The ′BMJ Open Diabetes Research & Care′ journal published a recent study stating, that consuming small portions of whey protein before food illustrated beneficial effects in controlling blood sugar levels for people suffering from Type 2 diabetes. 

18 participants with type 2 diabetes drank a small quantity of drink containing 15 grams of protein in a 100 ml shot before 10 minutes of having breakfast, lunch, and supper and continued their diabetes medication for a week. The same participants were then given a protein-free control shot to drink for the next week. Continuous glucose monitoring was done in both cases to track blood glucose levels over the respective weeks.

Results revealed that taking the whey supplement prior to meals was useful and helped to control the glucose levels in a significantly better way. An increment of two hours per day of normal blood sugar levels and a decrease of 0.6 mmol/L in their daily blood glucose levels was observed compared to when they consumed the supplement without any protein.

Researchers said that whey protein works in two ways: first, it slows the passage of food through the digestive system, and second, it stimulates numerous essential hormones that keep blood sugar levels from rising too high. They also stressed that the benefits of non-medical interventions should be further investigated by conducting the study on a bigger scale and for a longer time of up to six months, as well as evaluating different proteins. (Hindustan Times, Jun 07, 2022)