Over 75 years ago Japanese science and medicine found those correlations. There is still an ongoing longitudinal study going on.

The way it works is the Japanese believe that your fist 2-3 bites at a meal sets your digestion rate. So with slower digestion the glucose spike is lower but drawn out over a longer time period.

So this is the science @A DiabetesTeam Member. You will still need the same amount of insulin but it will be used over a longer time period.

Mentioned Users

A Diabete...

@A DiabetesTeam Member yes, I read a couple of really good studies where they looked at the (theory) and it does work, but the individual results varied greatly

Eating "fats" first, which are the most difficult to digest macro-nutrient slows the whole digestive process down, followed by protein which has a slower uptake than carbs as well

(in regular english)

The small intestine works in a "first food in, first food it tries to digest", so if it's bogged down digesting the fat it has "limited resources" to absorb the carbs

All of the carbs will still get into the blood stream - they don't disappear into outer space but for some/a few/many if the carbs are spread over a longer period of time then you first, won't spike as high and then second the insulin we produce (or inject) can take care of care of the carbs easier - dealing with fewer carbs (at the moment) so can convert some to energy before the "next batch" hits the blood stream

Of course, adding fiber to any of the macro-nutrients really slows things down as well since fiber is indigestible, but our body doesn't know it and tries which again, "hogs resources" that could have been used to quickly metabolize the carbs

Since I have been wearing a CGM for a while, which gives you the luxury of seeing immediate results, I horsed around with the "eat carbs last" and what I personally found was that "for me" it made such a minimal difference that it wasn't an overly effective management tool or strategy For ME

But still, if I'm eating rice with a meal (4oz prepared brown rice), I do eat it last since doing it that way will allow me to stay "just under" my 2hr PPG target barely - so the technique in that instant allowed me to move up to 4oz from 3oz

However, for anyone that tends to spike quite high with a couple of regular/routine meals, moving the carbs to "last" might make the meal a little "safer" to the blood sugar

This (technique) provides a similar benefit to taking Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) prior to a meal - vinegar (acetic acid) is seen by our system as an "alcohol" (but it isn't really) and our digestive systems will metabolize alcohol before every other macro-nutrient - so the ACV keeps the digestive system "busy" slowing down the carb uptake the same way eating all the fat/proteins on the plate "first" would do

Of course, simply drinking a glass of dry red wine with supper will provide a similar benefit and it tastes "way better" than ACV, and the red wine is full of anti-oxidants making it practically a health food (at least that's what I tell myself) 😁

Mentioned Users

A Diabete...

It's how I eat my meals anyway

@A DiabetesTeam Member @A DiabetesTeam Member If you Supplement ACV with Tumeric and Milk thistle you'll be amazed at the change. The 3 ingredients work wonders for the liver and pancreas and will definitely lowers your blood sugars.

Mentioned Users

A Diabete...

A Diabete...