Whey protein just might help diabetics control blood sugar. New research published in Diabetologia (the journal of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes) suggests that consuming whey protein before a regular breakfast reduces the blood sugar spikes seen after meals and also improves the body's insulin response.

Protein consumption is known to stimulate the production of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), a gut hormone that in turn stimulates insulin production. Researchers hypothesized that stimulating GLP-1 production by consuming whey protein before a meal would improve the body's blood sugar control following a meal.

The study, conducted at several universities in Israel, included 15 people with well-controlled Type 2 diabetes who were not taking any medications except for oral diabetes drugs. The participants consumed, on two separate days, 50 g whey in 250 ml water or a placebo (250 ml water) followed by a standardized high-glycemic-index breakfast in a hospital setting. The breakfast contained 3 slices of white bread and sugar-containing jelly — a meal designed to produce the maximum post-meal glucose spike. A blood sample was taken 30 minutes before the meal, and the whey protein or placebo drink was served at that point. Further blood samples were taken when the meal was served (0 mins) and at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes.

Patients were randomized to either the whey protein or placebo arm of the study, but the crossover design of the trial meant that all participants did both the whey protein and placebo arms, with two weeks between visits.

The results showed that over the whole 180 minute post-meal period, glucose levels were reduced by 28 percent after whey protein pre-load compared with no whey protein. Insulin and C-peptide (a building block of insulin) responses were both significantly higher (by 105 percent and 43 percent, respectively) in the whey protein group. The early insulin response (meaning within the first 30 minutes following breakfast) was 96 percent higher after whey protein than with placebo. This is especially important since the loss of early insulin response is the most important deficiency in diabetic individuals and a major contributor to the post-meal rise in blood glucose.

Researchers summarized that consumption of whey protein shortly before a high-glycemic-index breakfast increased the early and late post-meal insulin secretion, improved GLP-1 responses and reduced post-meal blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetic patients.

The bottom line — whey protein may represent a novel approach for enhancing glucose-lowering strategies in Type 2 diabetes.

Information courtesy of Diabetologia

Q and A

Q: Is it true that eating several small amounts of food throughout the morning could rev up my metabolism and help me lose weight better than eating one breakfast?

A: Despite how often you may hear people say that eating more frequently boosts metabolic rate and increases the calories we burn, well-controlled studies do not show that eating more often promotes weight loss. If you cut your calorie consumption to the same total, the amount of weight you'll lose does not seem to change based on whether you eat those calories all at once or spread throughout the morning in several "mini-breakfasts." Some studies do suggest that compared to eating your whole breakfast at once, the same food choices spread out over a few hours could offer some other health benefits, including a smaller rise in blood sugar and insulin in the hours after eating. But the key questions are which eating pattern best allows you to consistently include foods that meet your nutritional needs and support overall health, and keeps calories at a level that helps you reach and maintain a healthy weight, sustains your energy, avoids excess hunger and fits into your lifestyle? For some people, spreading eating out over the morning reduces total calorie consumption by avoiding late morning hunger that could prompt them to grab candy or pastries, or to overeat at lunch. However, for other people, spreading out their eating means they are more likely to quickly grab less-healthy options, or provides more occasions to eat portions beyond what is needed to satisfy hunger, with an end result of increasing total calorie consumption. Depending on your habits, either choice can fit with your goal of weight loss, so choose whatever breakfast pattern you can sustain and implement in a way that supports your total health.

Information courtesy of the American Institute for Cancer Research.

Recipe

This recipe for Grilled Chicken Thighs with a Peach-Lime Salsa, from Cooking Light magazine, combines the sweet and spicy — with fresh peaches and jalapenos. You can control the heat by seeding the jalapeno.

Grilled Chicken Thighs with Peach-Lime Salsa

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

6 garlic cloves, minced

6 (5-ounce) skinless bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 ripe peaches, about 1/2 pound), peeled and chopped

1 red or green jalapeno pepper, minced

3/4 teaspoon salt, divided

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

6 lime wedges

Place first 3 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add chicken; toss well to coat. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour. To prepare salsa, combine onion and next 6 ingredients (through jalapeno). Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Let stand 1 hour. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken from marinade; discard marinade. Let chicken stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Sprinkle chicken evenly with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Place chicken on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with salsa and lime wedges. Serves six.

Per serving: 194 calories, 20 g protein, 5 g carbohydrate, 10.4 g fat, 110 mg cholesterol, 1 g fiber, 367 mg sodium.

Charlyn Fargo is the registered dietitian at Hy-Vee in Springfield, Ill. For comments or questions, contact her at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @Nutrition Rd. To find out more about Charlyn Fargo and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.