Protein affect on glucose level.

[Pat91]

Hi all does protein raise blood sugar even if you have 50g of carbohydrate with your meal ? Had 2 chicken breast with my dinner and have a blood reading of 10.2 now. Thank you.

 

[Inka]

Not usually noticeably if you have carbs with it @Type1Pat If you were to eat a lot of chicken, it might possibly. I wouldn’t say two chicken breasts was a lot. It might just be one of those things. You could always try eating the same thing again and see if you get a repeat.

 

[PattiEvans]

You might find this of interest @Type1Pat . https://www.diabetes-support.org.uk/info/?page_id=438
In the absence of carbs, or minimum carbs I always have to dose a little for protein, but I wouldn’t have needed it If I were eating 50g carbs. In your case I probably would have blamed a miscalculation on carbs. On the other hand entirely if I did eat 50g carb at one meal I woukd expect a spike even if I matched insulin to carbs correctly.

 

[PattiEvans]

PS. How long after your meal was the 10.2 and what were you before the meal?

 

[Inka]

50g carbs is a moderate amount of carbs and I wouldn’t have spiked from that. I think a miscalculation or an ‘outside influence’ is most likely eg hormones or one of the other zillions of things that can affect our blood sugar.

50g, 60g, 70g..... - all normal amounts of carbs.

 

[Lisa66]

For me personally I would find that would put my levels up later...with or without accompanying carbs.

For example, I make a chicken shawarma and have it with salad and a wholemeal pitta (30g), the pitta doesn’t have this effect on me at other times. I can then watch my levels rise slowing during the night.

When I was of the Dafne type course a few years ago, several of the other attendees mentioned this too. Maybe it doesn’t affect all of us this way though, we are all different. It did answer a lot of questions for me once I realised.

It’s worth experimenting though, to see what happens another time. I often think there’s always something that can affect a reading and make a slight difference.

 

[helli]

With 50g carbs, protein has no impact on my blood sugars.
Was there any sauce, dressing or marinade on the chicken?
Did you eat any carbier veg like carrots, peas, sweet corn, beans?

 

[Pat91]

Not usually noticeably if you have carbs with it @Type1Pat If you were to eat a lot of chicken, it might possibly. I wouldn’t say two chicken breasts was a lot. It might just be one of those things. You could always try eating the same thing again and see if you get a repeat.

Hello, I forgot to add I had the same thing to eat on Tuesday and near enough the same pre bed readings.

 

[Pat91]

PS. How long after your meal was the 10.2 and what were you before the meal?

Hi there, my 10.2 reading was 3 1/2 hours after eating, before dinner reading was 5.6 I believe.

 

[Pat91]

With 50g carbs, protein has no impact on my blood sugars.
Was there any sauce, dressing or marinade on the chicken?
Did you eat any carbier veg like carrots, peas, sweet corn, beans?

Yeah I had brocolli and green beans with the meal.

 

[Inka]

Hello, I forgot to add I had the same thing to eat on Tuesday and near enough the same pre bed readings.

Ok, well I’d add a little on to your normal bolus for that meal next time you have it. Test extra to make sure you’re not going low.

The only similar thing I remember was a few months after I was diagnosed when I worked out chicken was ‘free’, and totally stuffed my face with it because I was so relieved at being able to eat freely. I had a stubborn high then. Two chicken breasts isn’t stuffing your face at all, but it might just be you need to allow a tiny bit extra insulin to cover the protein. I often have to do that with eggs, even if I only eat a normal amount eg two or three.

The beauty of eating the same meal is that you can perfect your bolus (as much as diabetes allows - it’s not an exact science).

 

[nonethewiser]

Hi all does protein raise blood sugar even if you have 50g of carbohydrate with your meal ? Had 2 chicken breast with my dinner and have a blood reading of 10.2 now. Thank you.

Yes it does mate, carbs in my meals average 50g 60g, with one chicken breast wouldnt take it into bolus calc but 2 would have to, but with me the effects is not immediate but many hours after, discovered this affect many moons ago.

