Eating Healthy? The Order Matters!

Bread, vegetables, or chicken first? Researchers have now found out how important the order in which we eat something is. To the results.

A study from Weill Cornell Medical College in New York shows that the order in which we eat our foods can be almost as important as the foods themselves. So protein and vegetables don’t just help control blood sugar levels, both also keep you full for longer – provided you eat the proteins and vegetables before the carbohydrates. This finding is particularly important for diabetics who have to constantly monitor their blood sugar to avoid health problems (circulatory disorders, pain, numbness).

Study in Type 2 Diabetes Patients

The study included 11 overweight or obese people with type 2 diabetes. Each of the participants took the drug metformin. Metformin is one of the main drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes. It helps keep blood sugar levels in check by interfering with glucose metabolism.

Bread at the end of a meal

The subjects fasted overnight for 12 hours before enjoying a typical meal consisting of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The ingredients included a chicken breast fillet, steamed buttery broccoli, lettuce, a piece of ciabatta bread, and a glass of orange juice. In the first week, the group first ate the bread and drank the juice – the grilled chicken fillet and vegetables were eaten 15 minutes later. A week later, the participants ate the same meal in reverse order, first the chicken and vegetables, then the bread and juice.

Lower blood sugar with proper nutrition

During the two episodes of the study, the researchers measured each participant’s blood glucose level before, 30, 60, and 120 minutes after the meal. The results showed that blood sugar levels were 29 percent, 37 percent, and 17 percent lower when the group ate the chicken and vegetables first. Insulin levels were also lower.

dr Louis Aronne, the senior author of the study, said, “When we look at the result, we’re really confident that people with diabetes could benefit.” The results were published in the journal Diabetes Care.