Tel Aviv, Israel—According to a study done by Daniela Jakubowicz, M.D., professor of medicine at Tel Aviv University, eating a large breakfast containing whey protein could very well help type-2 diabetics.

In the study, 48 obese and overweight type-2 diabetics (average 59 years old) were given one of three diets that contained the same amount of calories. Each person ate a large breakfast consisting of one of three protein types, a medium-sized lunch and a small dinner for 23 months. One group consumed mostly whey protein for breakfast, another group ate a breakfast consisting of various sources of protein such as egg, tuna and soy, and the third group ate a high-carbohydrate breakfast.

The results, which were presented on April 1 at ENDO 2016 in Boston, MA, showed that a high-calorie whey protein-filled breakfast led to greater satiety than the other sources of protein studied. After 12 weeks, participants who consumed whey protein in the morning lost the most weight: 7.6 kg (16.7 pounds), compared to 6.1 kg (13.4 pounds) for those who consumed other proteins, and 3.1 kg (6.8 pounds) for those who ate starches and carbohydrates.

According to Jakubowicz, “The whey protein diet significantly suppresses the hunger hormone ‘ghrelin.’ A whey protein drink is easily prepared and provides the advantages of a high-protein breakfast on weight loss, reduction of hunger, glucose spikes and HbA1c,” also known as glycated hemoglobin. 

Published in WholeFoods Magazine  June 2016 (Online, April 21, 2016)