# Evening Intake of Lactalbumin May Improve Sleep and Morning Alertness



## M&M (Jan 20, 2002)

Also posted to the Co-Cure List:*******************************************************Evening Intake of Lactalbumin May Improve Sleep and Morning Alertness * So many of us have sleep problems. A new supplement that apparently helps is mentioned here.http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/505203 Evening Intake of Lactalbumin May Improve Sleep and Morning Alertness CME News Author: Laurie Barclay, MD CME Author: Charles Vega, MD, FAAFP May 20, 2005 Evening intake of lactalbumin (A-LAC) protein improves sleep and morning alertness, according to the results of a small, randomized trial published in the May issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "Brain serotonin function is thought to promote sleep regulation and cognitive processes, whereas sleep abnormalities and subsequent behavioral decline are often attributed to deficient brain serotonin activity," write C. Rob Markus, from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, and colleagues. "Brain uptake of the serotonin precursor tryptophan is dependent on nutrients that influence the availability of tryptophan via a change in the ratio of plasma tryptophan to the sum of the other large neutral amino acids (Trp:LNAA)." A-LAC contains the highest tryptophan content of all food-protein sources. The goal of this study was to determine whether evening consumption of A-LAC with an enriched tryptophan content of 4.8 g per 100 g increases plasma Trp:LNAA and improves alertness and performance on the morning after sleep, especially in persons with sleep complaints. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, healthy study subjects with (n = 14) or without (n = 14) mild sleep complaints slept at the laboratory for two separate nights. The investigators evaluated morning performance after an evening diet containing either tryptophan-rich A-LAC or tryptophan-low placebo protein. They also measured evening dietary changes in plasma Trp:LNAA and recorded behavioral (reaction time and errors) and brain measures of attention during a continuous-performance task. Evening A-LAC intake was associated with a 130% increase in Trp:LNAA before bedtime (P = .0001), modestly reduced sleepiness (P = .013), and improved brain-sustained attention processes the following morning (P = .002). Only in study subjects with sleep complaints was this accompanied by improved behavioral performance (P = .05). "Evening dietary increases in plasma tryptophan availability for uptake into the brain enhance sustained alertness early in the morning after an overnight sleep, most likely because of improved sleep," the authors write. "However, further evidence is needed, including EEG [electroencephalographic] sleep measures, in subjects with more severe sleep complaints. For instance, beneficial effects on morning performance may be mediated by reduced sleep onset latency or changes in rapid eye movement latency, because these are particularly affected by acute tryptophan depletion or by L-tryptophan." The authors report no conflicts of interest. Davisco Foods International provided A-LAC used in the study.


----------

