Eat breakfast with whey protein to beat diabetes

Washington D.C.: Now, wake up to a large breakfast containing whey protein as a recent study has found that it can help manage Type 2 diabetes.

Lead author Daniela Jakubowicz of Tel Aviv University said that a high-calorie protein breakfast, medium-sized lunch and small dinner is a proven successful strategy for weight loss, improved satiety and reduced glucose spikes throughout the day in people with obesity and Type 2 diabetes.

However, Jakubowicz added, the benefits of high protein content at breakfast also depend on the protein source and quality. Whey protein powder, which is a byproduct of milk during cheese production, induced greater satiety and reduction of glucose spikes after meals compared to other protein sources, such as eggs, soy or tuna.

The team randomly assigned 48 overweight and obese participants with Type 2 diabetes who were, on average, 59 years of age, to one of three diets that contained the same number of calories.

After 12 weeks, the group on whey protein lost the most weight: 7.6 kg, compared to 6.1 kg for those on the other proteins and 3.1 kg for those in the carbohydrate group.

"The whey protein diet significantly suppresses the hunger hormone 'ghrelin.' A whey proteindrink is easily prepared and provides the advantages of a high-protein breakfast on weight loss, reduction of hunger, glucose spikes and HbA1c," Jakubowicz said.

The study is presented at ENDO 2016, the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society, in Boston.