Pork Rinds Raise Fasting BG?

[skwag]

I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this and if so what type of diabetes you have.

If I follow a very low carbohydrate diet without pork rinds, my fasting glucose will drop to about 80 within a few days. If I allow myself to eat pork rinds, my fasting glucose approaches 100 after a couple days.

I've gone through a few cycles of adding and removing pork rinds and there is definitely a pattern.

For reference, I've been pigging out on Utz Pork Rinds. I'd say I easily have 6 oz per day (when it's available) which equates to

• 60 g Total Fat
• 24 g Saturated Fat
• 280 mg Cholesterol
  
• 96 g Protein

Yeah, it seems like a lot!

 

[Bluetit1802]

It could be the high protein. Any unused protein may convert to glucose at some point. This often takes several hours, even a full day, so won't be noticeable if you test 2 hours after eating, but may well be noticeable the following morning. That is a LOT of protein for a snack.

 

[CherryAA]

I think I have noticed that my blood sugars go a bit higher when I eat pork rinds, which is a pity because I love them as my "new snack"i;m curently keeping an eye on it - before deciding they need to go into my do not eat pile.

 

[AndBreathe]

Wow. To me, that would be a fair amount of crackling (and I love my crackling/rinds).

I might be inclined to think it a mixture of high protein and high fat. If I go very high fat, and monitor with a Libre, the 24/7 trace shows me pretty much flay-lining as far as my bloods go, but not too much different (as an average) against my more usual LC, with enough (for me) fat way of eating.

I think looking at one reading is such a snapshot you may not be getting the full picture of what's actually going on. I appreciate that may not be exactly what you're looking for, but I do also think it worthy of note that the fasting reading is, in my view, the most frail of just about all snapshot readings as an indication of overall control, due to things like dawn phenomenon, quality of sleep etc.

Have you looked at your longer term averages with and without the rinds? By that I mean a week or 2 weeks (or longer) with rinds, the replicate that period without rinds?

 

[maglil55]

I must admit I wondered what Pork Rinds are. I found this low carb recipe for LC Southern 'fried' chicken (it is oven baked) and they use ground up pork Rinds for the crumb. Coating is egg, mayo, mustard, seasoning, oregano, thyme and garlic powder then roll in the ground pork Rinds. I thought about making my own crackling and grinding it but this seems better. Does pork scratchings do?
This is a very occasional recipe. Less than 1g of carbs on a portion of 1 chicken leg and 1 thigh but a whopping 46g fat, 52g protein and 650 calories per portion!

 

[Tabbyjoolz]

@maglil55 - yep, pork rinds and pork scratchings are one and the same thing.

I have to admit that on Thursday evenings I have a small bag of pork scratchings in lieu of dinner before my choir practice. So far it hasn't affected my fasting BG the following morning, maybe because that is all I'm eating that evening.

 

[skwag]

but I do also think it worthy of note that the fasting reading is, in my view, the most frail of just about all snapshot readings as an indication of overall control, due to things like dawn phenomenon, quality of sleep etc.

Good point. I've been taking a lot of readings lately, so I have a bit more information. What happens is approximately this: With pork rinds in the diet, all my blood sugar readings are 20 points ( American units ) higher. Waking, Fasting, Post meal. All of it.

Have you looked at your longer term averages with and without the rinds? By that I mean a week or 2 weeks (or longer) with rinds, the replicate that period without rinds?

I haven't. It would be interesting to confirm the pattern on longer time scales, but for now I'm not planning on it. Pork rinds seem to be one of those foods that bypass all my appetite control mechanisms. I just don't stop eating them once I start. For me, they are probably best avoided altogether. That's my plan for the moment anyhow.

I assume, as it has been suggested here, that it is the excess protein that eventually gets turned into glucose that is responsible for the rise in BG. I'm curious if this might be indicative of one type of diabetes vs another.

 

[donnellysdogs]

I used to have 4 rashers of belly pork (the really fatty ones) and boy, my levels went high. I would eat at 5pmish and by next morning my bloods were horrendous. Only ate with a few mixed veg.

I can't eat now as the meat and fat does not digest in me... but it is one thing that I really, really miss.

Never found out why I react so badly to the roasted belly pork but I do have to avoid it now.

 

[serenity648]

I used to have 4 rashers of belly pork (the really fatty ones) and boy, my levels went high. I would eat at 5pmish and by next morning my bloods were horrendous. Only ate with a few mixed veg.

I can't eat now as the meat and fat does not digest in me... but it is one thing that I really, really miss.

Never found out why I react so badly to the roasted belly pork but I do have to avoid it now.

I have found that supermarket meat like pork, which has lots of stuff injected into it during processing, spikes me. I have read that sometimes sugar is also in the solution. I dont eat supermarket meat or poultry anymore.