So excess protein can increase bg levels even with carbs, my way round is to bolus later on as well as before meal. Ideal way to see this affect is with bbq style meals, but easy to navigate with experience & knowledge so dont worry.

 

[SB2015]

Hi @Type1Pat

I do find that if I have a very low carb meal of less than 15g and high protein I need to take account of the protein.However I don’t have room in my head to learn about counting protein, so I tend to have meals with enough carbs in. If I have a big meal (>50g) (for me) then I find I need a bit more insulin and I will probably still have a spicier graph in spite of early Bolus. I also found protein took a bit longer to get going. If I have a high protein meal then levels are likely to rise later.

It is indeed frustrating that for all our planning and calculating sometimes having done exactly the same things and starting at the same levels, things turn out different. Keep checking on things but just do the best that you can.

 

[PattiEvans]

Hi there, my 10.2 reading was 3 1/2 hours after eating, before dinner reading was 5.6 I believe.

Hello, I forgot to add I had the same thing to eat on Tuesday and near enough the same pre bed readings.

So just a thought, your bolus would be pretty much tailed off by then, could it possibly be insufficient basal? Basal needs can change from time to time and sometimes quite suddenly.

Did you have carbs other than green beans and broccoli, as the carbs in both those vegetables are negligible.

 

[Lisa66]

You can see we all have different thoughts, ideas and experiences and sometimes we do get a result and we can never work out why. 10 isn’t horrific though by any means...did you test again after the result and if so did the number come back down and how long did it take ? I’m guessing, sorry if I’m wrong, that you don’t have a Libre sensor. They can be very useful in helping us work things out.

It’s still early days for you and the learning curve is a long one. I think most of us are constantly learning...I know I am...everyday’s a school day etc🙂

The protein issue is certainly an interesting and thought provoking one.

 

[Amity Island]

Hi all does protein raise blood sugar even if you have 50g of carbohydrate with your meal ? Had 2 chicken breast with my dinner and have a blood reading of 10.2 now. Thank you.

I've had protein conversion for as long as i've had type diabetes. It's called Gluconeogenesis.

Happens to me whether it's eaten with or without carbs. Add fat into the meal and even greater late rises are seen.

Gluconeogenesis - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[trophywench]

Or - just to suggest another spanner to throw in the works - perhaps your insulin:carb ratio needs increasing a bit for dinner? It is entirely possible to need more or less insulin to cover carbs at different times of day but because it's also more than possible that as @Pattidevans said, your basal insulin could be running out too - best to do the basal test so you can pin down as far as humanly possible, which it actually is.

 

[Pat91]

Yes it does mate, carbs in my meals average 50g 60g, with one chicken breast wouldnt take it into bolus calc but 2 would have to, but with me the effects is not immediate but many hours after, discovered this affect many moons ago.

So excess protein can increase bg levels even with carbs, my way round is to bolus later on as well as before meal. Ideal way to see this affect is with bbq style meals, but easy to navigate with experience & knowledge so dont worry.

Ok mate, thanks for the advice

 

[Pat91]

So just a thought, your bolus would be pretty much tailed off by then, could it possibly be insufficient basal? Basal needs can change from time to time and sometimes quite suddenly.

Did you have carbs other than green beans and broccoli, as the carbs in both those vegetables are negligible.

Hi there yes had new potatoes also.

 

[Pat91]

You can see we all have different thoughts, ideas and experiences and sometimes we do get a result and we can never work out why. 10 isn’t horrific though by any means...did you test again after the result and if so did the number come back down and how long did it take ? I’m guessing, sorry if I’m wrong, that you don’t have a Libre sensor. They can be very useful in helping us work things out.

It’s still early days for you and the learning curve is a long one. I think most of us are constantly learning...I know I am...everyday’s a school day etc🙂

The protein issue is certainly an interesting and thought provoking one.

Hello, I checked again this morning and I was on a 7.7. have been told I will be recieving the libre sensor on prescription so I am very happy about that.