Is milk a part of your diet? Consuming it during breakfast may help diabetes patients manage the disease, according to a new report.
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Researchers from the University of Guelph in Canada recently conducted a small study, published in the Journal of Dairy Science, to explore the effects of consuming high-protein milk at breakfast on blood glucose levels.
"Metabolic diseases are on the rise globally, with type 2 diabetes and obesity as leading concerns in human health," H. Douglas Goff said in a statement. "Thus, there is impetus to develop dietary strategies for the risk reduction and management of obesity and diabetes to empower consumers to improve their personal health."
To do so, they examined drinking regular milk and high-protein milk, which included higher levels of whey, at breakfast alongside a high-carbohydrate cereal. They observed how the diets affected participants' blood glucose levels, their feelings of fullness and the amount of food they consumed later at lunch.
After analyzing the results, they found that the whey and proteins naturally present in regular milk releases gastric hormones that slow digestion and increase feelings of fullness, which could reduce the risk of obesity.
They noted there was only a small difference in how much people ate later in the day, but they discovered high-protein milk reduced blood glucose a tad bit more than regular milk even after lunch.
“Milk with an increased proportion of whey protein had a modest effect on pre-lunch blood glucose, achieving a greater decrease than that provided by regular milk,” they said.
“This study confirms the importance of milk at breakfast time to aid in the slower digestion of carbohydrate and to help maintain lower blood sugar levels,” Goff added. “Nutritionists have always stressed the importance of a healthy breakfast, and this study should encourage consumers to include milk.”
Previous studies have shown the benefits of consuming dairies high in protein.
In 2016, researchers at Israel's Tel Aviv University concluded that a large whey protein breakfast may help people manage Type 2 diabetes.
“Whey protein powder, the authors wrote, “which is a byproduct of milk during cheese production, induced greater satiety and reduction of glucose spikes after meals compared to other protein sources, such as eggs, soy or tuna.”
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