Animal vs Plant Protein Diets in Type 2 Diabetes

HealthDay News – For patients with type 2 diabetes, isocaloric diets high in animal protein or plant protein are associated with similar improvements in metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors, according to a study published online in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism.

Stephanie Sucher, from the German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke in Nuthetal, and colleagues compared diets differing in amino acid composition in 44 patients with type 2 diabetes. Isocaloric diets containing 30% of energy as animal protein or plant protein, combined with 30% fat and 40% carbohydrates, were compared in a randomized parallel group study (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT0240985). 

The researchers observed significant decreases in uric acid in both groups, but significantly more in animal protein vs plant protein. There were significant improvements in hemoglobin A_1c, diastolic blood pressure, and fasting non-esterified fatty acids in plant but not animal protein. There were significant improvements in animal protein but not plant protein for insulin sensitivity, C-reactive protein, and fasting glucose. In both groups, total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol decreased significantly, and there was a decrease from baseline in urinary albumin excretion rate in microalbuminuric participants.

“Isocaloric diets high in animal or plant protein allow similar improvements of metabolism and cardiovascular risk factors in [patients with type 2 diabetes] indicating that the differences in amino acid composition do not affect the metabolic responses to the interventions,” the authors wrote.

Reference

Sucher S, Markova M, Hornemann S, et al. A comparison of the effects of diets high in animal and plant protein on metabolic and cardiovascular markers in type 2 diabetes a randomized clinical trial [published online February 9, 2017]. Diabetes Metab Obes. doi: 10.1111/dom.12901