tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post181564752179220801..comments2022-09-25T22:30:29.822-05:00Comments on Low-Carb for You: How Can Eating Excess Protein Raise Blood Glucose?Stargazeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-43730779128035815912016-02-06T09:07:10.948-06:002016-02-06T09:07:10.948-06:00That's an excellent question, David. Unfortuna...That's an excellent question, David. Unfortunately, I do not have any additional science-based thoughts on this problem. Anecdotally, I have found that 1500 mg of cinnamon per day has improved my blood glucose when I am eating very low-carb. (<a href="http://lowcarb4u.blogspot.com/2010/02/cinnamon-and-blood-glucose.html" rel="nofollow">Cinnamon and Blood Glucose</a>)<br /><br />You might want to send your question to Dr. Bernstein. He has a teleseminar on the last Wednesday of every month at 8:00 PM Eastern to answer patients' questions. He has lots of practical experience with blood glucose and low-carb diets and may be able to give you some helpful insights.Stargazeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-58127539217074594012016-02-06T08:31:37.621-06:002016-02-06T08:31:37.621-06:00Hi Stargazey
Your post is important because there...Hi Stargazey<br /><br />Your post is important because there are clearly a lot of people who, like me, have adopted a low carbohydrate diet in order to lower blood glucose only to find it increases it - and don't know what to do about it! I started with fasting level of 4.9 mmol/L and within a week on 20gms of carbohydrate + 75gms protein + fat to energy requirement it had risen to 6.3 mmol/L. This is where it has remained for several weeks. This is a worry because although the fasting numbers are still not in the diabetic range, I have peripheral neuropathy probably caused by AGEs (which you mentioned in a reply to Sue)<br /><br />A recent explanation given by Dr Barry Sears and others is that the body interprets low carbohydrate as a threat to survival and the cortisol produced to initiate gluconeogenesis is in excess of what is needed. If that's right, it would be good to know if it's possible to do something that counters this response or if it's simple a matter of waiting for the body to adjust. The experience of Peter Dobromylskyj on his Hyperlipid website suggests that it doesn't!! <br /><br />It seems that not only excess protein can raise blood sugar but also very low carbohydrate<br /><br />I wonder if you have any further thoughts on the subject.<br /><br />Many thanks<br /><br />DavidDavidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08232615188008017982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-53196636530941989242015-06-02T21:35:42.006-05:002015-06-02T21:35:42.006-05:00Hi, hacker hacker! I would expect that that much p...Hi, hacker hacker! I would expect that that much protein would kick you out of ketosis, but the only way to know for sure is to buy some ketosis test strips (very cheap, so not a big deal) and check your urine at various times during the day. The good news is that you don't have to be in ketosis for low-carb to work. I would recommend that you give your plan a try and see if it works for you. If it doesn't, it should be easy enough to make modifications and arrive at a regimen that suits your body's needs.Stargazeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-11109625157731566242015-06-01T05:28:13.022-05:002015-06-01T05:28:13.022-05:00Hi,
I am a strength athlete and would like to expe...Hi,<br />I am a strength athlete and would like to experiment with Low carb diet. I plan to have 2.5 g of protein per kg and equal amount of fat which will constitute 60% fat and 35% protein in terms of calories.<br />Will this much of protein trigger gluconeogenisis and kick me out of ketosis?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01594398072579067459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-43023553019441644712014-02-27T07:49:16.870-06:002014-02-27T07:49:16.870-06:00Hi, Edward. I don't have a science article to ...Hi, Edward. I don't have a science article to cite, but just personal experience. Carbs are carbs. Whether they are burned slowly or quickly, insulin must be used to store them. Insulin also has to be used to store protein, which means that too much protein acts like slow burning carbs.<br /><br />The secret of the low-carb diet is that you have to use fat (yes, fat) for energy. Fat has minimal insulinogenic properties. Eat healthy fat, like coconut oil and butter, for your energy. Eat enough complete protein to maintain your body's muscles, organs and enzymes. Eat some carbs for variety, but that's all. If you need fiber, eat a type of fiber that does not get digested, like psyllium husks. Fiber that gets digested will turn into carbs, and carbs require insulin for storage.