Previously, I wrote about the importance of eating breakfast in lowering blood sugar the entire day — Eating rather than skipping breakfast results in lower blood sugars the whole day.
This article presents a study that shows a high-protein breakfast lowers the blood sugar of people with type 2 diabetes for the whole day.
The research included twelve obese men and women with type 2 diabetes [age: 21–55 y]. All ate two types of 500 kcal breakfasts for six consecutive days.[1]
The first six-day breakfast has more protein compared to the other breakfast type. (35% protein/45% carbohydrate).
After a two-week wash-out period, the participants had breakfast with fewer proteins but more carbs (15% protein/65% carbohydrate).[1]
For lunch, they ate a 500-kcal standardized, high-carbohydrate meal similar to the carbohydrate breakfast meal provided.
The high-carb meal was a turkey sandwich with pretzels and chocolate cake and contained 65% carbohydrate (15.3 g of sugar, 9.3 g of fiber), 15% protein, and 20% fat. Meals were eaten within 10 minutes.
Blood tests
On the seventh day of each breakfast type, the subjects completed an 8-h testing day.
After an overnight fast, the subjects ate breakfast and a standard 500-kcal high-carbohydrate lunch four hours later.
Blood samples were taken throughout the day to know the 4-hour post-breakfast and 4-hour post-lunch values of the following:
- Glucose – blood sugar
- Insulin – the hormone that lowers blood sugar
- Glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP) – stimulates insulin secretion
- Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) – stimulates insulin secretion. Both GIP and GLP-1 are called incretins.
The functions of incretins are essential such that drug companies create drugs that mimic incretins or prevent their degradation.
What are Incretins?
The incretins, GIP and GLP-1, are hormones in the body that promote insulin secretion. In people with type 2 diabetes, their body does not respond to incretins well, resulting in lower insulin and high blood sugar.
Incretin related drugs
Incretin-mimicking drugs are prescribed to make the body produce more insulin. Examples are:
- Exenatide (Byetta, Bydureon)
- Liraglutide (Victoza)
- Sitagliptin (Januvia, Janumet, Janumet XR, Juvisync)
- Saxagliptin (Onglyza, Kombiglyze XR)
- alogliptin (Nesina, Kazano, Oseni), and
- Linagliptin (Tradjenta, Jentadueto)
Why did I take time to discuss incretin drugs? That’s because the study results show that incretins can be increased not only with prescription medicines but also by having more proteins during breakfast.
Results
Terminologies:
- Protein breakfast is when the subjects had a 35% protein/ 45% carbohydrate breakfast.
- A carbohydrate breakfast is when the subjects had a 15% protein/65% carbohydrate breakfast.
The main findings of the study were
1) The protein breakfast resulted in lower glucose and insulin responses than a carbohydrate breakfast. The blood sugar level did not increase after lunch compared to the carb intake during breakfast.[1]
The graphs show lower blood glucose after the protein breakfast (PRO) and lunch compared to the carbohydrate (CHO) breakfast and subsequent lunch. Arrows point to breakfast and lunch times.
Diamonds are the high-protein breakfast, and the squares are the high-carb breakfast.
The graphs below explain why the glucose levels are lower in the Protein breakfast. That’s because more insulin is secreted after a protein breakfast, and insulin pushes the blood sugar into the muscles and the liver.
GIP and insulin levels increased after the lunch meal with both types of breakfast.
2) GIP and insulin were robustly increased at the lunch meal with both protein breakfast and carbohydrate breakfast compositions, demonstrating that a second-meal phenomenon occurred.[1]
The second-meal phenomenon is when the rise in blood glucose after lunch (the second meal) is less when breakfast is eaten. This happens when fat or protein is eaten together with carbs during breakfast.
So take note: Add proteins to your breakfast to benefit from the second meal phenomenon and have lower blood sugar after lunch.
The graphs below show the higher amount of the incretin, GIP, in the protein breakfast after lunch, resulting in higher insulin and lower blood sugar post-lunch, as seen in the two graphs above.
3) GLP-1 did not demonstrate a second-meal phenomenon in this study. However, in some studies presented in my previous article, Eating rather than skipping breakfast results in lower blood sugars the whole day showed a GLP-1 rise. [1]
In summary, increasing protein during breakfast to about 35% of the calories can decrease the risk of after-meal blood sugar spikes and prevent diabetic complications.
Eating well.com has a 30-Day High-Protein, Diabetes-Friendly Breakfast Plan
After-meal blood sugar spikes should be avoided because it increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes.
I wrote about the significance of post-prandial high blood sugar in diabetics and non-diabetics in —
- After-meal high blood sugar predicts Atherosclerosis better than Fasting blood sugar and HbA1c
- After-meal blood sugar spikes as a cause of vascular failure
Add whey protein to breakfast
Add some whey protein if you are too busy to prepare a proper breakfast. A study showed that adding 27.6 grams of whey powder dissolved in the water for breakfast and lunch increased insulin responses by 31% after breakfast and 57% after lunch. [2]
More importantly, blood glucose was significantly reduced by 21% two hours after meals.[2]
Another study using 15 grams of whey protein immediately before meals stimulated insulin increase, improved after-meal blood sugar by 13% and increased the sense of fullness among men with type 2 diabetes.[3]
Amazon has whey proteins – the least expensive, at $0.57/ounce for vanilla and $0.54/ounce for Triple chocolate, is MuscleTech Grass Fed Whey Protein Powder
Affiliate link present
There are other ways to lower your after-meal blood sugar.
- Veggies Meat Carbohydrate Sequence Prevents After Meal Sugar Spike
- Walk After Meals to Prevent Sky High Blood Sugars
A healthy diet and exercise works
- A Healthy Lifestyle is as effective as Voglibose and Nateglinide in Lowering 10-year Cardiac Mortality
- Intermittent fasting Reverses Endothelial Dysfunction
Checking your blood sugar two hours after a meal is essential. If it is more than 140 mg/dL, it is a sign of glucose intolerance (pre-diabetes) and may warrant additional testing. Glucometers are over-the-counter and inexpensive. Your health insurance may even cover it.
I use the Care Touch Glucometer. For $30, you get the glucometer, 150 test strips, one lancing device, and 100 lancets.
Don’t Get Sick!
Stay current by subscribing. Feel free to share and like.
If you find value in this website, please consider buying a coffee to show your support.
References:
- Park YM, Heden TD, Liu Y, Nyhoff LM, Thyfault JP, Leidy HJ, Kanaley JA. A high-protein breakfast induces greater insulin and glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide responses to a subsequent lunch meal in individuals with type 2 diabetes. J Nutr. 2015 Mar;145(3):452-8. doi: 10.3945/jn.114.202549. Epub 2014 Dec 24. PMID: 25733459; PMCID: PMC6619673.
- Frid AH, Nilsson M, Holst JJ, Björck IM. Effect of whey on blood glucose and insulin responses to composite breakfast and lunch meals in type 2 diabetic subjects. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Jul;82(1):69-75. doi: 10.1093/ajcn.82.1.69. PMID: 16002802.
- King DG, Walker M, Campbell MD, Breen L, Stevenson EJ, West DJ. A small dose of whey protein co-ingested with mixed-macronutrient breakfast and lunch meals improves post-prandial glycemia and suppresses appetite in men with type 2 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 2018 Apr 1;107(4):550-557. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqy019. PMID: 29635505.
© 2018 – 2023 Asclepiades Medicine, LLC. All Rights Reserved
DrJesseSantiano.com does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.