The Effects of Fat, Protein, and Glycemic Index on Postprandial Glucose Control

Mealtime insulin dosing calculation should focus on meal composition—including fat, protein, and glycemic index—rather than carbohydrate counting alone, according to a systematic review published in the June issue of Diabetes Care.

Current guidelines only focus on carbohydrates as the basis for calculating insulin doses; however, data indicates that other micronutrients—namely fat and protein—can affect insulin requirements, and the other issues depend on the type of carbohydrates ingested,” explained senior author Howard A. Wolpert, MD, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Director of the Joslin Institute for Technology Translation, both in Boston, Mass.