him. Neumyvakin. At the same time, the possible harm to the body of this protein is not even discussed. Moreover, the notorious lactose-lactase deficiency does not apply to casein; it does not contain lactose in any modification.

Casein is found in dairy products: cheese and cottage cheese. The only “but” when consuming this protein may be its individual intolerance.

Sports nutrition manufacturers strive to avoid misunderstandings with cow's milk and its components and produce a special type of goat's milk product for those athletes who have increased sensitivity to them.

In addition, in order to avoid unpleasant surprises, it is necessary to observe a sense of moderation when taking protein, that is, not to overeat.

Acid casein

By modifying the extrusion process, studying the coagulation of high molecular weight compounds and optimizing the coagulation and washing steps, acid casein of acceptable quality can be produced using this technology. The process is continuous, controlled, uses dry solids and has the potential to reduce labor and space compared to traditional technology. This material can serve as a raw material for further processing into sodium caseinate using the extrusion method, which we will discuss in the next article. Such gaps in the characteristics of casein are due to the fact that it contains a large amount of calcium. Thanks to the combination of calcium with its other components, it occupies far from the last place in the ranking of protein varieties. Don't forget that calcium hydroxyapatite is responsible for regulating muscle contractions and is also involved in blood clotting.

Casein reviews from consumers

Analysis of reviews of casein from consumers revealed the benefits of using dietary supplements with casein:

• provides a feeling of fullness for a long time;
• helps control appetite;
• helps normalize weight;
• quickly replenishes protein deficiency in the body;
• is well absorbed without causing discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract;
• allows you to improve sports results;
• prevents the breakdown of muscle tissue.

Negative reviews constitute a small percentage and are associated with individual intolerance to casein or dairy products included in dietary supplements.

Milk protein:

Although it should be taken as a “nighttime” protein, whey protein remains a staple protein. It is in this order that this combination will help preserve the necessary substances and actively utilize fat. The technology for the production of calcium caseinate repeats the main stages of the production of sodium caseinate, with the exception of several important differences. Calcium caseinate solutions destabilize when heated, especially at pH values ​​below 6. It has been found that the reaction between the acid caseinate coagulate and calcium hydroxide during the dissolution process is much slower than between the coagulate and sodium hydroxide. To speed up the reaction between casein and calcium hydroxide, casein must first be completely dissolved in ammonium hydroxide. A solution of calcium hydroxide in sucrose is then added and the calcium caseinate solution is fed into a roll dryer. Most of the ammonia evaporates during this process.

Which casein is better?

The latter uses one liter of water per liter of skim milk, while countercurrent washing only requires about 0.3-0.4 liters of water per liter of skim milk. The number of washing steps depends on the product requirements. The minimum number of stages is two. Fresh water is added only at the last stage. After washing, the casein is dehydrated in a decanter to a SV content of 45-40%. After drying—for example, in a vibrating dryer—the casein is ground to 40, 50, or 80 mesh particle sizes and then bagged (mesh = cells per inch; 40 mesh equals 0.64 mm). The addition of dilute alkali should be carried out with careful pH control to achieve a final pH value of approximately 6.7. It is recommended to dose the alkali into the recirculation line immediately before the pump. After adding lye to the broth, it is important to raise the temperature to 60-75°C as quickly as possible to reduce the viscosity. The time required for batch sodium caseinate to dissolve is typically 30-60 minutes.

What foods contain casein?

The substance can be obtained from any food that contains milk. The list of products containing casein will look like this:

Recommended reading: Benefits of goat cheese

• goat or cow's whole milk - casein compounds in these drinks occupy about 80% of all proteins in the composition;
• milk from donkeys, sheep and buffaloes, the substance content in these drinks is slightly less, about 50% of the total protein;
• hard cheeses - Parmesan and Kostroma, Cheddar contain about 30% of the substance in the total volume of protein compounds;
• semi-hard and other cheeses contain a lot of slowly digestible protein in Roquefort and Bonbel, slightly lower than the amount of substance in sliced, young, soft varieties;
• natural cottage cheese, the casein content in dairy products depends, among other things, on the fat content; the higher the fat content of the fermented milk product, the more milk protein is present in it.

