Does the Order of Food Matter for Blood Sugar?

For many years we didn't know there was a priority for eating certain foods first. Some suggested foods rich in certain macros like protein and fiber could delay gastric emptying. By delaying gastric emptying, one could perhaps blunt a spike in blood sugars. Well, finally we have some new research on this in our newest research video update for physical therapists!

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Transcript:

Dr. Wells here from Nutritional Physical Therapy. Got a new research update. This one is in response to our short video on does the order of food matter? And according to a new research study by Shaheen et al., published in Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Obesity in 2024, November, they say that basically in the old days there was a discussion of macros, particularly like most foods not really mattering like what the order was.

But as we've seen more and more research come out, they're finding that foods that have higher fiber and protein may actually have some effects on blood sugar. And we kind of know that because like fiber in particular makes you feel more full. And we know that protein can help slow gastric emptying.

So these researchers put it in a test in a double crossover randomized controlled trial with 18 people. They used two isocaloric meals, and that's important because they have to have the same amount of calories. And basically what they did is they mixed up the food in the one group, which is just kind of a standard mixed meal.

And then in the other group, what they did is they prioritized fiber, so your plant-based foods first, and also protein, followed by foods that were a little bit more carbohydrate rich at the end. And overall, what they found was that the blood sugar was significantly reduced immediately. So right at the time of eating by about 40%.

And then about an hour, or excuse me, 120 minutes later, it's about a 30% reduction. So these data points are important. And I know some people may make the argument that like for relatively healthy people, this blood sugar spikes have small impacts.

And I would probably agree with that. However, for those that have diabetes, those that are possibly in metabolic syndrome or pre-diabetic, these facts are important. And we may want to prioritize and strategize our clients to eat the plant-forward foods first, maybe their proteins second, and then followed by any carbohydrate rich foods like your potatoes, pastas, et cetera.

So when you get offered the salad at the beginning of the meal, eat that. Skip the bread until the end. And I hope this data and this research helps you and your clients out.

If you like this, check out our courses. We have a lot more content like this at nutritionalphysicaltherapy.com. Board approved, research backed, and really, really well researched and grounded in science. Hope you have a great day.

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