Diabetes And Protein – A Source Of Much Controversy

Diabetes is a rapidly growing health problem in the United States, and doctors think that’s mostly because of what’s called the Standard American Diet (SAD).  Junk food constitutes an ever growing percentage of the average person’s food intake in this country.  Much of it comes from fast food, which used to be an occasional treat for people, but is now some folks’ main source of “nutrition.”  Because of this weight problem, there’s always a new fad diet sweeping America.  One that did recently, and is still quite popular, is the high protein diet.  Is there a connection between contracting diabetes and protein?  Or lack of protein?  Is a high protein diet recommended for diabetics?  Let’s look at the facts.

Here’s the most important fact when it comes to diabetes and protein diets: almost all studies done by medical researchers are in agreement that they are not healthy.  Much to no one’s surprise, the human body was never intended to ingest large amounts of protein on a regular basis.  An average amount of protein is about 15% of your daily calories.  You don’t need more than this, and if you regularly get more than this you’ll probably suffer detrimental health effects down the road.  And there’s certainly zero evidence that a high protein diet can prevent diabetes.

What about high protein diets for diabetics?  Are they recommended?  No, at least not by the vast majority of doctors.  In fact, they’re just as unhealthy for a diabetic as they are for a completely healthy person.  Doctors and nutritionists have formulated ideal diets for people with diabetes, and protein is certainly a part of those meal plans, but not in amounts anything like the Atkins diet.  So don’t be fooled.  High protein diets are unhealthy, they don’t prevent diabetes, and they certainly aren’t recommended for diabetics.