HIgh Protein Breakfasts Cut Women's Diabetes Risk

Having steak and eggs for breakfast could lower women's risk of developing diabetes, a new study suggests.

Researchers at the University of Missouri found that eating a high-protein breakfasts led to better glucose and insulin control compared to eating lower-protein or no-protein meals in women.

"For women, eating more protein in the morning can beneficially affect their glucose and insulin levels," lead researcher Heather Leidy, an assistant professor of nutrition and exercise physiology, said in a news release. "If you eat healthy now and consume foods that help you control your glucose levels, you may be protecting yourself from developing diabetes in the future."

The latest study involved women aged 18 to 55 years old who ate one of three different meals or drank only water on four consecutive days. All meals were less than 300 calories per serving and contained similar amounts of fat and fiber. However, the meals did vary in amount of protein. A pancake meal contained three grams of protein, a sausage and egg breakfast skillet contained 30 grams and another sausage and egg breakfast contained 39 grams of protein.

Blood samples were collected from participants four hours after they ate breakfast to measure the amount of glucose and insulin.

"Both protein-rich breakfasts led to lower spikes in glucose and insulin after meals compared to the low-protein, high-carb breakfast," Maki said. "Additionally, the higher-protein breakfast containing 39 grams of protein led to lower post-meal spikes compared to the high-protein breakfast with 30 grams of protein."

Researchers said that findings suggest that eating protein-rich morning meals is better than eating those low in protein in terms of helping women maintain glucose levels.

"Since most American women consume only about 10-15 grams of protein during breakfast, the 30-39 grams might seem like a challenging dietary change," Leidy said. "However, one potential strategy to assist with this change might include the incorporation of prepared convenience meals, such as those included in this study."

The latest study will be presented at the 2014 Experimental Biology meeting this week in San Diego, California.