The Study
Restricting carbohydrates at breakfast is sufficient to reduce 24-hour exposure to postprandial hyperglycemia and improve glycemic variability.
This study tested if eating a low-carb breakfast makes blood sugar less spiky for people with type 2 diabetes. It found that yes, it did — but only for one day and only in 23 people. It doesn't prove this works forever or for everyone, just that it helped in this short test.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
People with type 2 diabetes ate two different breakfasts on different days: one with lots of carbs and one with very few carbs and lots of fat. Their blood sugar was tracked all day.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 560 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1These changes mean blood sugar stays steadier all day, which can help prevent complications and reduce hunger cravings later.
- 2Low-carb breakfast cut morning blood sugar spikes by over 50%, lowered daily blood sugar swings by 0.4 mmol/L·24h, and reduced total daily glucose exposure by 173 mmol/L·h.
- 3It also made people less hungry before dinner.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The American journal of clinical nutrition
Year
2019
Authors
Courtney R. Chang, M. Francois, J. Little
Related Content
Claims (6)
If you have type 2 diabetes, eating a breakfast low in carbs and high in fat can make you feel less hungry before dinner than eating a normal carb-heavy breakfast.
If you have type 2 diabetes and eat a low-carb, high-fat breakfast, it won’t make your blood sugar spike higher later when you eat lunch or dinner — so the good effect of a healthy breakfast isn’t undone by your other meals.
If you have type 2 diabetes, eating a breakfast low in carbs and high in fat can cut your blood sugar spike after eating by more than half—better than a normal breakfast—and this meal might be the most important one for keeping your blood sugar under control.
If you have type 2 diabetes, swapping your usual breakfast for a low-carb, high-fat one can help keep your blood sugar more stable all day long, without making your lunch or dinner blood sugar worse.
Eating fewer carbs and more protein might help reduce blood sugar swings and inflammation, which could make symptoms of an overactive thyroid caused by the immune system feel better.
If you have type 2 diabetes, eating a breakfast low in carbs and high in fat can help keep your blood sugar more stable all day long, reducing big spikes and drops.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.