 

[donnellysdogs]

This used to come from butcher... it was my treat!! I can't eat any meat now but the belly pork was my biggest love and some of my worst results. Amazes me even now.. without any meat my blood just sits at 5 to 6. Tonight.. (all mashed).. parsnip, bnut squash, broccoli, potato. 2 teaspoons of everything on a teaplate and perfection... if I added pork rashers in by tomorrow morning I would be climbing up to 20.. but with this I'll just raise to about 6.0 overnight.
That was on a pump too!!

Aaaawww.... mouth watering now....

 

[skwag]

I used to have 4 rashers of belly pork (the really fatty ones) and boy, my levels went high.

Were the rashers cured? There is a strange/interesting article on the Weston A Price Foundation website that describes some negative changes in blood coagulation and inflammation after eating uncured pork. Not sure what to make of it.

 

[donnellysdogs]

Were the rashers cured? There is a strange/interesting article on the Weston A Price Foundation website that describes some negative changes in blood coagulation and inflammation after eating uncured pork. Not sure what to make of it.

Interesting! No, not cured as far as I am aware of.
If I hadn't moved I would go back to butcher and ask!
I do think its because my innards are so blooming slow and meat, however it is swallowed comes out the same as it was when I swallowed it. Sausage skins, tomato skins, shells on peas.. nothing breaks down in my stomach so I am pretty aure this has something to do with it.. just at the time I could eat say a steak casserole and no problems, could eat a burger no probs. I always just put it down to my stomach and the pork fat.

 

[skwag]

@donnellysdogs

Do you take or have you ever tried supplementing with digestive enzymes? In particular, pancreatic enzymes like Pancreatin?

I've tried it - I try a lot of things - but didn't notice much of anything. But then again, my digestion is not too bad. From one of the reviews:

I have chronic gastritis. After meals was always extremely painful. Being diabetic, my doctor said my pancreas wasn't functioning at all and suggested pancreas enzymes to aid in my digestion. I am soooo glad I found this product. Now I have little discomfort or none at all after eating. I don't fear mealtime anymore and you can't beat the price or potency of this particular brand. I hope they never stop selling it.

Ironically, this pancreatin is sourced from pigs.

 

[donnellysdogs]

No I haven't tried pancreatin at all. I do supplement a lot now though.
My colon is paralysed basically and stomach has problems too...my gastro chap agrees with the supplements I currently take with my meds to try and help.. I'm due to see him in Dec/Jan so will run this past him.
Some supplements interact with my meds ie herbal teas, so I do run things past him...

 

[skwag]

It seems to be more than just pork rinds that raise my "background" BG. Uncured Pork chops too.

I found one other posting from someone with the same complaint:
http://nfbnet.org/pipermail/diabetes-talk_nfbnet.org/2011-April/003553.html

 

[angustia]

I'm curious if anyone else has experienced this and if so what type of diabetes you have.

If I follow a very low carbohydrate diet without pork rinds, my fasting glucose will drop to about 80 within a few days. If I allow myself to eat pork rinds, my fasting glucose approaches 100 after a couple days.

I've gone through a few cycles of adding and removing pork rinds and there is definitely a pattern.

For reference, I've been pigging out on Utz Pork Rinds. I'd say I easily have 6 oz per day (when it's available) which equates to

• 60 g Total Fat
• 24 g Saturated Fat
• 280 mg Cholesterol
  
• 96 g Protein

Yeah, it seems like a lot!

Pork rinds seem to spike mine, too. I've looked back on my logged data, my fasting bg spiked up every time I had it (the last was just today at supper). No more pork rinds for me!

 

[ianf0ster]

I got a similar effect for about 3 weeks: around 2.0 higher BG numbers fasting, pre-meal, post meal, after also eating High Fat and High Protein (and High Calories) when I did the Dave Feldman Protocol to 'spoof my LDL for a blood lipids test.
Strangely it only happened after I had completed the protocol and was back on my LCHF lifestyle again!
It may be a co-incidence, or it may not.

 

[DCUKMod]

Pork rinds seem to spike mine, too. I've looked back on my logged data, my fasting bg spiked up every time I had it (the last was just today at supper). No more pork rinds for me!

It is always worthwhile checking the ingredients in pork rinds/scratching, if they are commercially sourced.

In my experience, looking specifically for gluten (a grain based protein), many, many brands have wheat flour, and other stuff, like sugar in the seasoning mixes, added. I'm not necessarily saying that's the culprit in your circumstances, but always worth looking.

 

[KK123]

@maglil55 - yep, pork rinds and pork scratchings are one and the same thing.

I have to admit that on Thursday evenings I have a small bag of pork scratchings in lieu of dinner before my choir practice. So far it hasn't affected my fasting BG the following morning, maybe because that is all I'm eating that evening.

'Admit'?, it's not a crime you know. x

 

[Member496333]

It is always worthwhile checking the ingredients in pork rinds/scratching, if they are commercially sourced.

In my experience, looking specifically for gluten (a grain based protein), many, many brands have wheat flour, and other stuff, like sugar in the seasoning mixes, added. I'm not necessarily saying that's the culprit in your circumstances, but always worth looking.

Totally. Generally they are loaded with all sorts of stuff, including - but not limited to - flours, dextrose and even sugar.