Can Eating Vegetables Before Carbs Lower Glucose Levels?

Eating vegetables and protein before carbohydrates leads to lower levels of post-meal glucose and insulin in obese patients with type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

While previous studies have shown that ingestion of protein before a meal can alter levels of postmeal glucose, there is limited data available on how the order of food consumption during a meal affects these levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.
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For their study, researchers followed 11 obese patients with type 2 diabetes, all of which were taking metformin. The participants were asked to consume a meal consisting of carbohydrates, protein, vegetables, and fat twice—once with the carbs consumed first, followed by the protein, then vegetables, then fat, and once in the opposite order, 1 week later.

Fasting glucose levels were checked before the participants consumed both meals and after, at 30, 60, and 120 minute intervals. .

Overall, postmeal glucose levels were 28.6%, 36.7%, and 16.8% lower at 30, 60, and 120 minutes, respectively, after consuming protein vegetables first, compared to when the participants ate carbs first. Insulin levels were also significantly lower after consuming protein and vegetables first.

“In contrast to conventional nutritional counseling in diabetes, which is largely restrictive and focuses on “how much” and “what not to eat,” this pilot study suggests that improvement in glycemia may be achieved by optimal timing of carbohydrate ingestion during a meal,” they concluded.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Shukla AP, Iliescu RG, Thomas CE, Aronne LJ. Food order has a significant impact on postprandial glucose and insulin levels. Diabetes Care.2015;38(7):e98-e99