Eating in the right order: The idea of nutrient sequencing promises better digestion and fewer cravings – but how much science is really behind it?
When it comes to nutrition, there is a lot of advice and myths out there – especially online. Some are better to stay away from, while others could be beneficial to your health. For example, the order in which foods are eaten. This is supposed to stabilize blood sugar and thus prevent food cravings.
Nutrient sequencing is a nutritional approach to optimize nutrient intake to improve digestion and absorption of nutrients. Through the targeted sequence of foods, certain nutrients are supposed to be absorbed more efficiently, which should lead to better health. But what is so-called nutrient sequencing?
Eat right to lower blood sugar
It is not at all unlikely that the combination and order of meals have a significant influence on the metabolic processes in the body: previous research on this topic has already concluded that they can actually have a positive effect on blood sugar levels, especially in people with type -2-Diabetes or prediabetes. Alpana Shukla explains this to the “New York Times”. She is a physician and researcher at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City and has previously conducted research on nutrient sequencing. Other experts in this field also recommend that people with diabetes, in particular, eat vegetables and protein first in order to avoid blood sugar spikes. However, if you have type 2 diabetes and would like to change your diet, you should always discuss this with your doctor.
Studies indicate positive effects
For everyone else, the matter is not so clear, Alpana Shukla tells the magazine. Nevertheless, the results from few existing studies are consistent: According to Shuka, a review of eleven studies from 2023 showed that people who only eat carbohydrate-rich foods at the end of a meal have lower blood sugar levels. In a 2019 study, Drs. Shukla and her team also found that eating grilled chicken and salad before eating bread reduced post-meal blood sugar levels by 46 percent, compared to eating bread first. One possible explanation is that fats, fiber and proteins slow gastric emptying, thereby delaying the absorption of sugar from carbohydrates. However, the exact cause of this effect is not yet fully understood.
You are what you eat, when you eat it?
For healthy people, meal order can also be beneficial, as carbohydrates at the end of a meal can help you feel fuller for longer. Further research results also indicate that Nutrient Sequencing stimulates the production of the satiety hormone GLP-1, which in turn leads to a fundamentally reduced feeling of hunger. However, whether this connection alone makes a difference due to the order is not sufficiently proven here either.
Experts therefore advise, above all, to focus on high-quality food and not to rely on the order of meals when it comes to health.
From (che/spot)