By: Emily Ing and Igor Klibanov
You’re a conscientious diabetic, or caring for one. You want to get a handle on your diabetes, and you’ve tried many things, like:
- Diets
- Supplements
- Exercise
But recently you’ve heard a lot about something called “whey protein.” You probably have a few questions in your head, the main ones being “what is whey protein?” and “will it work for me?” That’s what we’ll get into in this article today!
Not only will we answer those questions by the end of this article, we’ll also cover a lot of other topics along the way. Here is what you’ll learn:
- What is whey protein?
- How much protein a day should a diabetic have?
- Is whey protein okay for diabetics?
- Can whey cause high blood sugar?
- What kind of protein shake is best for diabetics?
- Best whey protein for diabetes
Now before we start, you may be thinking to yourself “Is this guy really a reliable source? How can I trust anything he’s about to tell me?” Well let me put your mind at ease. I’m the author of the Amazon bestseller, Type 2 Diabetes Reversal Secrets and I’m a personal trainer who specializes in diabetics, like Mandy, John, and others.
So without further ado, let’s figure out the answer to whether whey protein is for you.
What is Whey Protein?
Now you may have opened this article just because you’ve heard that whey is all the rage nowadays but have absolutely no idea what it is. Or maybe you know and wanted to just read up on its effects on diabetics. No matter which one you are, let’s take a quick look at what whey is.
To put it simply, whey is one of the two major proteins found in milk and dairy products, the other of the two being casein. But let’s focus on whey for today.
When whey is bought as is and not in milk and dairy products it’s found as a powder. And just like any other protein powder it comes in a bunch of different flavours including: vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, banana, and a bunch of others. Or if you prefer your protein powders unflavoured, that’s also an option.
Some have added sugars, but most don’t. The ones diabetics should be looking for are the ones without the added sugar.
But don’t let the idea of there being no sugar scare you into thinking whey protein powder will taste horrible. Almost all of them are sweet, except for maybe the unflavoured ones. They will most likely be sweetened with artificial sweeteners, which are perfectly fine for diabetics since they don’t contain any calories and so don’t raise blood sugar.
If the word “artificial” scares you or you dislike it, get over it. Artificial things aren’t always bad for you. And vise versa, natural things aren’t always good for you. Don’t believe me? Think of it this way: poisonous mushrooms are all-natural, but they’re still going to kill you. Meanwhile, eye glasses aren’t natural and are man made, but they’re good for you if you need them.
Plus if you like or have had any diet sodas, chances are that you’ve already had a pretty good amount of artificial sweeteners. But don’t let that scare you, most things scare people when they don’t know what it is. The main two you’ll probably find in diet sodas or protein powders are aspartame (pronounced: a – spr – taym) and acesulfame-potassium (pronounced: a – sul – fame pota – si – um). Which are honestly just really big, fancy scientific words.
If you want to know more about where to draw the line with natural vs artificial check out my article Is Natural Automatically Healthy?
Evidence for Whey Protein Use
According to research, whey protein shows the following evidence for activities and conditions:
- Exercise: There is some evidence that shows the amino acids whey protein can help to speed up muscle recovery following intense exercise with and improve body composition.
- Malnutrition: If a client is having a hard time getting the right food intake and maintaining a healthy weight, whey protein powder can help keep the weight on.
- Healing: Adding whey protein can be beneficial to those healing from chronic wounds to speed up the healing process.
- Allergies: Research has found that infants are at lower risk of developing eczema when consuming a hydrolyzed form of whey proteins. Formulas that contain whey hydrolysate can reduce the infant’s risk of developing allergic reactions. Always consult a doctor for recommendations on a formula containing whey protein.
Whey protein, additionally, has anti-inflammatory activity, which is great news for those with diabetes and trying to maintain their blood sugar levels. People with diabetes who have a hard time controlling their insulin levels often have inflammation, making weight loss difficult. In addition, research suggests that whey protein can also increase fat loss within the liver.
Whey Protein for Fat Loss and Muscle Mass
At first glance, we know that having a decent amount of muscle mass indicates that someone is generally healthy. So, clients who want to increase their muscle mass, improve body composition, and reduce body weight, can benefit from whey powder. In addition, whey protein can help people with type 2 diabetes maintain muscle mass and lower blood sugar levels. When someone consumes protein, it gives the body the amino acids it needs to repair and rebuild muscle – especially after exercise. Whey proteins provide these amino acids, along with the anti-inflammatory activity that is good for your overall health.