<br /><br />That's it in a nutshell. I hope you find it useful.Stargazeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-72128499909645461562014-02-26T20:35:49.876-06:002014-02-26T20:35:49.876-06:00Hello Stargazey, Why is there no distinction betw...Hello Stargazey, Why is there no distinction between slow burning and fast burning carbs in any of your articles. It is my impression that the slower the carb (under 50 in the glycemic index) the less insulin released and the slower the assimilation to glucose. My goal was to reduce the amount of insulin in my body as mentioned by Barry Sears Phd in his Zone diet approach and thus minimize the risk of major degenerative disease and some cancers. It was with this in mind that I aadopted a diet of high protein moderate amounts of slow burning carbs and just essential fats with fish oil supplements. Now in my mid-60s, I have been surprised to find my fasting glucose touching 100mg/dl, and have been looking for an answer. Since I equate high insulin levels with rapid absorption of carbs, raising my base line inflammatory rate, I have been concerned with this fasting glucose increase and am looking for suggestions.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16578156966970834724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-91807796662919869932013-10-05T09:11:32.153-05:002013-10-05T09:11:32.153-05:00Hi, I am glad you had this posted. I am a type 1 ...Hi, I am glad you had this posted. I am a type 1 diabetic and just started a very low carb, high fat/protein diet. My blood sugars have stayed steady in the low 200's since I started this. My endocrinologist is aware of my new eating (just started) so will be sending him my blood sugars. I had no idea why this was happening, thought maybe the nutrition information was skewed (said 0 carbs for that serving, but if I was eating more than one serving, there were carbs) but couldn't figure out the high blood sugars. I want to lose weight, but want to be in control too. I hope he can figure out a way to help me regulate!!<br />AnnAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16967694099093882164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-28088893721995361542013-05-24T06:50:22.575-05:002013-05-24T06:50:22.575-05:00Hi, Jasmyn! If you're only in the first few we...Hi, Jasmyn! If you're only in the first few weeks of doing low-carb, your body is making all sorts of adjustments. It takes a couple of months for it to get used to operating on a low-carb basis, and lab values are not as dependable as they will be later on.<br /><br />If you are losing large amounts of weight, your body is in flux for that reason as well. Jenny Ruhl has a good caclulator for optimal intake of macronutrients here <a href="http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/DietMakeupCalc.php" rel="nofollow">Calculate Your Ideal Nutrient Intake for Weight Loss or Maintenance</a>.<br /><br />If you are in ketosis, some protein has to be used for gluconeogenesis in order to feed the glucose-requiring parts of your brain. Some protein will simultaneously be used for repair. Excess protein will be turned into energy, but you don't have to get all precise about how much you eat. Just don't overdo it and you should be fine.Stargazeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-46319957415173627792013-05-24T04:44:26.821-05:002013-05-24T04:44:26.821-05:00Hi Stargazey, Thanks for such an abundance of info...Hi Stargazey, Thanks for such an abundance of information. I am on a very low carb/high fat/adequate protein diet. During the first two weeks of this diet my fasting glucose was down from 105 to 72. Now my fasting glucose has increased to 95. As I eat only 30-40 fibrous carbs found in vegetables...no other carbs...I am assuming my body is converting protein to glucose. Frustrating, as I am trying to improve insulin resistance and lower leptin levels. Please clarify for me...are you saying that typically protein will be used first for repair and only then use excess protein for glucose production? And if so, would that mean that moderate exercise would increase the need for use of protein for muscle repair and in theory reduce the amount of protein available for glucose production?