When eaten in moderation, protein has an overwhelmingly positive effect on metabolic health, helping slow the digestion of sugars and other carbohydrates, as well as aiding with weight management and muscle health. But protein can contribute to a gradual increase in glucose levels in people who eat very large amounts of it, and low-carb dieters may notice a blood sugar rise after heavy meals. If you use insulin to manage diabetes, you may want to take your protein consumption into consideration when determining your mealtime doses.
Does Protein Impact Blood Sugar? Does Protein Impact Blood Sugar? Protein is made up of molecules called amino acids, which help build and maintain muscle mass, regulate immune function and digestion, make hormones, and perform many other important bodily tasks.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290ebfe658-2070-49fd-bf4a-bf0c5ac174fc While protein is not made of sugars, your body can convert protein into glucose through a process called gluconeogenesis. This effect is generally very mild.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976293e5098ec-794c-4511-915e-ed4f8a2f8a62 For most people, protein stabilizes blood sugar rather than raises it, both by replacing carbohydrates and by slowing down their digestion. Since it takes several hours to digest protein, it can help you stay fuller longer and regulate your blood sugar levels after you eat a meal or snack with carbohydrates, explains Toby Smithson, RDN , the senior manager of nutrition and wellness at the American Diabetes Association. She says the combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates, like whole grains, starchy vegetables, and legumes, may offset the blood sugar effects of the carbs. Protein’s modest glucose-raising effect may become more obvious if you consume a large amount of it. Eating lots of protein in one sitting — over 75 grams (g), or roughly the amount in 14 ounces of cooked chicken breast — could make your blood sugar go up.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762935d52e1f-43e1-42eb-aaa6-14d16800b4b7 You may also find that protein-rich meals could impact your blood sugar if you eat a very low-carb diet, such as the keto diet , and your body has shifted to using protein and fat instead of carbs as your primary energy source,e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976298bd56c49-b24e-400c-8b45-f149719a7e05 says Brittany Brown, RD, a dietitian and diabetes educator based in Nova Scotia.
Protein and Metabolic Health Protein and Metabolic Health There are many good reasons to prioritize protein if you’re paying attention to your blood sugar levels. Adequate protein at meals and snacks can:e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ab9b9b3c-06a5-4cfc-914b-7e9bff486567 Keep your blood sugar levels more stable after you eat Help you stay fuller longer and manage your weight Aid in building and maintaining muscle mass Support wound-healing, which in turn reduces infection risk The right amount of protein supports your metabolic health and reduces your risk for long-term complications. You may see the biggest benefits when you opt for plant-based protein sources (like beans, legumes, nuts, and soy) over animal proteins more often.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629c5b02e90-7cfe-4fda-81ea-c0a8629564c3 “Research shows that replacing animal protein with plant protein can help with blood glucose management,” Smithson says.
How Much Protein Should You Eat? How Much Protein to Eat Whether you have diabetes or not, it’s a good idea to aim for a minimum of 0.8 g of protein per kilogram (kg) of body weight.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629e6449d62-094e-46e1-bbf1-e75c17b6d682 For a 150-pound person, that’s around 55 g of protein per day. That said, your individual needs may depend on factors like your age, activity level, gender, muscle mass, and any other medical conditions you may have. For example, you may need more protein if you’re very active or less if you have kidney disease. It also makes sense for those with diabetes to eat protein at all or most of their daily meals and snacks. “To feel satisfied between meals and minimize large spikes in blood sugar, spacing protein-rich foods throughout the day can be helpful,” says Brown. Health authorities generally recommend an upper limit of 2 g of protein per kg of body weight. Beyond that could raise the risk of kidney stones and of cardiovascular disease, especially if you’re eating too much red meat or saturated fat.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629ef717300-767a-4ee4-8075-620c23be4cdd To help know if you’re on the right track with eating enough, you should fill a quarter of your plate with lean protein, another quarter with healthy carbohydrates, like whole grains, legumes, and fruit, and the remaining half with nonstarchy vegetables.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629d3c290b3-a2e8-4aa1-8b89-9fb94b84a526 A registered dietitian can also help you determine the amount of daily protein that’s right for your body.
