Whey Supplement Helpful for Diabetics
(NY, Reuters Health, 7/27/05)

Dr. Mikael Nilsson, of Lund University, Sweden, and team, studied the effect of whey protein on diabetic subjects consuming high glycemic index (GI) meals, which cause blood sugar levels to spike. The investigators served 14 diabetic subjects high-GI meals--a breakfast of white bread and lunch of mashed potatoes with meatballs--and gave them whey supplements with each meal one day and substituted lean ham and lactose for the whey on another day. The researchers tested glucose, insulin, and other factors in blood samples taken before and after breakfast and 3 hours after lunch and found that whey supplementation was associated with higher insulin secretion. They also noted a smaller rise in blood glucose after the lunch that included whey. These results suggest that adding whey to high carb meals may stimulate insulin release and reduce blood sugar spikes for people with type 2 diabetes.

(American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, July 2005)