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08881010694598215468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-73231814422388019472013-05-10T17:14:51.062-05:002013-05-10T17:14:51.062-05:00You're more than welcome, Randy. Unless you we...You're more than welcome, Randy. Unless you weigh quite a bit, you might want to go lower on the protein and higher on the fat. My fat of choice is <a href="http://lowcarb4u.blogspot.com/2011/04/magical-mystical-coconut-oil.html" rel="nofollow">coconut oil</a>. It's also great if you have mitochondria that don't work as well as they used to. If you can handle the biochemistry, look <a href="http://lowcarb4u.blogspot.com/2011/11/impaired-mitochondrial-function-and.html" rel="nofollow">here</a> and <a href="http://lowcarb4u.blogspot.com/2011/11/impaired-mitochondrial-function-and_21.html" rel="nofollow">here</a>. If not, just read the Conclusion in the second one. If you decide to try coconut oil, increase your daily intake very slowly because your intestines will give you negative side effects until they get used to it.Stargazeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-35000611478298777092013-05-10T15:58:17.612-05:002013-05-10T15:58:17.612-05:00Thanks. for your input..this week on my diet I men...Thanks. for your input..this week on my diet I mentioned I have lost 9-110 pounds so far I am only eatting one bar at break fast. and about 3-4 shakes. at 40 grams each of protein . at dinner about that with fish. with a stuffing of three stalks of celery and 1 egg with 2 table spoons of bread crumbs all day. that's it thinking about 1000 or so caloriesAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17539268140410845585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-60857959663396633422013-05-10T07:22:39.012-05:002013-05-10T07:22:39.012-05:00Hi, Randy. I'm not a physician, just a biochem...Hi, Randy. I'm not a physician, just a biochemist, so please take anything I say with a grain of salt.<br /><br />If you need gastric bypass, I'm assuming you are a large person and are probably eating quite a few of the low-carb bars. If you'll look at the Nutrition Facts on the wrapper, you'll see that the carbs in a bar are something like 25. The one I'm looking at says it has <b>2 net carbs</b>, but the Nutrition Facts on the back says there are <b>23 grams of total carbs</b> in it. What that means is that the glycemic index of the carbs in the bar is very low, but they are still carbs and your pancreas still has to slowly produce insulin to cover them. If you eat too many of them, you run out of capacity to produce enough insulin and your blood sugar skyrockets.<br /><br />There may be other explanations as well, such as the fact that a large amount of protein may also overstress the capacity of your pancreas to deal with it. In which case, your liver will happily turn many of the amino acids into glucose and your blood sugar will go high. Your best bet is to try discussing it with the doctor who treats your diabetes and see what he or she has to say about it.Stargazeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-16022964354006469832013-05-09T20:34:38.103-05:002013-05-09T20:34:38.103-05:00Hi my name is Randy, going to be getting gastri bi...Hi my name is Randy, going to be getting gastri bi pass. I started on a protein shake and solids protein mostly with some greens, but my blood glucose has gone way hi from 140-220. to 400 -500 ..on no carbs to speak of other than from the. shakes and. bars I forgot to mention any advise... I am doing this early cause my blood pressure is high also . Any suggestions are appreciated thank you. ...ps been. diabetic since 95 I'm 43Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17539268140410845585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-25256328667850774132011-12-10T22:30:53.163-06:002011-12-10T22:30:53.163-06:00That's a good explanation, diff. When the body...That's a good explanation, diff. When the body sees a need for glucose, it creates it, and expects the pancreas to be able to compensate if too much glucose is produced.Stargazeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-90225583698369073942011-12-10T18:48:55.316-06:002011-12-10T18:48:55.316-06:00Thanks for the reply, Stargazey.
