You know, what is in news these days?
It is micellar casein. The Future Market Insights reported– the global micellar casein market to expand at a healthy growth rate of CAGR 5.9% and attain a market worth millions by the end of 2026.
Well, the concept of casein micelles has been known since decades, it is now that the sports and fitness industry have recognised the essence of this protein for routine intake. This compilation covers the simple know-abouts about the micellar casein. Let us start with answers to the the most basic- what is micellar casein protein.
What is Micellar Casein?
There are mainly two types of casein available in the market- micellar casein and casein hydrolysate. Micellar casein is very popular in sports nutrition industry.
Micellar casein is produced by a method called as membrane filtration of milk. The filtration yields the end product that contains casein and whey in same proportion as that of milk. Now the casein micelles are separated from whey by the process of microfiltration. And this makes micellar casein less soluble in water.
The casein produced from this method forms colloidal particles when dissolved in water called micelles, and hence they are called as micellar casein. The micellar casein is a slow releasing source of protein, comprising lower carbohydrates and fats. They constitute bioactive micro-fractions trace compounds, which are important for growth improving our immune system.
Micellar casein, after ingesting, breaks down into high quality branched chain amino acids (BCAAs). The BCAAs are essential for recovery of muscular tissues strained due to training and injuries. This protein is hydrophobic in nature, i.e. it has lesser affinity to dissolve in water and forms a suspended solution. Its solubility decreases even more when it gets combined with stomach acids (digestive juices inside our body) and because of its slow absorption, it forms gel which takes approximately 7 to 8 hours to get digested completely. Hence, it gives a continuous source of protein for a longer period of time.
Because of its slow absorption tendency, it is usually taken before going to bed and hence it is also called as ‘night protein’.
Related Article: Best Time to take, When to take and How to take Casein Protein
Benefits of Micellar Casein
Micellar casein has several benefits apart from being a supplier of high quality BCAAs. Some of the benefits of micellar casein are listed below-
- Since, micellar casein is slow digesting protein, it releases the amino acids at slower rate. Hence micellar casein is beneficial at those duration of days, when food is not consumed. Taking casein supplement before bed is the ideal time as the protein is released slowly and steadily throughout the sleep duration. For example, My Fit Fuel manufactures one of the finest quality casein protein supplement, which is derived from the fresh milk. The product is formulated after rigorous quality checks to bring consistency in the absorbability of the protein in our body.
- Normally whey protein gets digested within four hours of intake, but micellar casein lasts for at least seven hours with a steady supply of BCAAs. In fact, in micellar casein higher concentration of leucine (an important amino acids) is found as compared to other protein supplements.
- For the people willing to retain and increase their lean body mass, micellar casein is one of the best options. Individuals in a low calorie routine, can also incorporate micellar in their diet as it helps to maintain satiety (feeling of fullness for a longer time after eating food) for longer period of time than any other protein supplement.
- Micellar casein are effective at both- anabolism (phase of muscle building) and preventing catabolism (burning of muscles to derive energy) activities of the body.
Similar Article: What is Casein Protein and its Benefits
Side Effects of Micellar Casein
Honestly, micellar is one of the finest quality of protein supplements available today. When taken in right quantity and at right time, and of course regularly, they do not give side effects. However, if you are sensitive to lactose, then you should avoid taking micellar casein, as it is again a milk derivative.
Some people may complain of stomach upset after incorporating micellar casein in their diet but friends, that is temporary. Once our body gets accustomed to this slow digesting protein, everything comes in track.
It is recommended to verify the quality of micellar casein you are buying, and check the manufacturing process because some of the not so up to the mark micellar casein could contain undesirable additive residues like- salts, sodium caseinate, and polydextrose; which are otherwise not required by our body.
Hence, you can be sure that the micellar casein protein side effects are negligible when consumed in proper amount and a good quality product.
How is it different from Calcium Caseinate?
Micellar casein is different from calcium caseinate, although they are both derived from the milk. Following are the notable differences-
- Micellar and calcium caseinate differs in the process of manufacture. Caseinates are produced by membrane filtration followed by heat processing. The micellar also undergo membrane filtration, but the casein micelles are then separated by microfiltration technique.
- Micellar casein is less soluble in water than calcium caseinate.
- The calcium caseinates are exposed to acidic and alkali processes during their manufacture in order to increase their solubility in water. This destroys the naturally occurring bioactive substrates within them, which are useful for the immune system of our body. The micellar casein exists in its natural globular structure and comprises all the five- alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and kappa protein molecules; collectively called as micelles.
So folks, you have seen that if there are benefits of micellar casein, then there are some perks as well. We would suggest to give a try for micellar casein, consult your trainer and expert and follow a balanced routine. And yes, keep reading our blog for more information about the suitable time and dose for micellar caseins.
If you have any queries, feel free to drop in your queries in the comment box.
