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Optimize Infant Formula, Sleep and Nutrition Products with Alpha-Lactalbumin Protein
1 Nov 2017Those attending Food Ingredients Europe (FIE) are invited to visit Agropur’s booth (F21, hall nine) to learn more about alpha-lactalbumin and its exciting nutritional applications! Alpha-lactalbumin, a whey protein powder, is the primary protein in human milk. Agropur produces the cleanest commercially available form of alpha-lactalbumin at more than 92 percent purity. Research shows that this tryptophan-rich protein is valuable for infant nutrition, may optimize sleep, could boost alertness as well as measures of attention.
Sleep Regulation for Infants
Infancy is an incredibly important life stage for development and parents are always looking for nutrition sources that can help their child grow to be as healthy as possible. Many infant formula manufacturers choose alpha-lactalbumin as an ingredient for their products because it enhances the formula’s nutritional profile.
The average ratio of tryptophan to protein in standard infant formulas ranges from 1-1.5 grams per 100 grams of protein, far below breast milk’s ratio of 2.5:100 (1). Agropur’s alpha-lactalbumin contains a rich concentration of tryptophan at 4.9 grams per 100 grams of protein, allowing infant formulas to more closely resemble the nutritional profile of breast milk. Why is an infant formula product’s tryptophan content so important? Consumption of tryptophan-enriched formula prior to bed can drastically improve infants’ development of wake-sleep rhythms(2).
Nighttime Muscle Recovery
Alpha-lactalbumin can help athletes and healthy consumers take their post-workout nutrition to the next level. A study examined healthy young males who performed one bout of resistance exercise at night and found that consuming protein before sleep improves post-workout recovery overnight(3). Thirty minutes before bed each subject consumed either a protein-rich beverage or a placebo beverage. The researchers noted that consuming protein before sleep increased whole-body protein synthesis rates and improved net protein balance. Overall, subjects who drank the protein-enriched beverage experienced muscle protein synthesis rates approximately 22 percent higher than the control group.
Alpha-lactalbumin is uniquely suited for post-workout nighttime consumption. As aforementioned, the whey protein is packed with tryptophan, the amino acid that regulates sleep. In addition, alpha-lactalbumin contains all nine essential amino acids for enhanced exercise recovery. Overall, night may be an ideal time to ingest protein because the average human body heavily secretes growth hormone during sleep .
Improve Alertness and Attention Levels
On top of regulating infant sleep and nighttime muscle recovery, alpha-lactalbumin has been shown to boost alertness and brain measures of attention. A study found that evening alpha-lactalbumin intake reduced sleepiness and improved attention the next morning. The researchers concluded that these results occurred due to improved sleep.
More Information
To learn more about alpha-lactalbumin and Agropur, visit www.AgropurIngredients.com or contact our Nutrition Solutions group at [email protected].
1. Heine WE. The significance of tryptophan in infant nutrition. Adv Exp Med Biol. 1999;467:705-710.
2. Aparicio S, Garau C, Esteban S, Nicolau MC, Rivero M, Rial RV. Chrononutrition: use of dissociated day/night infant milk formulas to improve the development of the wake-sleep rhythms. Effects of tryptophan. Nutr Neurosci. 2007;10(3-4):137-143.
3. Res PT, Groen B, Pennings B, et al. Protein ingestion before sleep improves postexercise overnight recovery. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012;44(8):1560-1569.