Another question...Thanks for the reply, Stargazey.<br /><br />Another question: do you know why the body performs gluconeogenisis when insulin levels are low? Is it because the body is expecting production of insulin to compensate for the rising sugar levels?diffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01981625847144626153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-88182811987021022592011-11-25T11:26:27.504-06:002011-11-25T11:26:27.504-06:00Hi, diff! I'm glad to hear that you have found...Hi, diff! I'm glad to hear that you have found your way to the low-carb lifestyle.<br /><br />I don't have any specific answers for you, unfortunately. There is some anecdotal evidence that whey shakes can raise blood sugar <a href="http://www.proteinpower.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7455" rel="nofollow">here</a>. When the Drs. Eades came out with "The 6 Week Cure for the Middle-Aged Middle," it called for drinking lots of low-carb protein shakes. And some people found that these shakes raised their blood sugar. If you're a type 1 diabetic, you have the equipment and experience to check your blood sugar before and at half hour intervals after you consume a particular kind of protein shake. That should give you the answer that works for you.<br /><br />I don't know how long it takes for the glucose-alanine cycle. Once ingested protein is broken down into amino acids (less time for whey protein, more time for meat), I would assume the cycle goes on as long as there is substrate, or until all the excess amino acids are cleared from the blood.<br /><br />As far as estimating when you will be overshooting your protein requirement, all I can offer is the link to Jenny's site <a href="http://www.phlaunt.com/lowcarb/19058429.php" rel="nofollow">here</a>. Dr. Bernstein has a <a href="http://www.askdrbernstein.net/index.php" rel="nofollow">webcast</a> at 7:00 PM Central Time on the last Wednesday of every month. You might send him a question and see what he says.Stargazeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-61696579806407140862011-11-24T08:36:21.401-06:002011-11-24T08:36:21.401-06:00Stargazey, I have just found your blog and am impr...Stargazey, I have just found your blog and am impressed and appreciative.<br /><br />I am a type 1 diabetic (39 y.o., diagnosed at 17 years).<br /><br />I have recently started a low-carb diet, more by deductive-reasoning than anything else, but since starting have found Dr. Bernstein's blog and ordered both his books (haven't recieved them yet).<br /><br />When I started eating much less carbs (first cut out the sandwiches, then lots of other carbs, now eat about 50g a day, also very physically active), I was taking just the insulin needed to cover the carbs, which was working fine, after a week or so, blood sugar was getting higher. <br /><br />Then I read this blog about protein affecting sugar, and things made sense again. Information has helped a great deal.<br /><br />Question; how do protein shakes affect sugar level do you think? As in, I imagine the protein will be absorbed faster, and so will affect sugar level faster. How long does this glucose-alanine cycle take, rougly? Also, if I have had a day of high physical activity (I am a brick-paver, and practise Bikram Yoga) how much protein will be utilised in muscle repair before the remainder is converted to energy? I know each individual would be different, and there are many variables (energy expended/body size/metabolism etc.), but I would appreciate your considered opinion.diffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01981625847144626153noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-48442335431779506252011-06-15T15:12:38.714-05:002011-06-15T15:12:38.714-05:00Hi, Raquel. I did get your first comment but am no...Hi, Raquel. I did get your first comment but am not publishing it because it contains your e-mail address. (Blogger doesn't let me edit comments--I can only accept or reject them as-is.)<br /><br />Anyway, and this is only my personal opinion, eating excess protein is not really a problem except for the few people who have kidney damage. For everybody else, the body is well able to metabolize excess protein into carbohydrate, fat or ketone bodies. If you think about it, it would have been maladaptive if our hunter-gatherer ancestors had needed to be careful about eating excess protein. If they happened to kill an elk or bison, limits on protein would have meant that they would have needed to leave valuable food uneaten. Under non-starvation conditions a healthy body doesn't really concern itself with more work or less work because metabolic pathways are incredibly flexible.