There is more casein in cheese and milk, much less in sour cream and kefir

The substance is found in kefir and yogurt, sour cream and cream, natural yoghurts. But such food should only be an addition to the main diet, since it is very difficult to compensate for the severe lack of protein.

Casein brands

Industrial casein is produced from skim milk using one of two main processes: acidification or rennet coagulation. The multi-step water washing process must remove as much fat, whey protein, lactose and mineral salts as possible, as these reduce the quality of the casein and make it difficult to preserve. When properly dried, casein has a relatively high shelf life and is mainly used in the food and chemical industries. In general, calcium caseinate is difficult to obtain from regular foods as it is only found in cottage cheese. And people involved in weightlifting, powerlifting, bodybuilding and extreme strength training need about 1.4-1.8 grams of casein per kilogram of body per day for visible results. The percentage of casein in cottage cheese is low, so the price will be approximately the same, but the effectiveness will be different. At least to the extent that casein forms a milkshake, whereas pure cottage cheese does not have much flavor.

Not suitable for everyone

Although sodium caseinate is safe for most people to consume, certain people should avoid it.

Allergy to casein

If you are allergic to casein, sodium caseinate is best avoided as consuming it may cause an allergic reaction.

Milk protein allergies are common in children. The exact allergic response varies among individuals, but may include symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, pale skin, and weight loss ().

In adults, milk protein allergies are less common, but can be more serious and potentially life-threatening ().

Keep in mind that lactose intolerance and milk protein allergy are different conditions. Lactose intolerance is when you have difficulty digesting sugar rather than protein ().

Although sodium caseinate may contain low levels of lactose, many people who are lactose intolerant have no problem digesting it. On the other hand, if you are allergic to casein, you should avoid eating any product that contains sodium caseinate.

Not suitable for vegans

Because sodium caseinate is derived from cow's milk, it is not suitable for a vegan or dairy-free diet.

This can be a little confusing because many processed foods labeled "non-dairy" contain sodium caseinate. Examples are non-dairy coffee creamer and some non-dairy processed cheeses.

If you are unsure whether a particular product contains sodium caseinate, check the ingredient list carefully.

Summary:

If you are allergic to casein or follow a vegan or dairy-free diet, you should avoid products containing sodium caseinate.

The third criterion is absorption

After the rinsing steps, the casein and water mixture is poured into another carafe to remove as much water as possible before final drying. In large-scale production, casein coagulation is still carried out in batches in a calculated number of casein baths, which are released alternately to ensure a continuous load on the whey removal and washing equipment. Washing is based on the counter-current principle, which is more economical in terms of water consumption than direct washing. If we consider the structure of the two types of casein, micellar casein appears to be a lighter protein. Its absorption in the body occurs better. Athletes who have consumed these two types of casein claim that micellar is much better absorbed by the stomach and intestines.

How to take casein for best results?

If your goal is to improve athletic performance, the ideal intake of this protein is every six to seven hours during the day and before bed. Fitness experts do not recommend taking micellar casein immediately after a workout. Instead, a fast-acting supplement of hydrolyzed whey protein isolates or hydrolyzed casein is a better option.

Most people who take casein take it before bed. For example, you can drink a shake of 1-2 scoops (25-50 grams) of casein protein powder mixed with water in a shaker.

There are recipes for a variety of dishes and desserts with the addition of casein. Place dry chocolate or vanilla flavored casein powder in a bowl, stir with water to form a pudding consistency, then place in the freezer for 5 minutes. This way you will get delicious and healthy ice cream.

Now Foods, Sports, Micellar Casein, Instant, Natural, Unflavored, 1.8 lbs (816 g)

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Casein protein

Under these conditions, it is interesting to plan continuous production lines, including, for example, centrifugal units for dewatering casein and recovering casein losses from whey and wash waters. Since casein protein takes much longer to digest than whey protein, it follows that casein is best taken before bed or if you know you won't be able to eat for a long time afterwards... Well, anything can happen. However, it is important to remember the correct dosage of casein. With a significant increase in dosage, digestive problems may occur. Only a medical certificate confirming the absence of contraindications to taking the drug can guarantee its positive effect on the athlete’s body. The observations continued for several more hours, and it was at this time that casein showed itself. Whey protein lost its effect after 1.5 hours of consumption, as it was completely depleted by the body. Casein continued to be absorbed for another 5 hours. This leads to another positive property: a long-term supply of amino acids to the body. As the amount of casein increases, so does the duration of supplementation.

