A new study from UBC Okanagan shows that making one small change to your breakfast could help people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) better manage their blood sugar levels. The change? Eat fewer carbs and more protein and fat at breakfast.
People with T2D often struggle with blood sugar spikes after meals, especially after eating foods high in carbohydrates. These sharp increases in blood sugar can be harmful over time and raise the risk of heart disease, inflammation, and other health problems. Keeping blood sugar steady is important for long-term health.
Low-carb diets are known to help control blood sugar, but many people find them hard to follow all day. This study wanted to see if just changing the first meal of the day could still offer health benefits.
The study lasted for 12 weeks and included 121 people. They were split into two groups. One group had a low-carb, high-protein, high-fat breakfast. The other group ate a high-carb, low-fat breakfast. Both meals had the same number of calories—about 450.
The low-carb group’s breakfast had about 8 grams of carbs, 25 grams of protein, and 37 grams of fat. The high-carb group’s breakfast had about 56 grams of carbs, 20 grams of protein, and 15 grams of fat.
During the study, participants wore blood sugar monitors to track how their blood sugar changed throughout the day. They also had their A1C levels tested before and after the study. A1C is a blood test that shows your average blood sugar levels over the last few months.
The results showed that people who ate the low-carb breakfast had better blood sugar control. Some were even able to reduce their diabetes medication. Their blood sugar was more stable during the day, with fewer big jumps or drops.
Another interesting finding was that people who started the day with a low-carb breakfast ended up eating fewer calories and carbs for the rest of the day. This means that a healthier breakfast might lead to better eating habits all day long.
Dr. Jonathan Oliveira, who led the study, said the goal wasn’t to make people completely change their diets. Instead, he said that making just one small change—what you eat for breakfast—can still help with blood sugar control.
For many people with diabetes, mornings are when it’s hardest to control blood sugar. Choosing a low-carb, high-protein breakfast might be an easy and effective way to make a big difference.
This approach is simple, and it doesn’t require a full diet overhaul. Even though people in the study didn’t lose weight, they saw improvements in their blood sugar and some used less medication.
Other research has shown that drinking green tea, taking metformin, or eating blueberries can also help people with diabetes. It’s also important to be aware of medications that might raise the risk of heart problems.
This study was published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and offers a practical way for people with T2D to take better control of their health—starting with breakfast.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies about 5 vitamins that may prevent complication in diabetes, and how to manage high blood pressure and diabetes with healthy foods.
For more health information, please see recent studies about vitamin D and type2 diabetes, and to people with type 2 diabetes, some fruits are better than others.
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