Utilizing the second-meal effect in type 2 diabetes: practical use of a soya-yogurt snack

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of a prebreakfast high-protein snack upon postbreakfast hyperglycemia.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
We studied 10 men and women with diet- and/or metformin-controlled type 2 diabetes. Metabolic changes after breakfast were compared between 2 days: breakfast taken only and soya-yogurt snack taken prior to breakfast.

RESULTS
There was a significant lower rise in plasma glucose on the snack day. The incremental area under the glucose curve was 450 ± 55 mmol · min/l on the snack day compared with 699 ± 99 mmol · min/l on the control day (P = 0.013). The concentration of plasma free fatty acids immediately before breakfast correlated with the increment in plasma glucose (r = 0.50, P = 0.013).

CONCLUSIONS
Consuming a high-protein prebreakfast snack results in almost 40% reduction of postprandial glucose increment. The second-meal effect can be applied simply and practically to improve postbreakfast hyperglycemia in people with type 2 diabetes.