Are there any contraindications and side effects?

Like most proteins, casein is well accepted by the body without side effects. However, people with severe kidney disease should use caution when taking protein supplements. As a rule, taking dietary supplements with casein in dosages recommended by the manufacturer is not capable of causing negative consequences. Bloating or digestive disorders are rarely mentioned. This is mainly due to intolerance to lactose or dairy products included in dietary supplements.

The dosage and long-term use of casein supplements should be discussed with your doctor.

Stimulation of muscle growth

In 2009, whey protein was found to have greater benefits than casein in stimulating muscle growth due to faster digestion and a different amino acid composition. Sodium caseinate solution has also been tested in the production of sour casein from skim milk for efficient grinding when fed to a spray dryer. Pilot tests were carried out by J. Fichtali and F.R. van der Voort at the Mac Donald College, McGill University, Quebec, Canada. They summarized the results of their study (1990) as follows: “Our initial work on the production of acid coagulum from CEM (skimmed milk powder) by extrusion showed that the greatest effort should be directed towards developing a process for producing a high-quality product. In the United States, Canada and the European Economic Community there is a chronic overproduction of milk, much of which is processed into skim milk powder.

Useful tips

When choosing dairy products, you must carefully read their composition. Even natural milk and cottage cheese do not always have the same benefits. You need to buy products that contain a minimum of sugar, preservatives, foreign additives and flavor enhancers.

It is not recommended to consume milk, cheeses and cottage cheese for breakfast. Apart from the fact that they create a burden for a hungry stomach, their benefits are minimal. Valuable lacto- and bifidobacteria are neutralized by large amounts of hydrochloric acid. It is best to eat protein foods an hour after your main breakfast or lunch.

Attention! Casein protein in products can be consumed simultaneously with aspirin, paracetamol and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. But medications based on penicillin and tetracycline must be taken separately from dairy products, otherwise their effectiveness will decrease.

When consuming casein foods, you need to monitor the balance of fats and carbohydrates

Disadvantages of Casein

Firstly, it is produced by treating milk with acid and other chemicals, which is, to put it mildly, not very good. The second is made by ultrafiltration of milk, just like whey protein is made from whey. Why is casein called casein? Many people associate this name with a goat, which, of course, is funny, but in fact the association should go with cheese. In German, cheese is called K?se (keise), which means cottage cheese, in our case, hence the name. The curds are then successively washed or dried to obtain granular, insoluble coprecipitates, or dissolved in alkali, as described in the procedure for preparing caseinates, to obtain soluble or “dispersible” coprecipitates. The acidity of milk is brought to the isoelectric point of casein, which usually corresponds to pH 4.6, but can shift in the presence of neutral salts in solution and be in the pH range of 4.0-4.8. The isoelectric point is the state at which the concentration of hydroxonic ions neutralizes the negatively charged casein micelles, causing precipitation (coagulation) of the casein complex. This acidification can be accomplished biologically or by the addition of inorganic acids such as hydrochloric acid (HCI) or sulfuric acid (HSO;).

Where to buy casein: top 10 best casein products from iHerb

On the iHerb store website you can buy casein from the world's leading manufacturers. The best products according to consumers are presented in the table:

Why consumers prefer to buy dietary supplements on iHerb:

• a wide range of health and beauty products;
• the best manufacturers;
• delivery to 150 countries;
• prices are lower than in stores and pharmacies;
• availability of goods with a long shelf life.

Optimum Nutrition, Gold Standard 100% Casein, Naturally Flavored, Chocolate Creme, 2 lbs (907 g)

4060 ₽

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Calcium caseinate

Although casein has become popular due to its slow digestibility, this is not its only benefit. Of all the protein powders, only casein has the highest concentration of the amino acid glutamic acid, which has many health benefits for bodybuilders. For example, if you are a lean person who wants to increase muscle mass, then why not? In addition, by taking a nightly dose of casein, you, first of all, provided yourself with a dose of protein, solved the problem of night catabolism as much as possible and provided your body with the additional calories necessary for building muscle mass.