As a type 2 diabetic or insulin resistant individual, you can consume whey protein to improve energy consumption (ie eat less food), glycemic control (AKA blood sugar control), and improving muscle mass and, potentially even bone density! It is a great way to improve blood glucose response.
For folks with type 2 diabetes who are following the dietary guidelines of the American Diabetes Association, whey protein fits in nicely.
Is Whey Protein Okay for Diabetics?
So now that we have a pretty solid understanding of what whey is, let’s get into more of the nitty gritty and figure out if whey protein is even okay for diabetics.
I’m happy to say that whey protein isn’t just okay, but very beneficial (for most).
Almost every study done on the effects of whey protein on blood sugar, HbA1C, and insulin of type 2 diabetics finds a beneficial effect. One study found that adding 0.3g/kg of whey to a meal increased the amount of insulin released by 99-110% and lowered blood sugar after a meal by 22%, compared to having that same meal, but without whey protein. Research suggests that whey has the ability to reduce appetite.
But that isn’t the extent of the benefits of whey. There are multiple other studies that found whey helps build more muscle and create a higher bone density.
Whey protein contains the amino acids which are used to synthesize glutathione, an essential antioxidant within the body. Oxidative stress is one of the causes of insulin resistance, and whey protein can aid in controlling blood sugar levels. The research showed positive insulin responses, and improvements in blood sugar levels.
As you know, insulin is the hormone that keeps blood glucose within normal limits. Research suggests that whey protein in the clinical nutrition of people with diabetes can moderate blood sugar levels. If you compare it to other sources of protein such as lean ham or egg white, whey protein did better.
With all that being said, there are a few exceptions to who whey is actually good for. There are 3 groups in particular we can’t recommend whey to:
Group 1: Those Who Are Whey Sensitive.
Those of you who may be or be taking care of somebody with whey sensitivity, this probably seems obvious. But it’s not the best idea to have or give them whey protein.
Some common symptoms of whey sensitivity include: fuzzy thinking, brain fog, diarrhea, oil/greasy skin, nasal congestion.
Group 2: Those with Lactose Intolerance
This may be a little shocking but people who are lactose intolerant should either avoid whey protein or be very careful with choosing their whey protein.
In theory there shouldn’t be any lactose in whey since lactose is a sugar and whey protein is well… protein. But some brands include lactose either on purpose or just because their method of processing doesn’t do the best job removing the lactose.
“Clean” brands won’t include lactose in their whey protein. So if you really want to make sure just ask the sales clerk at the store, or if you’re buying on Amazon it should say “no lactose” or “lactose free” on their page.
Group 3: Those with Kidney Issues
The kidneys can take a beating in diabetics and so eating excess protein can actually harm the kidneys. But only if there is pre-existing kidney damage. So basically, whey will harm already damaged kidneys more but won’t damage healthy kidneys.
Although these are fairly uncommon, they do exist so just be careful with your use of whey.
How Much Protein a Day Should a Diabetic Have?
Now that we’ve figured out if whey is good for diabetics to use or not, let’s figure out how much protein a diabetic should have in a day.
In all honesty there hasn’t been much evidence on protein requirements for diabetics. Other than some research that suggests that diabetics may need more than non-diabetics due to gluconeogenesis (the creation of new sugar in the body from breaking down muscle proteins), it seems that diabetics and non-diabetics require the same or similar amounts.
That being said, how much is required for non-diabetics?
- For fairly inactive people under 60: 0.8-1.2 grams/kg/day
- For people under 60, doing only cardio: 1.2-1.6 grams/kg/day
- For people under 60, doing strength training with or without cardio: 1.6-2.2 grams/kg/day
- For people over 60, it’s 50% more than people under 60. This is because they can’t absorb protein as well.
If that’s too many numbers for you, don’t worry, I get it. Numbers can get confusing for me too sometimes. Check out my article on what the best protein sources are for a little help deciphering what foods can help you meet those numbers.
Don’t get it confused though. Just because you can add whey protein to your diet doesn’t necessarily mean you should or need to.
If you can get your needed protein just from eating food, that’s great. Additional whey may not be beneficial. On the other hand, if you’re having a hard time getting enough protein through food, adding whey may be a really easy way to get the amount you need.
Can Whey Cause High Blood Sugar?
That’s a loaded question. It all depends on what we’re comparing whey to. If we’re comparing it to carbs then no, it doesn’t raise blood sugar more than carbs. But if we’re comparing it to eating nothing, then yes, it does.
This goes for basically anything blood sugar related. The 3 macronutrients: protein, carbs, and fats each raise blood sugar by different amounts.
- Carbs raise blood sugar the most (that’s things like bread, pasta, rice, potatoes, etc.)
