Amino Acid, Protein Combo Shows Promise in Type II Diabetes

Amino Acid, Protein Combo Shows Promise in Type II Diabetes

MAASTRICHT, The Netherlands--A mixture of aminoacids and protein appeared to enhance insulin response nearly three-fold in TypeII diabetics, according to research published in the March edition of DiabetesCare (26:625-30, 2003) (www.diabetes.org).

Researchers from Maastricht University in The Netherlandscompared 10 Type II diabetics with 10 healthy control subjects, both groupsreceiving just carbohydrates on one occasion and then carbohydrates with a freeamino acid/protein mixture on a later occasion. (The mixture contained freeleucine, phenylalanine and a protein hydrolysate.)

Insulin responses were dramatically increased during aminoacid/protein supplementation in both control and diabetic patients compared tothe occasion when only carbohydrates were ingested. Researchers concludedfurther research should be conducted to investigate whether similar nutritionalinterventions can improve postprandial glucose disposal.