Dietary issues can present a Hobson’s choice in diabetes. Even when the intake is nutritious, assimilating it may be another matter. Then you also should deal with the onset of diabetic issues if you end up with an excessive amount of glucose or fat in your system. Too much carbohydrates in a meal, and its accompanying uncontrolled blood sugar ranges could be damaging to many body tissues: from our eyes’ lens, to neurons, small blood vessels, and even the kidneys. Fat can also be a problem with increased incidences of atherosclerosis, large vessel disease and cardiac complications. Knowing all this, what would then be the proper macronutrient for diabetics? There is enough medical literature to show that proteins are probably the best choice in relation to diabetes.
Proteins are the natural choice of the body when faced with diabetes. In uncontrolled diabetes, muscle protein is broken down into amino acids to be converted into glucose by the liver. If left unattended, an internal struggle may take place inside the body. Since proteins have to provide sufficient energy instead of carbohydrates, it’s often broken down sooner than they’re replenished. Hence, the body is left with a protein deficiency; a condition with subtle yet far-reaching implications on our body’s essential functions. Importantly, for diabetics, a protein deficit has been proven to impair resistance to infections (Ganong WF). Replenishing the depleting protein stores is a vital requirement of all diabetic diets.
The value of protein for diabetics is well recorded. There is not any evidence to recommend that diabetic patients need to reduce their consumption of dietary proteins, according to the American Associations of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE). As per AACE Diabetes Guidelines, it is recommended that approximately 10-20% of diabetics’ calorie consumption ought to be derived from proteins. There’s even reason to believe that this is the only nutrient that doesn’t increase the blood glucose levels for both the diabetics in addition to healthy subjects (Gannon et al).
Diabetes nutritional therapy has improved from simply preventing obesity or weight gain to increasing the effectiveness of insulin and contributing to a more efficient metabolism (Franz MJ). Viewed in this light, a protein-rich diet (which consists of 30% protein contribution to the entire food energy) plays an important part in nutritional therapy. One of the most important causes for type II diabetes is obesity. Too much body fat aggravates insulin resistance and more insulin is required to lower blood sugar ranges as you increase in weight (Ganong WF). Another problem with excess fat is the clogging of arteries with atherosclerotic plaques that’s responsible for a wide range of diabetic complications. Any technique that can lower body fat, lower insulin resistance, and improve blood glucose control. It was also shown by Parker et al that a protein-rich diet reduced stomach as well as total fat mass among women with type II diabetes. Other related studies, such as those by Gannon et al and Nuttal et al validated the reduction of glucose levels and glycosylated hemoglobin (an indicator of long term diabetic control) after being subjected to 5 consecutive weeks of a diet consisting of 30% protein contribution to the entire food energy, in addition to low carbohydrates. It is speculated that a high protein diet has a good effect on diabetes due to the capacity of proteins and amino acids to stimulate insulin release from the pancreas. Therefore, a protein-rich diet isn’t only safe to use with diabetes, but may additionally be therapeutic, resulting in improved glycemic control, and decreasing the probabilities of diabetes-related complications.
But the advantages of a protein-rich diet does not end there. Individual protein components of such a diet, when aptly chosen, can produce other advantages as well. Dietary supplements containing proteins like whey and casein come highly recommended. Casein is a protein made from milk and has the potential to form a clot or gel in the stomach. The ability to form this clot makes it very efficient in nutrient supply. This clot enables a sustained, gradual dispersion of amino acids into the bloodstream, which sometimes lasts for several hours (Boirie et al. 1997). A sluggish sustained release of nutrients matches well with the limited amount of insulin that may be produced by the pancreas in diabetes. Hence, a casein-based protein supplement can probably increase the amount of energy that can be absorbed from every meal, and simultaneously decrease the need for medical interventions in order to regulate blood sugar.
“Casokinins” and “lactokinins”, which are credited in decreasing both systolic and diastolic blood pressure amongst hypertensive individuals, can also be found in whey protein and caseins. In addition, whey protein forms bioactive amine within the intestine that promotes immunity. Whey protein additionally carries an ample supply of the amino acid cysteine. Glutathione, which has strong antioxidant properties, additionally appears to be enhanced with the presence of cysteine; antioxidants are responsible in sweeping free radicals which cause cell death and plays a significant role in the aging process.
Thus, development of a protein supplement containing casein and whey can provide an apt high protein diet and its health advantages to individuals suffering from diabetes, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia.
REFERENCES
The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Medical guidelines for the management of diabetes. AACE Diabetes Guidelines, Endocr Pract. 2002; 8(Suppl 1).
Boirie, Y., Dangin, M., Gachon, P., Vasson, M.P., Maubois, J.L. and Beaufrere, B. (1997) Slow and fast dietary proteins differently modulate postprandial protein accretion. Proclamations of National Academy of Sciences 94, 14930-14935.
Counous, G. Whey protein concentrates (WPC) and glutathione modulation in cancer treatment. Anticancer Research 2000; 20, 4785-4792
FitzGerald RJ, Murray BA, Walsh D J. Hypotensive Peptides from Milk Proteins. J. Nutr. 134: 980S-988S, 2004.
Franz MJ. Prioritizing diabetes nutrition recommendations based on evidence. Minerva Med. 2004; 95(2):115-23.
Gannon et al An increase in dietary protein improves the blood glucose response in persons with type 2 diabetes. Am J Clin Nutr 2003; 78:734- 41.
Gannon MC, Nuttall J A, Damberg G. Effect of protein ingestion on the glucose appearance rate in people with type II diabetes. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 86: 1040-1047, 2001
Ganong W F. Review of Medical Physiology, 21st Ed. Lange Publications 2003
Ha, E. and Zemel, M.B. Functional properties of whey, whey components, and essential amino acids: mechanisms underlying health benefits for active people. Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry 2003; 14, 251-258.
Kent KD, Harper WJ, Bomser JA. Effect of whey protein isolate on intracellular glutathione and oxidant-induced cell death in human prostate epithelial cells. Toxicol in Vitro. 2003; 17(1):27-33.
Nuttall et al. The Metabolic Response of Subjects with Type II Diabetes to a High-Protein, Weight-Maintenance. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88: 3577-3583, 2003
Parker et al. Effect of a High-Protein, High-Monounsaturated Fat Weight Loss Diet on glycemic Control and Lipid Levels in Type 2 Diabetes. Diabetes Care 25:425-430, 2002.
Seppo, L., Jauhiainen, T., Poussa, T. & Korpela, R. () A fermented milk high in bioactive peptides has a blood pressure-lowering effect in hypertensive subjects. Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 2003; 77: 326-330. Unger RH. Glucagon physiology and pathophysiology. N Engl J Med. 1971; 285:443- 449.
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