Lactium Casein Decapeptide
Also known as: Lactium, alpha-casozepine, casein decapeptide, ACH, Alpha-s1 casein hydrolysate
Overview
Lactium, also known as alpha-casozepine, is a bioactive decapeptide derived from the enzymatic hydrolysis of alpha-s1 casein, a milk protein. It is primarily utilized as a natural nutritional supplement to alleviate symptoms of stress and anxiety, and to improve overall sleep quality. Structurally, alpha-casozepine exhibits similarities to benzodiazepines, allowing it to interact with the central nervous system. Its mechanism involves targeting GABAa receptors at the benzodiazepine binding site, which enhances inhibitory neurotransmission. This action promotes relaxation and anxiolytic effects without inducing the typical sedative side effects or dependency associated with conventional benzodiazepine medications. Research on Lactium includes several randomized controlled trials and some meta-analyses, indicating a growing body of evidence supporting its efficacy and safety profile.
Benefits
Lactium offers several evidence-based benefits, primarily focused on stress reduction and sleep improvement. For stress reduction, clinical trials involving healthy volunteers demonstrated that 150 mg/day of Lactium significantly reduced physiological stress responses, such as blood pressure elevations, during acute stress tests. This suggests a moderate strength of evidence for its anxiolytic properties in stress management. Regarding sleep quality, multiple randomized controlled trials have shown Lactium's efficacy in individuals with mild to moderate insomnia. Doses ranging from 300 mg/day to 600 mg/day have been shown to improve subjective and objective sleep parameters, including increased total sleep time, improved sleep efficiency, and reduced sleep latency and wake after sleep onset. The evidence for sleep improvement is strong, with studies utilizing objective measures like polysomnography. Additionally, animal studies and some human data suggest broader anxiolytic effects and potential benefits for depression-like behaviors, possibly mediated through GABA and serotonin pathways, though more human research is needed in this area. Combining Lactium with L-theanine has also shown enhanced sleep quality, indicating potential synergistic effects.
How it works
Lactium's primary mechanism of action involves its active component, alpha-casozepine, binding to the benzodiazepine site on GABAa receptors in the brain. This interaction enhances the activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), the brain's primary inhibitory neurotransmitter. By increasing GABAergic inhibitory neurotransmission, Lactium effectively calms the central nervous system, leading to anxiolytic and relaxing effects. This modulation of GABA pathways helps to regulate the body's stress response and improve sleep architecture. Crucially, it achieves these effects without causing the significant sedation or risk of dependency often associated with pharmaceutical benzodiazepines, due to its distinct binding profile and partial agonism.
Side effects
Lactium is generally considered safe and well-tolerated, with clinical trials reporting no significant adverse effects. No serious side effects, dependency issues, or withdrawal symptoms have been documented in human studies. This favorable safety profile differentiates it from pharmaceutical anxiolytics like benzodiazepines, which can cause sedation, cognitive impairment, and dependency. There are no known significant drug interactions or contraindications reported in the clinical literature to date, making it a suitable option for healthy adults and individuals experiencing mild to moderate stress or sleep disturbances. However, as with any supplement derived from milk, individuals with severe milk allergies should exercise caution or avoid its use. While long-term safety data beyond four weeks are limited, current evidence suggests a low risk of adverse events even with prolonged use. Pregnant or breastfeeding women, and individuals with pre-existing medical conditions, should consult a healthcare professional before starting supplementation, although no specific contraindications have been identified.
Dosage
The effective dosage of Lactium varies depending on the intended benefit. For stress reduction, clinical studies have shown efficacy at 150 mg per day. For improving sleep quality, initial dosages in trials have ranged from 300 mg to 600 mg per day, with some protocols suggesting an initial higher dose of 600 mg/day for the first few days, followed by a maintenance dose of 300 mg/day. Lactium is typically taken orally, often once daily. For sleep benefits, it is commonly recommended to take the supplement approximately one hour before bedtime to allow for absorption and onset of action. While there is no established maximum safe dose, clinical studies have not reported adverse effects at the tested dosages. Benefits may accumulate over time, with some studies showing more pronounced effects after four weeks or more of consistent use. It is important to adhere to the dosages used in clinical research to ensure both efficacy and safety.
FAQs
Is Lactium safe for long-term use?
Clinical trials up to 4 weeks have shown good tolerance and safety. While longer-term data are limited, no significant safety concerns or adverse effects have emerged from current research, suggesting it is likely safe for extended periods.
How quickly does Lactium work?
Some stress reduction effects may be noticeable within 30 days of consistent use. For sleep improvements, more significant benefits typically require about 4 weeks or more of daily supplementation to become apparent.
Can Lactium cause sedation?
No, significant sedation or cognitive impairment has been reported in clinical studies. This distinguishes Lactium from traditional benzodiazepines, as it promotes relaxation without inducing drowsiness or affecting alertness.
Is Lactium effective alone or only when combined with other supplements?
Lactium has demonstrated benefits both when used alone for stress reduction and sleep improvement. However, some research suggests that combining it with L-theanine may enhance its sleep-promoting effects.
Research Sources
- https://www.lactium.com/humain/lactium-recognized-benefits/lactium-the-alpha-casozepine-with-relaxing-properties/ – This source summarizes two randomized controlled trials (CRSSA 2001 and DAACRO 2016) involving 52 healthy volunteers. It reports that 150 mg/day of Lactium effectively reduced physiological stress responses, such as blood pressure increases, during stress tests, indicating its anxiolytic properties.
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1419978/full – This article describes a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial (Lim et al. 2024) investigating the combination of Lactium with L-theanine (LTC-022). The study found that this combination significantly improved sleep quality over an 8-week period, suggesting potential synergistic effects for sleep enhancement.
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39541860/ – This PubMed entry refers to a double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized controlled trial (Chen et al. 2024) involving 36 patients with chronic insomnia. The study demonstrated that alpha-casozepine (ACH) improved sleep efficiency, reduced insomnia severity, and showed positive effects on objective polysomnography measures, supporting its role in sleep improvement.
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6682925/ – This PMC article details a randomized crossover trial (Kim et al. 2019) with 48 adults experiencing mild to moderate sleep disturbances. The study reported that Lactium supplementation for 4 weeks increased total sleep time and sleep efficiency, while decreasing sleep latency and wake after sleep onset, indicating improved subjective sleep quality.
- https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.971853/full – This Frontiers in Nutrition article presents an animal study (Cai et al. 2022) conducted on mice. The research indicated that a combination of casein hydrolysate and GABA reduced anxiety and depression-like behaviors, providing mechanistic insights into Lactium's potential effects on mood and stress through GABAergic pathways.
