In a recent intensive longitudinal observational study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers investigated the lifestyle determinants of glycemic responses to snacking in free-living adults without diabetes. The study involved 785 participants aged 21-69 years from Singapore, who recorded 3,325 snacking episodes over nine days using ecological momentary assessment surveys, continuous glucose monitoring, and accelerometry.
Key Findings
The study found that the average 2-hour postprandial glucose incremental area under the curve (iAUC) after snacking episodes was 63.8 mmol/l*minute. Notably, the consumption of certain snack foods was associated with higher glucose iAUC values:
- Consumption of bread or buns: within-person β: 30.7 (95% CI: 20.4, 41.1)
- Deep-fried foods: β: 19.8 (CI: 9.2, 30.4)
- Sweets: β: 14.6 (CI: 6.6, 22.6)
- Sugary beverages: β: 12.2 (CI: 4.3, 20.0)
Conversely, greater postprandial moderate-to-vigorous physical activity was linked to a lower glucose iAUC (β: -28.4 per hour; CI: -49.2, -7.5). Additionally, the timing of snacking played a role; glucose iAUC was higher following afternoon (β: 9.3; CI: 2.0, 16.6) and early evening snacking (β: 10.7; CI: 2.5, 18.9) compared to morning snacking.
What this study does not show
This study does not establish causal relationships between lifestyle factors and glycemic responses, nor does it provide data on long-term health outcomes related to snacking behaviors.
Evidence scorecard
- Analytic validity: established
- Clinical validity: not established
- Clinical utility: not established
The evidence is based on primary research involving human participants.