Protein -rich diets do not reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes

People with obesity who follow a diet rich in protein manage to reduce their body weight, but not the risk of type 2 diabetes increased by obesity itself.This is shown by a study carried out by researchers at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Washington in St. Louis (United States) and published in Cell Reports magazine.

As Dr. Bettina Mittendorfer, director of the study, explains, “our results show that women who lose weight with a high protein diet do not experience an improvement in their insulin sensitivity.And also, and on the contrary, women who lose weight with diets with a lower amount of proteins have a greater and significant sensitivity to insulin.An aspect to take into account because in many people overweight and obesity, insulin no longer effectively controls blood sugar levels, which eventually results in the development of type 2 diabetes. ”

There is no risk reduction

To carry out the study, the authors had the participation of 34 women with obesity and without diabetes that had already overcome menopause and that, according to a totally random criterion, were included in three food groups: diet with quantityof recommended daily proteins - 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight–;Diet with excess proteins - 1,2 g per kg of weight–;and free diet - ‘control group’.

The results showed that the intake of the recommended amount of protein entails benefits for metabolism, in case of an improvement of 25-30% in insulin sensitivity and, therefore, of a reduction in the risk of diabetes development andof cardiovascular diseases.On the contrary, the diet with excess protein was not associated with these benefits.

As Dr. Mittendorfer concludes, “changes in protein content lead to very large effects.Thus, the metabolic benefits associated with weight loss were not diminished, but totally eliminated, in women who consumed the diet rich in protein.All this despite the fact that his weight loss was similar to that achieved by those with a diet with less protein. ”

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