User:Gvillicana/Calcium caseinate

Calcium caseinate is one of several milk proteins derived from casein in skim and 1% milk. Calcium caseinate is primarily used in meal preparation and fat breakdown. Caseinates are produced by adding an alkali to another derivative of casein, acid casein. The type of caseinate is determined by the cation added alongside the acid casein. Other cations used to form caseinates besides calcium include ammonium, potassium, and sodium. Calcium caseinate contains about 17% glutamic acid. Calcium caseinate is also soluble and does not clot in the stomach.

Physical Properties
Calcium caseinate is generally stable at a pH above 5.7, and appears as a milky liquid. This is unlike ammonium, potassium, and sodium caseinates, which are practically clear. At a neutral or acidic pH, casein is relatively insoluble in water, and is easily separated from other milk proteins, sugars, and minerals. Most caseinates are capable of withstanding temperatures of up to 140°C (284°F), however calcium caseinate is influenced by heat with temperatures as low as 50°C (122°F). Calcium is a divalent cation, allowing it to form bonds with several caseinate anions. This leads to the formation of several covalent bonds between caseinate anions, which can ultimately cause the cross-linked caseinate to form pockets of hydrophobic regions.

Muscle Mass
Caseinate, being a protein, plays an important role for muscle hypertrophy, which is the enlargement of muscle mass. Caseinate in particular has demonstrated to be more effective with this process compared to other types of proteins, such as soy- and whey-derived proteins. Consumption of caseinate lead to higher muscle weight and less fat weight compared to the other two proteins.

Impact on Blood Pressure and Insulin Regulation
In addition to the impact Caseinate has on the body's muscle mass, it also has shown to help lower serum TAG for those who are hypertensive. Calcium caseinate supplementation has shown improvement in several cardiometabolic risk factors, such as blood pressure, arterial reactivity, lipid levels and blood vessel function. Furthermore, Calcium caseinate can help lower central systolic blood pressure by improving endothelial function. This leads to better control of vascular relaxation and contraction, as well as blood clotting regulation, immune function and platelet adhesion.

Calcium caseinate has also significantly lower insulin compared to whey protein and maltodextrin which reflected in reduced plasma nonesterified fatty acids and was also able to induce lower postprandial TAG concentrations.