If testing reveals that your blood sugar levels are higher than normal, your doctor may diagnose you with prediabetes or diabetes. Men with either of these medical conditions usually don't have different protein requirements from healthy adult males. However, diabetics and prediabetics should favor certain protein-rich foods and avoid others. If your doctor gives you a specific diet to treat your condition, follow those instructions first.
Protein Requirements
A diabetes-friendly diet should include 12 to 20 percent of its calories from protein, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The American Diabetes Association concurs, suggesting that diabetics consume a normal amount of protein, or 15 to 20 percent of caloric intake. For a 2,000-calories-per-day diet, 75 grams of protein equals 15 percent of daily calories. A 3,000-calories-per-day diet requires approximately 113 grams of protein daily. However, if you have kidney disease, your doctor may instruct you to limit protein consumption to 10 percent of calories or less.
Types of Protein
Getting the right amount of protein is only part of the picture; protein sources matter, too. The American Diabetes Association recommends eating beans, lentils, fish, and lean cuts of beef and pork, and avoiding fatty cuts of meat, poultry skin and full-fat dairy. Skim milk, nonfat yogurt and skinless chicken breasts are good alternatives. The purpose of these recommendations is to minimize saturated fat and cholesterol intake. Prediabetics and diabetics are at risk for heart disease, stroke and high cholesterol, and excessive saturated-fat intake tends to worsen these conditions.
Tailored Diets
Diabetics and prediabetics should not follow a cookie-cutter diet plan, but instead must work with a nutritionist or doctor to tailor a plan to their particular needs. There's no one ideal diabetic diet, and recommended intake will vary depending on blood-glucose patterns, medication regimen, exercise habits and other factors. Your carbohydrate consumption must be carefully calibrated to maintain stable blood-sugar levels, and your recommended protein intake may vary from the norm, especially if you have impaired kidney function. While general dietary guidelines are valuable, they may or may not be right for you.
Weight Loss
For many men with high blood sugar, weight loss is a primary goal. Losing even 5 percent of body weight can help normalize blood-sugar levels and prevent prediabetes from progressing, especially if you exercise daily. The American Diabetes Association notes that reducing fat intake is an effective weight-loss strategy. If you decrease your fat intake substantially, you may end up consuming more protein or carbohydrates to compensate. Work with your health-care provider to come up with a balanced, healthy weight-loss diet that meets your particular needs.
References
- American Diabetes Association: Prediabetes FAQs
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Diabetes Diet
- American Diabetes Association: Evidence-based Nutrition Principles and Recommendations for the Treatment and Prevention of Diabetes and Related Complications
- American Diabetes Association: How to Prevent Diabetes
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