A new study shows that the order in which one consumes food could be crucial in controlling blood sugar levels in those with type 2 diabetes or obesity.
According to a small study, the order in which obese people with type 2 diabetes eat their food can influence their blood sugar levels. The new research suggest that having protein and vegetables before carbohydrates was connected to lower blood sugar and insulin levels after meal.
Principal investigator Dr. Louis Aronne, a professor of metabolic research and of clinical medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, stated in a university news release, "We're always looking for ways to help people with diabetes lower their blood sugar."
Aronne continued, "We rely on medicine, but diet is an important part of this process, too. Unfortunately, we've found that it's difficult to get people to change their eating habits."
"Carbohydrates raise blood sugar, but if you tell someone not to eat them or to drastically cut back, it's hard for them to comply. This study points to an easier way that patients might lower their blood sugar and insulin levels."
It is critical for people with type 2 diabetes to keep their blood sugar levels under control. If blood sugar levels often spike too high, this can result in serious problems including heart disease over a period of time, WebMD noted.
The study comprised of eleven people eating a meal of ciabatta bread, chicken breast, lettuce and tomato salad along with low-fat dressing, steamed broccoli with butter and orange juice twice, on separate days, a week apart.
Based on the researchers' instructions, participants ate carbohydrates, ciabatta bread and orange juice the first week, and then 15-minutes later they ate everything else for protein, vegetables and fat.
According to reports on UPI, the second week, researchers had the participants eat protein, vegetables and fat first, and after waiting for 15 minutes, they ate carbohydrates. 30, 60 and 120 minutes after each meal, glucose levels were taken for all the participants.
The researchers noted that Glucose levels proved to be much lower at the 30, 60 and 120 minute checks, by 29 percent, 37 percent and 17 percent, when the participants ate vegetables and protein before the carbohydrates.
"Based on this finding, instead of saying 'don't eat that' to their patients, clinicians might instead say, 'eat this before that,'" Aronne said.
"While we need to do some follow-up work, based on this finding, patients with type 2 might be able to make a simple change to lower their blood sugar throughout the day, decrease how much insulin they need to take, and potentially have a long-lasting, positive impact on their health."
The study was published in Diabetes Care.
