People with Type 2 diabetes often wonder what kind of diet is best for their health.
A new study from the University of Alabama at Birmingham shows that what matters most is not the type of protein you eat, but how much weight you lose overall.
The study involved 106 adults with Type 2 diabetes. They were divided into two groups. One group followed a high-protein diet, and the other followed a diet with a normal amount of protein.
Both groups followed their diets for one full year (52 weeks), and both diets reduced the number of calories people ate every day. The main difference between the two diets was how much protein they included and whether people could eat lean beef.
People on the high-protein diet ate more protein—40% of their daily calories—and were told to include several servings of lean beef each week. People in the normal-protein group got 21% of their calories from protein and were asked not to eat any red meat at all.
At the end of the year, both groups lost weight, had better control over their blood sugar, and improved their overall body health. There was no major difference between the two diets when it came to these important results.
Dr. James Hill, the main author of the study, said that this shows people with diabetes have some flexibility when choosing a diet. If you prefer to eat meat, you don’t have to give it up as long as your diet is balanced and you reduce your calorie intake. The key is to pick a healthy eating plan that you enjoy and can stick with for a long time.
All the people in the study also followed a special weight loss program called the State of Slim (SOS). This program gave them food lists to follow and helped them build up to exercising about 70 minutes a day, six days a week.
This research is important because it helps clear up confusion. Many people think that eating red meat is always bad or that they need to cut out certain foods to manage diabetes. But this study shows that with careful planning, even lean red meat can be part of a healthy diet. What really makes the difference is losing weight and keeping it off.
The study also used a diet higher in protein than the typical American diet. Most Americans get only 14–16% of their calories from protein, but even the “normal-protein” group in this study had a little more than that (21%). So both groups were eating in a way that supports better health.
The researchers say this gives people more choices. Whether you enjoy meat or prefer not to eat it, you can find a healthy, balanced way to manage your diabetes that fits your lifestyle.
The study was supported by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. However, the group did not help design or review the study, so the findings were independent.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about The hidden connection between cancer and diabetes uncovered and findings of Scientists find the best way to help people with diabetes lose weight.
For more about diabetes, please read studies about Widely prescribed drug may increase sudden cardiac arrest risk in people with diabetes and findings of These common drugs linked to sudden cardiac arrest in people with type 2 diabetes.
The study is published in Obesity.
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