A recent study has shown that eating whey protein before meals lowers the postprandial blood glucose (BG) peaks. Here is the research paper.
The study subjects consumed 15 g of whey protein in a beverage 10 minutes before eating the meal. They found that this procedure reduced the prevalence of daily hyperglycemia by 8% thus increasing the time spent in daytime euglycemia (normal BG levels) by 9%. Nighttime BG levels were not affected.
Now, this study concerned only whey protein, in a beverage, but there's no reason to think that other proteins would have different effects. And it's something you could easily try yourself.
Eat some protein about 10 minutes before the rest of your meal and see if it has any effect.
For some people, starting the meal with the protein is normal, although they don't usually wait 10 minutes to eat the rest of the meal. And in social situations, this might be difficult. "What, you don't like my vegetables and salad?"
But if you're eating alone or with family or friends who understand what you 're doing, you could try this. It's easy to do, and who knows, it might help your postmeal BG levels.
Sticking to a low-carb diet would probably have a bigger effect than starting a meal with protein, but everything helps.
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Hello Gretchen, I normally read your blog as via receiving them in my email, not visiting here, but it just occurred to me that I've not seen an update for a while, and when I checked it's been 13 months. I hope all is well? If it is, and you have lapsed in sharing because you are not seeing indications of engagement, please know there are still people following your contributions, even if they don't post on your site! FYI this particular entry is something that I still do sometimes go out of my way to incorporate into my meals.
ReplyDeleteAll is well. I've just gotten lazy in my old age.
ReplyDeleteSo relieved to hear! Well, we are all allowed that in our mature years. Or so I hear ;)
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