Changing the order of foods in a meal may help reduce an early blood sugar rise, according to new research. But experts caution that it’s not a quick fix, and the findings have not yet been confirmed in people.
In a study published in October in the journal Diabetes, mice given olive oil 15 minutes before glucose had a smaller initial blood sugar increase than mice given glucose first or glucose alone. The researchers observed a similar effect in mice with type 2 diabetes and in those with severe insulin deficiency.
Other fats were tested as well, suggesting olive oil may not be the only one that affects the response. The results offer clues about why the sequence in which food is eaten could matter.
When the mice ate fat before sugar, food moved from the stomach into the intestine more slowly, and blood sugar rose less sharply at first. The researchers also recorded early increases in glucagon and GLP-1, two hormones that appeared to work together to limit the rise in glucose. Glucagon is usually associated with raising blood sugar, making this finding a little less intuitive.
Study author Dr. Daisuke Yabe of Kyoto University said the findings point to a coordinated response involving hormones and nerves, which may influence how quickly the stomach passes glucose into the intestine. He added that meal sequencing could be appealing because it changes how people eat rather than asking them to cut out whole food groups.
Still, the study was conducted in mice, and further research is needed to see whether the same effects occur in people. Registered dietitian Huma Chaudhry said earlier human studies suggest that eating vegetables or protein before carbohydrates may help moderate blood sugar after a meal. More research is needed on olive oil specifically, she said.
Chaudhry cautioned against treating olive oil as a supplement or a quick solution. A more useful takeaway, she said, is to build balanced meals that include healthy fats, protein, fiber and carbohydrates.
The study’s setup also differed from an ordinary meal: the mice had fasted overnight and were given olive oil and glucose separately, 15 minutes apart. In everyday life, someone might start dinner with a leafy salad dressed with olive oil, then eat chicken and pasta together. At breakfast, eggs alongside toast could be another simple option.
There’s no need to leave a set amount of time between foods, Chaudhry said. Food order may play a role in blood sugar, but the overall quality and balance of a meal matter too.
