This may be interesting to anyone with higher than desired fasting blood glucose levels…
The way glucose is regulated at night plays a key role in fasting glucose levels the next morning, when blood sugar is expected to be at its lowest. This indicator is particularly important in people with dysglycemia, which is characterized by abnormal glucose levels. However, little research has been done in this area.
Now, a study involving the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC) has shown that the last meal of the day plays a crucial part in regulating glucose levels the following morning, a factor that can be especially critical for people with prediabetes and may prove decisive in preventing the onset of this chronic disease.
According to the World Atlas of Diabetes, Spain has one of the highest rates of diabetes in Europe, ranking fifth overall. It affects 14% of the population—over five million people—and costs the health system more than €14 million each year.
The study, “Biological vs. Chronological Overnight Fasting: Influence of Last Evening Meal on Morning Glucose in Dysglycemia,” published in Nutrients, analyses the role of fasting glucose levels after the last meal of the day, showing that carbohydrate consumption and the individual’s sensitivity to insulin both have an impact. This discovery may have implications for the dietary recommendations given to individuals with prediabetes to prevent them from developing the disease.
“Recommendations regarding the intake of carbohydrates and calories in the last evening meal could be tailored in line with the patient’s insulin sensitivity. And blood glucose levels after this meal (postprandial glycemic response) could be monitored so that dietary or pharmacological treatments can be adjusted. This would allow for more personalized and adaptive blood glucose management,” said Diana Díaz-Rizzolo, lecturer in the UOC’s Faculty of Health Sciences and a member of the Nutrition, Food, Health and Sustainability (NUTRALiSS) research group, affiliated to the Digital Health, Health and Well-being Research Unit. Díaz-Rizzolo is also a postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University, which took part in the study.
The results of the research show that dietary recommendations should consider not only the amount of carbohydrates patients can consume, as is usually the case, but also the timing of the last evening meal. The later the meal, the harder it becomes to regulate glucose, as the researchers had previously shown, while its nutritional content remains crucial for controlling overnight glucose levels. The researchers also found that an individual’s insulin sensitivity influences glucose regulation.
Díaz-Rizzolo argues that dietary recommendations for patients with prediabetes or insulin resistance should be based on:
- Controlling the composition and glycemic load of the last meal of the day, avoiding an excessive amount of carbohydrates.
- Adjusting the amount of carbohydrates according to the individual’s insulin sensitivity, as patients with lower sensitivity may have a worse glycemic response.
- Considering the timing of meals to avoid nighttime glycemic spikes that can interfere with metabolism and fasting glucose.