<br /><br />The body "wastes" energy all the time. (Look up "futile cycle" for an example.) There are lots of things to worry about in this world, but wasting energy by eating too much protein is really not one of them.Stargazeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-41630114899210681572011-06-15T14:44:51.721-05:002011-06-15T14:44:51.721-05:00Hello, thanks very much for this blog, I have only...Hello, thanks very much for this blog, I have only just come across it half way through writing some coursework (nutrition course)and would value some input regarding excess protein/amino acids being a waste of metabolic energy. My course teaches me that because of the body having to get rid of the excess nitrogen by converting it to ammonia, and then excreting it through urea, consuming more than you need just gives your body more work. Do you agree with that? If you would rather not publish this as it goes off-topic slightly I would appreciate an email if that is possible. Rach (sorry if you get this twice, I'm not sure it went the first time)Raquelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05508186806886948582noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-79085154115337352062011-05-08T08:28:43.160-05:002011-05-08T08:28:43.160-05:00I did some further reading and found that the incr...I did some further reading and found that the increase in blood glucose in response to carbs varies with the weight of the person consuming them.Dianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006736127055079751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-73770603360939537632011-05-08T08:28:08.350-05:002011-05-08T08:28:08.350-05:00Good observation, Diana! On page 291 of Diabetes S...Good observation, Diana! On page 291 of <i>Diabetes Solution</i> it does say that 1 gram of carbohydrate raises blood sugar 5 mg/dl.<br /><br />I think that at the time I wrote the material you quoted, I belonged to Dr. Bernstein's website and found that information there. I assumed (perhaps incorrectly) that it was more correct than the figure in the book. Unfortunately I didn't write down the citation and I can't find it on Google, so please go with whichever figure works best for you.Stargazeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-90943714897536798852011-05-07T21:21:11.484-05:002011-05-07T21:21:11.484-05:00"--1 gram of carbs produces a 2 mg/dl increas..."--1 gram of carbs produces a 2 mg/dl increase in blood glucose.<br />--7 grams of lean protein produces a 2 mg/dl increase in blood glucose."<br /><br />Didn't Dr. Berstein say that 1 gram of carbs produces 5 mg/dL increase is blood glucose?Dianahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09006736127055079751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-88584973128078357192009-09-18T16:59:15.426-05:002009-09-18T16:59:15.426-05:00I love your blog Stargazey!I love your blog Stargazey!Danny Roddyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09783084522124421969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-51614104309010292642009-09-02T18:55:36.372-05:002009-09-02T18:55:36.372-05:00Cosmo's human--thanks for your comment! I am n...Cosmo's human--thanks for your comment! I am not a physician (just a biochemist), so I can't make an intelligent evaluation to know if you're killing yourself or not. :-)<br /><br />Does your doctor know you're doing low-carb? He/she might be able to give you some guidance. If you haven't already read <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bernsteins-Diabetes-Solution-Achieving/dp/0316099066" rel="nofollow">Dr. Bernstein's Diabetes Solution</a>, that might also give you some insight. Usually low-carb is high-fat and moderate-protein, but if your blood glucose and A1c are good, the low-fat/high-protein version might work for you. Unfortunately my training is in research, not clinical work, so I can't do much except make suggestions.Stargazeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09566854038842118222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7890604293949783916.post-61532969185962685572009-09-02T14:42:24.939-05:002009-09-02T14:42:24.939-05:00I am a Type II on Lantus (45u qhs), Humalog (slidi...I am a Type II on Lantus (45u qhs), Humalog (sliding scale usually 0-2u) and SymlinPen (120mcg). I am on a high protein low carb diet. I drink 3-5 Nectar brand shakes, have a 6 egg white/1 yolk omlette and applesauce or other small fruit for breakfast. Dinner is: fish or chicken plus veggies and a small fruit for dinner. I am lowering my A1C and losing lots of weight. I have 50# more to go. The shakes have 23g protein, no carbs or sugar. I try real hard to stay less than 40-50 carbs a day. I know I can't do this the rest of my life, but am trying real hard to get healthy. Am I killing myself???Cosmo's humanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01697117162256288767noreply@blogger.com