The last meal of the day may matter more than we think, especially for people at risk of diabetes.
Researchers from Universitat Oberta de Catalunya and U.S. institutions studied 33 adults with prediabetes to see how their evening meal shaped blood sugar levels the following morning. Participants followed a controlled diet and wore continuous glucose monitors overnight. The results, published in Nutrients, showed that both the timing and content of the last meal played a key role in regulating fasting glucose.
“Recommendations regarding the intake of carbohydrates and calories in the last evening meal could be tailored in line with the patient’s insulin sensitivity,” said lead author Diana Díaz-Rizzolo of UOC and Columbia University.
She added that monitoring blood sugar after the evening meal could help guide dietary or medication adjustments.
The study found that eating later in the evening made it harder to regulate glucose, and meals with a higher carbohydrate load were especially challenging for people with lower insulin sensitivity. The researchers also noted that chronotype, whether someone is a morning or evening person, may affect overnight glucose metabolism.
“Our internal biological clock could play a key role in overnight glucose metabolism and fasting glucose levels,” Díaz-Rizzolo said. “Understanding how chronotype and glycemic response interact could make diabetes prevention and management strategies more precise.”
Beyond meal timing and composition, the researchers highlighted new tools that are changing diabetes care. Continuous glucose monitors, mobile apps and artificial intelligence platforms can help track how specific foods affect blood sugar in real time, offering patients and providers more personalized data.
While more research is needed, the findings point to a simple takeaway: being mindful of what and when we eat in the evening could help people with prediabetes keep blood sugar under control and potentially lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
This research was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Additional support came from the Fundación Alfonso Martín Escudero and the Russ Berrie Fellowship.