# Alpha-casozepine - a natural benzodiazepine?



## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

I thought some of you might find this interesting, I have never heard of this substance before:



> In an experiment performed on rats, alpha-casozepine was administered at three different doses and compared against placebo and Diazepam (a benzodiazepine) in tests of anxious behavior. Not only was alpha-casozepine more effective than the placebo but also it was similar in activity to the drug in reducing Global Anxiety Score. Alpha-casozepine acted in a dose dependent manner. In other words, higher doses of alpha-casozepine were more effective at reducing anxiety than were lower doses.
> 
> Does alpha-casozepine offer any advantage compared to benzodiazepines? Animal studies have examined the safety of alpha-casozepine and have determined that it does not produce the side effects associated with benzodiazepines. Importantly, unlike benzodiazepines, alpha-casozepine doesn't impair memory, is not addictive, and does not produce tolerance (lose its effect over time).
> 
> ...


 http://www.drdebe.com/destress.html

Research Studies: http://www.lactiumusa.com/research-study-reports.html

Available e.g. here: http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SWU369/ItemDetail

Lactium™ should act synergistically with other natural GABAergics like Valerian, L-Theanine, Niacinamide, Picamilon, Phenibut and Kava Kava.


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## LostPancake (Apr 8, 2009)

i'd heard about milk opioids (casomorphins), but not casozepine. all kinds of interesting stuff in milk... 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casomorphin

some more on casozepine:



> Zylkene/Lactium (alpha-casozepine)
> I picked up a leaflet on this at the vet's the other day. It's a new anti-anxiety pill for dogs to help the cope with fireworks, moving house, seperation anxiety and other canine stressors. Obviously I wondered what was in it. Turns out it's concentrated peptide found in cow's milk, which binds to the GABA-A receptor and is superior to diazepam in some models of animal anxiety.
> Lactium from Finland that contains the same active ingredient and is marketed for humans
> 
> ...


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

Now we're going to need a prescription to buy milk :afr


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

korey said:


> Now we're going to need a prescription to buy milk :afr


A normal prescription won't get you milk as it has now to be considered a controlled substance. 

I really think that combining Lactium with one or more of the following substances could create a potent, natural & non-addictive tranquilizer with few side effects: L-Glutamine, L-Theanine, Valerian, Picamilon, Phenibut, Niacinamide, Kava Kava...


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## bowlingpins (Oct 18, 2008)

From what I have read, this compound in its purest form (which I am not sure is available commercially) has some benzodiazepine type activity however, it has 10,000 times less affinity for GABA-A receptor compared to diazepam. It also lacks the disinhibition effects of benzodiazepines which may be a good thing.
In 1 study comparing Lactium to L-theanine, Lactium provides little more anxiolysis than high dose L-theanine. Not a very encouraging result since L-theanine barely provides any anxiety relief itself.
Overall, an interesting find but I have a hunch it is not much more effective than the GABAergic supplements already available and that it in no way approaches the effectiveness of benzos.


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## radiohead (Dec 15, 2008)

_Animal studies have examined the safety of alpha-casozepine and have determined that it does not produce the side effects associated with benzodiazepines. Importantly, unlike benzodiazepines, alpha-casozepine doesn't impair memory, is not addictive, and does not produce tolerance (lose its effect over time)._

This means it's either A) not very strong or B) a lie 

Some day we will have non-addictive substances to cure anxiety and pain...............


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

radiohead said:


> _Animal studies have examined the safety of alpha-casozepine and have determined that it does not produce the side effects associated with benzodiazepines. Importantly, unlike benzodiazepines, alpha-casozepine doesn't impair memory, is not addictive, and does not produce tolerance (lose its effect over time)._
> 
> This means it's either A) not very strong or B) a lie
> 
> Some day we will have non-addictive substances to cure anxiety and pain...............


At least in animal studies it was as effective as diazepam. But as you and I haven't tested it, it's hard for us to say if it's weak or relatively strong.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Medline said:


> At least in animal studies it was as effective as diazepam.


Which to me is like saying "That car is as fast as any riding mower, topping out at damn near 10 mph!".


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

Interesting comparison, thanks.


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## UltraShy (Nov 8, 2003)

Medline said:


> Interesting comparison, thanks.


Valium isn't anything special. If you were to gather together a group of drug addicts who were into downers (we'll exclude the crowd that likes uppers) and you put in front of them every CNS depressant known to man how likely is it that they'd ever even get around to bothering with a benzo given so many more powerful choices?


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

UltraShy said:


> Valium isn't anything special. If you were to gather together a group of drug addicts who were into downers (we'll exclude the crowd that likes uppers) and you put in front of them every CNS depressant known to man how likely is it that they'd ever even get around to bothering with a benzo given so many more powerful choices?


Having a low abuse potential is in fact a good thing and addiction is a bad thing. The higher the abuse potential of a substance the higher the risk of developing addiction with all it's consequences. The perfect anxiolytic should kill anxiety with no potential for abuse, dependence & addiction.


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

UltraShy said:


> Valium isn't anything special. If you were to gather together a group of drug addicts who were into downers (we'll exclude the crowd that likes uppers) and you put in front of them every CNS depressant known to man how likely is it that they'd ever even get around to bothering with a benzo given so many more powerful choices?


Quite likely, benzos are popular drugs. With a high enough dose, they can knock you out for days, or give such powerful disinhibition that you act like a retard and run around the neighbourhood stark naked. They can easily give intoxication on the same level as drinking large quantities of alcohol (although there are differences). Tolerance changes this, obviously, as with most drugs.

If you're comparing them to drugs like GHB, it's not a fair comparison as GHB is not a "pure" CNS depressant and has stimulant-like effects too (via the GHB receptor). Without those stimulant effects, GHB would probably be as boring as baclofen, phenibut, etc.


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