Does Fat Raise Blood Sugar? Fat and Blood Sugar Fat, which rounds out the three essential macronutrients, also doesn’t raise your blood sugar the way carbs do. Just like protein, healthy fat can slow the absorption of glucose into your bloodstream to help support steadier blood sugar levels.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976292294f5cc-a3f7-4479-917f-7065801bb0c5 In fact, some studies have found that large amounts of fat can reduce blood sugar for a few hours after meals.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976290d7de73b-d540-44b8-88a2-8359141ec4e6 “Fats are useful for slowing down digestion, meaning that sugar [from carbohydrates] also gets absorbed at a slower rate and blood sugar levels do not rise as rapidly,” Brown says. Not all fats are created equal, however. Unsaturated fats like polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats can support healthier cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart disease. Saturated fats and trans fats can increase these risks. That’s important, since having diabetes can raise your risk of long-term heart problems.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976298acae424-87da-4336-8708-26cf2a3b7e69 For those reasons, Smithson says people with diabetes should reduce saturated fats and trans fats, which are found in baked, fried, and packaged foods. When you’re choosing a protein source, be mindful of its fat content. Limit proteins like red meat and full fat dairy, which are typically high in saturated fat. Instead, reach for protein options like beans, legumes, low-fat dairy, nuts or nut butters, lean poultry, seafood, or soy.
Insulin Management Strategies for Protein Insulin Management Strategies for Protein Although most people don’t need to worry about the blood sugar rise that large amounts of protein can cause, people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes who use insulin before meals may want to account for this effect. It’s rare for protein to have a major impact on your blood sugar. But if you suspect that’s the case for you, Smithson recommends monitoring your blood glucose levels for post-meal trends. You should check your blood glucose before and two hours after eating to account for digestion and absorption of the food. Your target range: Between 80 and 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) before eating and 180 mg/dL or less after eating.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762936885724-9b64-426e-873e-931b7ff586c4 “Having this data will give a person information to share with their healthcare provider and help people make informed decisions about their insulin management,” Smithson says. Insulin users are usually trained on the importance of counting carbohydrates to administer the correct dose, or bolus, of rapid-acting insulin. But if you notice your blood sugar rising hours after eating a high-protein meal, you may be able to refine your blood sugar control by also accounting for protein’s effect. Meals with lots of protein and fat — think rib-eye steak, fried chicken, or sausage — can lead to blood sugar rises that take longer than two hours to show up.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e5976298c7ae577-c163-4bfb-bc16-4b949a9e8287 If your blood sugar is rising too much after meals, you and your healthcare provider can decide on an action plan to keep your levels under control. You might opt to: Use additional insulin. If meals with extra protein (or fat) cause blood sugar spikes, you might need to use more insulin than your carbohydrate ratio predicts. Research suggests starting with an additional 30 percent.e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e597629819e3ace-2785-4665-b4f0-a6158acb1a80 Use multiple injections for one meal. Take some insulin before you start eating, or soon afterward, to counteract the fast blood sugar rise caused by carbohydrates. Also take more insulin one or more hours later to counteract the gradual rise caused by protein. “Some people will split their mealtime insulin dose into two parts to account for a delayed increase in blood sugar levels, and others will preemptively add 10 to 20 percent to the amount of insulin they are taking,” Brown says. Ask about an insulin pump. Insulin pumps allow users to program complex insulin doses that are administered gradually over a period of hours — ideal to match the slow protein glucose rise. Ask about automated insulin delivery (AID). The latest insulin pumps can interact with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) to automatically adjust your insulin delivery rate, says Brown. These may be able to detect and counteract a gradual delayed glucose spike without any input from the user at all. There is no consensus on the best way to use insulin to counteract protein’s blood sugar rise,e60dc2a1-f33c-4a05-9b50-8e3e8e59762962091e99-de99-46ed-9838-2ea333887fe9 and figuring this out for yourself may take some trial and error, ideally with the close collaboration of your doctor or a diabetes educator. The use of extra insulin always increases the risk of low blood sugar, also known as hypoglycemia , which can be especially dangerous if it occurs overnight.
The Takeaway Protein is digested more slowly than carbohydrates, and this can help stabilize blood sugar levels, particularly when protein is paired with complex carbs found in whole grains, vegetables, and legumes. Very large amounts of protein or protein in an extremely low-carb diet may lead to blood sugar spikes in some people. Eating enough protein has other benefits for those with diabetes. It can help you stay fuller longer, manage your weight, and maintain and build muscle mass, all of which lower the risk for long-term complications from the disease. People with diabetes, particularly those who use insulin, should monitor blood glucose levels before and after meals to determine how protein impacts your blood sugar.
Resources We Trust Cleveland Clinic: How to Follow a Diabetes-Friendly Diet Mayo Clinic: Diabetes Management: How Lifestyle, Daily Routine Affect Blood Sugar Mass General Brigham: How to Control Blood Sugar With Diet American Diabetes Association: Protein Food for Diabetes Johns Hopkins Medicine: Facts About Diabetes
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