Whey Protein Drink May Help Manage Diabetes

A new study by Israeli and Swedish researchers has found that a whey protein drink a half hour before breakfast could help to prevent or manage diabetes, Israel 21c reports.

Participants in the study conducted by researchers from Wolfson Medical Center in Holon, the Hebrew University and Lund University in Sweden saw their blood-glucose levels reduced by an astonishing 28 percent compared to those who did not drink the whey. Blood was sampled 30 minutes before a high-sugar meal and then at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 minutes later, similar to tests given for gestational diabetes.

The results were published in July in the journal Diabetologia of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

In addition, they reported that both insulin and C-peptide, which is part of insulin, were both higher – some 105 percent and 43%, respectively – among those who took the whey protein, as opposed to a control group.

The authors concluded: “Whey protein may therefore represent a novel approach for enhancing glucose-lowering strategies in type 2 diabetes.”

It was noted, however, that more research on the effects of whey on a diabetes patient’s blood is needed to determine if the effects remain high over time.

This article appeared in print on page 18 of the September 3rd, 2014 edition of Hamodia.