How Much Protein Should a Person with Diabetes Eat?
Protein is an essential macronutrient (that means it's a large nutrient; the other two macronutrients are fat and carbohydrate) that your body needs to build, repair, and maintain most of your body's tissues and organs. Proteins are also necessary for immune system function, and they help some additional physiological processes. Usually, people with diabetes don't need any more protein than people who don't have diabetes, and there are times when less protein is better.
Daily Protein Intake
As long as your kidneys are healthy, about 15 - 20 percent of your daily calories should come from protein, which is the same amount suggested for a regular balanced diet. About 45 to 50 percent of your caloric intake should come from carbohydrates, and the rest should come from fat.
A person who needs 2,000 calories per day needs about 75 to 100 grams protein per day. Foods that are high in protein include meat, fish, fish and seafood, chicken, eggs, dairy products, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
For example:
One-half chicken breast has 29 grams protein
One cup black beans has 15 grams protein
An egg has 6 grams protein
One cup low-fat milk has 8 grams protein
A 3-ounce portion of steak has 26 grams protein
High Protein Diets and Diabetes
Switching to a high-protein diet may seem like it should make a difference in blood sugar regulation, but the protein probably doesn't help much at all, at least for the long term.
According to an evidence review done by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, increasing protein intake doesn't appear to have any appreciable impact on how your sugar is diges
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