Whey benefits for diabetes

A recent study shows that whey protein consumption may help to treat the global crisis of diabetes.

Daniela Jakubowicz, MD, from Tel Aviv University led the team of researchers who tested whey protein consumption in 15 patients with Type 2 diabetes.

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The individuals, who were not on diabetes medication except for Sulfonylurea or Metformin, took 50 grams of whey dissolved in 250 ml of water right before a high glucose index breakfast. Researchers noticed that the glucose  peak that typically occurs after eating the first meal of the day was reduced by 28 percent for the next three hours after the intake.

Insulin response also increased to 105 percent, speeding up glucose absorption from the bloodstream to body tissues. This corresponds with a significant increase of C-Peptide, a byproduct resulting from pancreatic insulin synthesis.

These outcomes published by the medical journals of “Diabetologia,” and the “European Association for the Study of Diabetes,” suggest that whey protein could impact the way physicians treat  diabetes.

The disease affects 9.3 percent of the total US population.

The incidence of diabetes on Latino population is higher, affecting 12.8 percent of the Hispanics in the U.S. according with the National Diabetes Statistics Report released on June 2014.

Diabetes hits Americans especially hard in their pocketbooks. It costs $176 billion in direct medical expenses annually.

Consuming whey protein could be a more natural way to monitor glucose levels and reduce medication use and expenses as well as a preventive protocol for diabetes.

Whey is one of the two basic proteins found in cow milk along with Casein. After milk is coagulated in processing plants, Casein remains in the milk while the serum or whey remains liquid. This serum is extracted for various uses including Cheddar and Swiss cheese production; or, it’s further processed in drying plants until it becomes powder.

Whey powder is commonly used as a dietary supplement due to its high nutrition value. It is considered a complete protein because it contains all nine essential amino acids the body needs to consume on daily basis.

All the consumer needs to do is mixing the powder with a glass of water and drink it.

Protein hydrolysis occurs while swirling the mix, which many consider a way to predigest whey that results in an easier handling by the digestive system.

Whey shakes are widely popular among muscle builders and athletes. Some studies back up the idea that whey provides the necessary proteins to repair muscles after resistance workouts, accelerating the building process.

But these are not the only researches on milk serum. The National Center for Biotechnology Information has published a series of articles on the properties of whey to prevent hypertension, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, and even cancer.

Lactose allergic patients my adversely react to whey proteins shakes.

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