Consumption of whey protein before meals lowers blood sugar among diabetes patients

"We believe the whey protein works in two ways, firstly, by slowing down how quickly food passes through the digestive system and secondly, by stimulating a number of important hormones that prevent the blood sugars climbing so high.

"As we see growing numbers of people around the world developing diabetes, investigating the potential of alternatives to drugs such as food supplements becomes more important."

18 people with type 2 diabetes consumed a small drink-in a 100 ml shot-with 15 grams of protein 10 minutes before breakfast, lunch and dinner over seven days and remained on their prescribed diabetes medication. Continuous glucose monitoring automatically tracked blood glucose levels over the course of the week.

Newcastle University PhD student, Kieran Smith, who oversaw the glucose monitoring and analysed the data, said: "People were able to stick to the regime and liked the idea of having a convenient, tasty, small pre-made drink that could be carried with them and taken before meals."

The team intend to further explore the benefits of non-medical interventions running the study on a larger scale and for a longer period of up to six months. They also plan to look at alternative proteins, such as those that come from plant sources like peas, fungi and potatoes to open up options for vegan and religious dietary needs.

For further reference log on to:

http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2022-002820