Animal Protein Linked to Increased Diabetes Risk

Diabetes risk increases with higher intake of total protein and animal protein, according to a new study in this month’s issue of Diabetes Care. Researchers analyzed the diets of 38,094 Dutch participants from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study and found that for every 5 percent of calories consumed from protein instead of carbohydrate or fat, the risk of developing diabetes increased 30 percent. Increased animal protein intake coincided with increased intakes of saturated fat, cholesterol, and heme iron, and with increased body mass index, waist circumference, and blood pressure. Vegetable protein intake was not associated with diabetes risk.

Dr. Cinque's comments: To many, this may seem paradoxical. After all, diabetes involves high blood sugar, which is carbohydrate, so shouldn't high-carbohydrate foods be the culprits? And of course, there are many people who think that way, such as Dr. Mercola, who in particular blames grains, including whole grains. Do I think he is wrong? Yes, I do. But the main thing to realize is that diabetes causation is very complicated. It is not simply a matter of carbohydrate in, Sugar up, damage done. We know, for instance, that animal protein tends to increase insulin resistance. For example, Duke University researchers found that branched-chain amino acids (such as leucine, isoleucine, and valine) which are abundant in meats and dairy products, tend to increase insulin resistance. And, insulin resistance is what diabetes is all about.

This European study is not the first to correlate animal protein intake with diabetes. The first that I know of was out of Japan in the 1950s. Diabetes is an age-related disease to which we are all prone, and there is good, solid evidence that whole, unprocessed plant foods are protective against it. Loading up on animal products is just asking for trouble. You don't have to go totally vege, but you darn sure ought to go mostly vege.....................
http://www.1to1vitamins.com/news/2010/artl7984.html
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