CONSUMING WHEY PROTEIN BEFORE MEALS REDUCES BLOOD SUGAR SPIKES
A whey protein drink before breakfast
can control erratic glucose levels associated with type 2 diabetes, say Tel
Aviv University researchers
Blood sugar surges - after-meal
glucose "spikes" - can be life threatening for the 29 million
Americans with diabetes. Diabetic blood sugar spikes have been linked to
cardiovascular disease, cancer, alzheimer’s diseases , , kidney failure,
and retinal damage. Now a new Tel Aviv University study, published inDiabetologia,
suggests a novel way to suppress these deadly post-meal glucose surges: the
consumption of whey protein concentrate, found in the watery portion of milk
separated from cheese curds, before breakfast.
According
to TAU's Prof. Daniela Jakubowicz and Dr. Julio Wainstein of the Wolfson
Medical Center's Diabetes Unit, Prof. Oren Froy of the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, and Prof. Bo Ahrén of Lund University in Sweden, the consumption of
whey protein before meals may even keep diabetics' need for insulin treatment
at bay.
"What's
remarkable is that consuming whey protein before meals reduces the blood sugar
spikes seen after meals. It also improves the body's insulin response, putting
it in the same range or even higher than that produced by novel anti-diabetic
drugs," said Prof. Jakubowicz. "High milk intake has long been
associated with lower risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and
milk whey protein increases the production of a gut hormone called
glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that stimulates insulin secretion. This, in
turn, reduces the blood glucose rise after meals."
"We
hypothesized that stimulating GLP-1 production by consuming whey protein before
a meal would enhance insulin secretion and have beneficial glucose-lowering
effects in type 2 diabetes," Prof. Jakubowicz said.
The
study was conducted on 15 individuals with well-controlled type 2 diabetes at
Wolfson Medical Center. The participants were randomized to receive either 50
grams of whey in 250 ml water or a placebo, followed by a standardized
high-glycemic index breakfast of three slices of white bread and sugary jelly -
a meal designed to produce the maximum post-meal glucose spike.
Blood
samples were taken 30 minutes before the meal, when the whey protein or placebo
drinks were consumed. Further blood samples, assessing plasma concentration of
glucose, intact GLP-1, and insulin concentrations, were taken when the
breakfast was served and at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 minute intervals
after the meal.
The
researchers found that glucose levels were reduced by 28 percent after the whey
pre-load over the 180-minute post-meal period, with a uniform reduction during
early and late phases. With whey pre-load, insulin and GLP-1 responses also
were significantly higher (105 and 141 percent, respectively), producing a 96
percent increase in early insulin response.
"The
early insulin response that usually is deficient in type-2 diabetes was
significantly higher after whey protein than with placebo, and the whey protein
preload significantly reduced the elevation of blood glucose after
breakfast," said Prof. Jakubowicz. "Whey protein could therefore
represent a novel approach for enhancing glucose-lowering strategies in type 2
diabetes."
Based
on the findings of this study, the authors are considering a long-term clinical
trial to test the enduring benefits of whey protein consumption for diabetics.
Comments
Post a Comment