Abstract
Aims:
To determine the feasibility and efficacy of a high-protein diet compared with a standard
diet aiming for weight maintenance in insulin treated type-2 diabetic patients on
insulin requirement, body weight and metabolic parameters over 12 weeks.
Methods:
In a randomized controlled trial we assigned 44 type-2 diabetic patients on insulin
therapy either to high-protein or standard diet over 12 weeks. Parameters were evaluated
at baseline and monthly.
Results:
After 12 weeks, the high protein diet significantly decreased insulin requirement
(9.4±16.3 vs. +0.8±4.8 IU, mean±SD; p=0.007), fasting plasma glucose (41.7±62.5 vs.
2.1±39.0 mg dl− 1 ; p=0.02), body mass index (1.1±0.8 vs. 0.3±0.7 kg m− 2 ; p=0.003), fat-free (0.8±0.5 vs. 0.2±0.5kg; p=0.001), fat mass (2.6±1.7 vs. 0.8±1.6kg;
p=0.001) and increased serum folate (4.2±8.3 vs. − 0.8±5.5 nmol l−1 ; p=0.04) compared to the standard diet. These beneficial metabolic effects are most
likely related to the achieved weight loss. No significant differences between groups
in renal function were observed.
Conclusions:
In this study we demonstrate that a high protein diet with emphasis on plant source
protein vs. a standard diet is feasible in insulin-treated type-2 diabetic patients
and reduces insulin requirement and body weight and improves metabolic parameters
up to 12 weeks. A high protein diet can thus be considered as an appropriate diet
choice for type-2 diabetic patients.
Key words diabetes - alimentation - obesity
