So I wanted to add casein to my supplements I currently take. I would be taking this at night which is when it will be at its best. I am kinda worried about the whole casein causes cancer stuff. I am a cancer survivor (just beat Hodgkin’s Lymphoma) so I am more succeptible to getting it again.
Deep down I beleive this is the same type of bogus statement as “Creatine will make your kidney fail.” Do you guys feel the same? Do the benefits of casein outweigh the possible risk?
Conratulations on surviving cancer, Bomberman. Takes true T-men stuff to do that. My father was just diagnosed with non-hodgkins lymphoma. We’re crossing our fingers.
On your question, I’m not sure where you got that. Maybe someone else can chime in here, but to me: yes, it sounds completely bogus.
Why casein? Why not whey?
I haven’t heard about casein causing cancer (what doesn’t nowadays?), but the creatine/kidney thing is def. bogus.
The evidence is too weak to say it causes cancer. Much of the scare is promoted by vegetarians with an agenda such as the China study. Whey helps to prevent it though, and concentrate is better. In moderation I would not worry about it and real food is probably better than the powder form. When you worry too much about nutrition you start to worry about the food of your food.
Actually there is even evidence to prove casein may help to prevent cancer better than soy.
Antimutagenic activity of casein against MNNG in the E. coli DNA repair host-mediated assay.
van Boekel MA, Goeptar AR, Alink GM.
Department of Food Science, Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands.
The effect of caseinate and soy protein in the diet on the mutagenicity induced by N-methyl-N’-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) was assessed in-vivo and ex-vivo in the DNA-repair host-mediated assay and liquid suspension assay, respectively. Of the two proteins only casein showed a strong antimutagenic activity over the whole digestive tract, except in the stomach.
It is suggested that the molecular structure of a protein determines its protective effect against mutagens: casein lacks secondary and tertiary structure so that amino acids are more readily available for interaction with the mutagen than with the amino acids in soy protein which is a globular protein
This may help you decide also.
A Role for Milk Proteins and their Peptides in Cancer Prevention.
Parodi PW.
Dairy Australia, Human Nutrition and Health Research, Melbourne, Australia. peterparodi@uq.net.au.
A role for the amount and type of dietary protein in the etiology of cancer has not been studied extensively. Nevertheless, there is no compelling evidence from epidemiological studies to indicate that protein, at levels usually consumed, is a risk factor for cancer.
On the other hand, animal studies suggest that certain peptides and amino acids derived from dietary proteins may influence carcinogenesis. The predominant protein in milk, casein, its peptides, but not liberated amino acids, have antimutagenic properties.
Animal models, usually for colon and mammary tumorigenesis, nearly always show that whey protein is superior to other dietary proteins for suppression of tumour development. This benefit is attributed to its high content of cystine/cysteine and gamma-glutamylcyst(e)ine dipeptides, which are efficient substrates for the synthesis of glutathione.
Glutathione is an ubiquitous cellular antioxidant that directly or through its associated enzymes destroys reactive oxygen species, detoxifies carcinogens, maintains proteins in a reduced state and ensures a competent immune system.
Various experiments showed that tumour prevention by dietary whey protein was accompanied by increased glutathione levels in serum and tissues as well as enhanced splenic lymphocyte proliferation, phagocytosis and natural killer, T helper and cytotoxic T cell activity.
Whey protein components, beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin and serum albumin were studied infrequently, but results suggest they have anticancer potential. The minor component lactoferrin has received the most attention; it inhibits intestinal tumours and perhaps tumours at other sites.
Lactoferrin acts by induction of apoptosis, inhibition of angiogenesis, modulation of carcinogen metabolising enzymes and perhaps acting as an iron scavenger. Supplementing cows with selenium increases the content of selenoproteins in milk, which on isolation inhibited colon tumorigenesis in rats.
Wow Thanks ALOT! guys. As usual you guys are very helpful. I think I am going to give it casein a shot. I’ll pray for your dad, medicine now-a-days is AMAZING I am living, breathing proof. I feel great and after some tough treatment he will as well.
If casein caused cancer, then all those cottage cheese eaters would be dead by now.
bobo86’s avatar is seriously freaking me out.
Hahaha. Sorry. I’ll take it down.