A Tel Aviv University study found a starch-rich breakfast consumed early in the morning, coupled with a smaller low-carbohydrate dinner could decrease the need for injections and other medications for people with diabetes!

The body’s natural metabolism and biological clock are optimized for eating starches in the morning and fasting during the evening and night when the body recovers through sleep.

The study found eating 3 meals a day produced with the majority of starches in the early part of the day, promoted glucose balance and improved glycemic management for people living with type 2 diabetes. The results led researchers to believe it is possible for people with diabetes to significantly reduce or even stop injections of insulin as well as medications.

This study contrasts the recommendation for people with diabetes to eat 6 small meals throughout the day or “6M-diet”. Researchers found the 6M-diet has not been effective for glucose control.

“Their need for diabetic medication, especially for insulin doses, dipped substantially. Some were even able to stop using insulin altogether,” said Prof. Jakubowicz, lead author of the study.

The Tel Aviv study was inspired by the knowledge that insulin injections can lead to weight gain which further increases blood sugar, so their goal was to find alternatives. The biological clock diet (3M-diet) is designed to allow bread, fruits, and sweets in the early hours of the morning, a substantial lunch, then a small dinner specifically lacking starches, sweets, and fruits.

In the study, participants on the 6M-diet did not lose weight and did not experience any sugar level improvement. In contrast, the participants on the 3M-diet lost weight and substantially improved sugar levels.

Read more on MedicalXpress.

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