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Plant Protein No Better Than Animal Protein For Type 2 Diabetics

A diet that derives protein from plant sources only has no advantage over a diet that contains animal protein for individuals with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria, researchers report.

Dr. S. Edwin Fineberg, In a randomized crossover trial from Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, compared a diet containing only plant proteins with one containing mostly animal proteins in 17 patients with type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria.

After the patients had been on each diet for 6 weeks, the researchers found that there was no diet-related difference in the glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow, albumin excretion rate, total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, triglyceride area under the curve (AUC), glucose and insulin AUC, HbA1c, blood pressure, or serum amino acids.

Both diets were associated with lowered cholesterol, improved HbA1c, and reduced diastolic blood pressure, according to the report in the August issue of Diabetes Care. There was no difference in dietary effects on renal function, whether or not patients were treated with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors.

They conclude that "there appears to be no clear advantage to recommending plant protein over animal protein to improve renal function or lipid and glycemic parameters in people who have type 2 diabetes and microalbuminuria."

According to Drs. Errol B. Marliss and Rejeanne Gougeon from McGill Nutrition and Food Sciences, Montreal, authors of an accompanying editorial. "Our conclusion regarding the study in this issue of Diabetes Care is that at the high intakes of high-quality protein used, although there was not an advantage to the high soy all plant-protein diet, the challenge is now to determine whether this applies to lower intakes and to plant sources that might have both different amino acid compositions and other potentially 'protective' nutrients," they write.  Diabetes Care 2002;25:1277-1282,1474-1476.

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