Blood sugar spikes could hinge on the order you eat your food, study suggests

A mouse study suggests that eating fat before sugar may slow the initial rise in blood sugar by slowing the stomach’s delivery of glucose to the intestine. The findings offer clues about how meal order could affect blood sugar, but they do not show that the same effect occurs in people.

Mice given olive oil 15 minutes before glucose had a smaller early blood sugar rise than those given glucose first or alone; researchers also saw an effect in mice with type 2 diabetes and severe insulin deficiency. Fat first triggered changes in glucagon and GLP-1, hormones that appeared to work together to limit the rise. Experts say human studies are needed, and suggest focusing on balanced meals rather than treating olive oil as a quick fix.