Lactose | Protein | Fats | Vitamins
To understand how milk affects sugar levels, you need to understand the composition milk and many dairy products contain.
Lactose
Lactose is milk sugar. Contained in all dairy products: milk, kefir, yogurt, fermented baked milk. This is one of the disaccharides (the usual sugar belongs to them), that is responsible for the increase in blood glucose after drinking a glass of milk.
In different people, lactose is absorbed in different ways. Often with age, the level of enzymes that process milk sugar in the body decrease. As a result, it is not absorbed, it can lead to intestinal upset: bloating, discomfort, and upset. You can determine if you tolerate lactose using a genetic test of venous blood.
Milk protein
Milk contains several types of proteins: casein, albumin. They cause a feeling of satiety after a couple of glasses. Whey protein (milk protein extract) is often used as an additional source of protein and is added to various products.
Many people are allergic to dairy products, which has led to their exclusion from the autoimmune protocol. For example, casein in large quantities (in cow’s milk is much more than in goat’s milk) “irritates” the pancreas and stimulates the secretion of insulin. Therefore, dairy products have a high insulin index.
Milk fats
In cow’s milk, from 3 to 4% fat, in goat’s milk, a little more. They not only cause a feeling of satiety, but also improve the digestibility of vitamins (D, A, E) from dairy products.
Vitamins, Minerals
Milk is rich in vitamins and minerals, many in other products are found in scanty amounts. There is vitamin D, A, E, K, group B, phosphorus, calcium, iron, magnesium, iodine. The fresher the milk, the more nutrients it contains.
The energy value of milk (100 g):
62 kcal, proteins – 2.9 g, fats – 3.5 g., carbohydrates – 4.7 g.
With type one and type two diabetes, dairy products can be consumed in small quantities – a glass a day in the morning. It is better to avoid sweetened yogurt in favor of milk or (only not fat-free, sugar is added to it to improve the taste). Avoid dairy products completely if discomfort (bloating, bowel upset) occurs after eating them.
Drinking milk, kefir, fermented baked milk before bedtime with diabetes is undesirable. Due to the high insulin index and carbohydrate content, they can cause sugar spikes at night – first a sharp increase, and then a drop.