There is no exact number of how much protein should be in a diabetic diet. But first a few words about protein and its’ purpose in the body. In a person without diabetes, there is a range that is considered safe and healthy. Protein is needed to rebuild body tissues such as muscles and organs and bases on each individuals body type, the amount of protein consumed each day varies. Here are some guidelines. The amount of protein should make up approximately 10 to 35% of their daily calorie intake. Translated, this means between 60 and 70 grams per day should be consumed by an adult male per day and approximately 50 grams for an adult female per day. Muscles are built from protein. There are fat cells for fat and muscle. There is the liver for glucose. There is no place in the body to store protein. And we need to eat enough protein so that our muscles are healthy and perform the work we need them to perform.

The major sources of protein are animal, plant or vegetable foods. Some of the animal protein sources are meat, fish, poultry, dairy products and eggs. However, if you have type 2 diabetes, the primary thing to focus on is replacing animal protein with vegetable protein in a diet for diabetic over time, because people typically consume too much animal protein, which is especially hard on diabetics. The US diet is high in protein, but the long term reversal of type 2 diabetes lies in high levels of vegetables.

Recent studies have noted how much protein should be in a diabetic diet. Long term studies have indicated that whole grain consumption reduces the risk of both type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. The combination of certain plant foods components may have a very significant impact on cardiovascular disease, which is one of the major complications of diabetes. What’s more, the substitution of soy or other vegetable proteins in place of animal protein may also decrease renal disease in type 2 diabetes. Therefore incorporating these changes of protein in your diet, in the long run, has advantages for the prevention and treatment of diabetes and its’ complications.

There are pros and cons to the debate over how much protein should be in a diabetic diet and a diabetic meal plan and the concept of high protein low carbohydrate diet, however it is interesting to note that at least one doctor has been treating her patients with a diabetic low carbohydrates diet with great success. In fact, some are pointing to her work as a cure for diabetes.

How Many Grams Of Protein Should A Diabetic Eat

How many grams of protein should a diabetic eat is a gray area. At one time studies showed that in a diabetic diet, 12% to 20% of energy should come from protein. In other words, 1.0 gram to 1.8 grams of protein/kg of adult body weight, but in a more recent study, this was changed to 0.8 grams/kg of adult body weight. Although lower than customary, this is regarded as safe. Yet other studies say that diabetics should get 15% to 20% of the calories from protein. In fact, protein is one nutrient that does not increase blood sugar levels in both diabetics and in healthy people. In the end, the focus should be on the goals of diabetes medical nutritional therapy and strategies that are known to assist in achieving those goals.

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One Response to “How Much Protein Should Be In A Diabetic Diet”

  1. Diabetic Foods on April 15th, 2010 8:12 pm

    [...] How Much Protein Should Be In A Diabetic Diet [...]

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