Benefits of casein in foods

In small quantities, the substance is necessary for the healthy functioning of the body in children and adults. When consumed properly, protein:

• slows down the absorption of other protein compounds and prolongs the feeling of fullness;
• promotes rapid muscle building in athletes;
• helps maintain muscles even during long breaks between workouts;
• supplies the body with essential and non-essential amino acids;
• is a valuable source of calcium and phosphorus, therefore strengthens bone tissue.

The valuable properties of the substance allow it to be used on diets and during athletic training. The protein compound helps you lose excess fat while maintaining healthy muscle mass.

Caseic acid

Unlike whey, which is soluble and therefore digested relatively quickly, casein forms tiny micelles or globules. In liquid form, they are practically insoluble and form clots in the stomach. Casein takes much longer to digest and absorb, up to seven hours for different forms of casein protein. Acid casein dominates the global market. It is used in the chemical industry as an additive in paper production to add shine to premium quality paper. When using paper, it is especially important that the casein contains no fat or foreign or burnt particles that could stain the paper. To achieve extremely low fat content in skim milk, it must be microfiltered (MF) in combination with pasteurization. Every industry has certain strict quality requirements. The paint and cosmetics industry is also a significant consumer of casein.

Which dairy products do not contain casein?

Milk protein, one way or another, is found in all foods made from natural milk. The percentage content can vary greatly, but protein is present in minimal amounts even in milk chocolate and curd cheeses.

The list of gluten- and casein-free products includes only plant-based analogues of dairy foods. Thus, protein is absent in soy, sesame, coconut and nut milk, cream and cheeses made from plant milk.

Casein compounds are absent only in soy milk, cottage cheese and cheeses

Advice! If you are intolerant to natural milk proteins, you can opt for plant-based products; they will not cause side effects.

Coprecipitate

Lactic acid casein is produced by bacterial fermentation. The milk is pasteurized and cooled to 27-23°C. Then a starter containing mesophilic microflora without gas is added. It will take about 15 hours for the pH value to drop to the desired level. If the fermentation process proceeds too quickly, it can cause all sorts of problems such as poor quality and reduced casein yield. Large containers are usually used for this operation. This means that emptying the container may take so long that the acidity may change. Once the desired acidity is achieved, the milk is stirred and heated to 50-55°C in a plate heat exchanger. After a short holding time, the product undergoes continuous processing - washing and drying - almost similar to the rennet process. Why are we touching cottage cheese now? Because cottage cheese is a popular product among bodybuilders and contains casein protein. But where does its popularity come from? Since cottage cheese contains a large amount of high-quality complete protein (about 18%) and is relatively inexpensive, it is also important. By adding a small amount of calcium chloride or acid to the skim milk, the mixture is heated to 85-95°C and held at this temperature for 1-20 minutes to allow the reaction between casein and whey proteins to occur. The proteins are then precipitated from the heated milk by the controlled addition of calcium chloride solution (to produce a high-calcium coprecipitate) or dilute acid (to produce a medium-to-low-calcium precipitate, depending on the amount of acid added and the pH of the resulting whey).

Table of foods containing casein

The table helps to familiarize yourself in detail with the distribution of protein compounds. It provides data on the volume of casein in a particular food:

The best sources of protein remain milk and hard cheeses. Other products contain too little casein compounds.

Sometimes, in the absence of an allergy to casein protein, a reaction to lactose may be present

Summarize

• Casein is a high-quality, slow-digesting protein that supports muscle recovery and growth.
• It's also rich in calcium and bioactive peptides, which can lower blood pressure and help you feel fuller longer.
• Although it is safe if you are lactose intolerant, you should avoid consuming it if you are allergic to milk.

The article was prepared by experts for informational purposes only. It should not be used as a guide for treating medical conditions and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. In case of illness or any symptoms, you should always consult a doctor and not self-medicate.

Tags: Protein, Casein, Protein

About the author: Anastasia Sheveleva

Candidate of Medical Sciences, doctor of the highest category, therapist, registered dietitian, nutrition consultant. More about the author.

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