BACKGROUND: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), the more prevalent type, is caused by a combination of insulin resistance and inadequate insulin response to hyperglycemia. Aside from pharmacologic interventions, medical nutrition therapy is an integral part of the management of patients with T2DM. Whey protein, which is one of the best protein sources, has been investigated for its applicability in improving glycemic control in patients with T2DM. This systematic review and meta- analysis was conducted to measure the magnitude of the effect of whey protein on glycemic control in T2DM. The aim of this review is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of whey protein in patients with T2DM. The results of this study will contribute to the possible non-pharmacologic treatment approaches in managing the disease. METHODS: A systematic electronic search for studies in the PubMed and Cochrane Collaboration databases was done. Included in this review were randomized controlled trials of whey protein enrolling patients with T2DM. Three reviewers independently searched, assessed and extracted data from the individual studies. RESULTS: A systematic literature search was conducted from April to September 2021 to identify eligible studies published between 2010 and 2020. The search was performed across online databases. The search yielded 21 randomized controlled trials after removing duplicates. Only five articles were included after reviewing the full text which met the criteria for selection. CONCLUSION Whey protein supplementation significantly reduced fasting blood glucose. However, it did not reduce post- prandial blood glucose, HbA1c level, and weight when compared with placebo. There has been a considerable heterogeneity across all studies, which may have contributed to or confounded its effects. A larger sample size and better inclusion and a more specific study may be included in the future reviews.
Human ; Whey Proteins ; Weight Loss