- Proteins raise blood sugar a bit (that’s things like meat, fish and seafood)
- Fats don’t raise blood sugar at all (that’s things like avocados, nuts, butter, oils, etc.)
What Kind of Protein Shake is Best for Diabetics?
There are a million types of whey protein. Which one is best? Whey.
It’s tried, tested, and true. Research has been done on whey ever since the 1950s. Inside and out, tens of thousands of studies and experiments have been done to thoroughly understand the effects of whey. All of which came to the same verdict: whey is really good for you.
To fully comprehend the weight of these studies, it is extremely rare that research comes to one collective conclusion. The fact that almost every study done on whey protein for diabetics has come to the conclusion that it’s really good for you, is an amazing indicator that it’s worth getting.
Suppose you have type 2 diabetes and struggling to maintain your insulin levels. In that case, whey protein can help with the insulin response and decrease triglyceride levels after food such as lunch meals. Many clients experience blood sugar spikes, so maintaining a healthy body weight and blood glucose will have you feeling fitter and provide the much-needed energy.
Best Whey Protein for Diabetics
By now you’re probably hooked on the idea of giving whey a try now and asking yourself “which brand should I get?” There are a lot of brands out there but they aren’t all created equal. A good whey protein for diabetes should meet the following 4 criteria:
- 30 or more grams of protein on the nutrition label
- 2 or less grams of carbs
- 0-1 grams of fat
- Comes in a flavour you enjoy and can see yourself using long-term
You may be thinking “Wouldn’t that be most brands?” Well, yes, there definitely are a lot of brands out there that meet these criteria. But that’s the point – it shouldn’t be hard to find a brand that does these things.
But while there are things that brands should have there are also things brands don’t need and frankly don’t matter. Here are some of them:
- Additional vitamins and/or minerals
- The amounts included in whey powders are so low that they don’t do anything for you, except maybe impress the consumer. But most vitamins and minerals you get through food anyway. Or if you don’t, the vitamins and minerals in a multivitamin will do far more for you than the vitamins and minerals in whey.
- Whether or not there are artificial flavours/sweeteners
- In order for protein to taste good it has to be sweet. There are only two ways to make it sweet: adding sugar and adding sweeteners (either artificial or natural). If you add sugar it’ll raise blood sugar, so the only way to make it sweet without raising blood sugar is by adding artificial sweeteners or natural sweeteners that aren’t sugar. Examples could be stevia (pronounced: stee – vee – uh), xylitol (pronounced: zai – luh – taal), or erythritol (pronounced: ur – i – thrush – taal).
- Whether or not it has probiotics
- The whole world of the microbiome is still too complex for us to know whether adding probiotics to whey protein has any additional benefit.
- Whether it’s grass-fed or not
- The diet of an animal only affects the fat composition of the animal, not its protein composition. Whey protein is nearly 100% protein, so the diet of the animal has no effect on the quality of whey.
While companies come and go, some good brands as of right now include New Zealand Whey, Diesel, and Isopure. But these are just examples. There are many other brands that are great. And as long as whatever whey you decide to go with meets the criteria above, it’s good.
If you’re wondering “what about Ensure drinks or Glucerna shakes?”, the short answer is that they’re shakes, all right, but not protein shakes. The long answer is in the articles about them.
Conclusion
The final takeaway for today is that whey deserves all the excitement and recommendations. Not only does it help you get enough protein if needed, but also improves insulin production, reduces appetite, and lowers blood sugar.
Due to its protein density, whey protein isolate is highly beneficial. You are able to get all the benefits of protein without that added layer of fat (as happens with whey protein concentrate). People with diabetes can see the benefits of whey protein on their body’s insulin response.
While it is important to understand its weight loss benefits, you need to know its glucose lowering effects – especially if you have insulin sensitivity. Be sure to consult your health care provider if you have type 2 diabetes and want to add it to your high protein diet as it can make kidney damage worse if you have pre-existing kidney issues.
Remember that fat loss and muscle building go hand in hand, which is one of the benefits of whey protein. It provides essential amino acids for muscle building and repair and helps to control blood sugar levels for people with diabetes.
There are various whey protein powders available, such as unsweetened protein powder or ones that taste like various different flavors. Add the whey powder to your favorite smoothies to liven it up. Your options are endless for adding this protein supplement to your diet.
If you’re thinking of giving a protein powder a shot, whey is definitely one of the best options!
And if you want to delve deeper into other areas of nutrition and supplementation for diabetes, check out my articles on pre-workouts for diabetics, whether or not Curalin supplements are effective, and electrolyte drinks for diabetics.
