Fat Protein Units, or FPE for short, provide information on the insulin requirement for the fat and protein content in meals.
Why do fat protein units make sense?
Whether and when it makes sense to calculate FPE mostly depends on personal diet and the amount of fat in meals. With a ketogenic diet, for example, aims to reduce the amount of carbohydrates and the energy for the body is generated via fats and proteins.
What is special about this is that the higher the proportion of fat and protein in a meal, the slower it is absorbed by the body. Therefore, the glucose level also rises more slowly. As a result, a meal can still have an impact on the metabolism for up to eight hours after consumption.
How to calculate Fat Protein Units?
You have several choices to calculate the FPU:
(Fat in g : 11) + (Protein in g : 25) = FPU
(Kalorien – (Carbohydrates x 4)) : 100 = FPU
(Fat in g x 9) + (Protein in g x 4) : 100 = FPU
The number of FPU also provide information about the period over which the meal can affect the glucose.
1 to 2 FPU -> no delay
2 to 3 FPU -> 4 hours delay
3 to 4 FPU -> 5 hours delay
4 and more FPU -> 6 to 8 hours delay
