They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and that is certainly the case with people with diabetes. But not all breakfasts are created equal, and a new study suggests that including carbohydrate-rich foods in the first meal of the day – and throttling back on the carbs later in the day – may help people with diabetes live longer.
A study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism on March 15, 2022 found that participants with diabetes who ate carb-packed veggies like potatoes for breakfast were less likely to die of heart disease. The same was true of study participants who ate whole grains in the afternoon and those who ate leafy, dark vegetables in the evening. Conversely, eating a lot of processed meat at night was correlated to a higher risk of dying of heart disease. The study comes in the wake of previous work from the same researchers which concluded that people with diabetes had improved survival rates if they regularly ate a bigger breakfast than dinner.
The study involved researchers from Harbin Medical University in China who analyzed 11 years of follow-up data from 4642 Americans as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) study. Based on 24-hour food questionnaires, the researchers compared eating habits with levels of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality over time.
The researchers’ data modeling implied that switching even a tenth of a serving to a more optimal mealtime was linked to a significant risk reduction. For instance, swapping a portion of potatoes to breakfast from dinner, or whole grains to breakfast from lunch.
The study results suggest the timing of nutrient intake could help people with diabetes match their meals to their natural biological rhythms of insulin sensitivity to improve their longevity.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring Makes It Easy To Catch High Blood Sugar In The Morning.
Blood sugar levels go up and down throughout the day, including first thing in the morning. The best way to start your day and keep your blood sugar levels in the right zone is to check those levels when you wake up.
Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) is a proven, approved, and easy-to-use transceiver device that provides real-time glucose readings every few minutes through a tiny sensor underneath the skin. This sensor measures your interstitial glucose level and then sends the data to a pager-like monitor or an app on your smartphone. An alarm will sound if your blood sugar becomes too high or too low.
With easy-to-use features that can help each person proactively record and track glucose levels—as well as provide valuable insights on data that helps manage exercise, meals, and daily health status—CGM is a game-changer for individuals with diabetes.
If you have recently received a diagnosis of diabetes, ask your doctor about CGM and contact us today to see if you qualify for CGM and access our guide to continuous glucose monitoring.