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Nutritionist Deepsikha Jain, a certified national diabetes educator, explained how eating fiber before carbohydrates can help reduce the risk of diabetes.
Fiber plays a key role in slowing glucose absorption.
Blood sugar spikes are influenced not only by what you eat but also by how and when you eat it. Consuming carbohydrates on an empty stomach allows glucose to enter the bloodstream quickly, causing sharp spikes.
Over time, repeated spikes can worsen insulin resistance and significantly increase the risk of developing diabetes. However, experts say that a small but effective dietary change—eating fiber before carbohydrates—can help regulate glucose absorption and support long-term metabolic health.
Nutritionist on how fiber before carbohydrates reduces the risk of diabetes
Deepsikha Jain, a nutritionist with a master's degree in Global Public Health Nutrition from the United Kingdom and a certified national diabetes educator, recently explained how eating fiber before carbohydrates can help reduce the risk of diabetes.
In an Instagram video shared on January 19, he discusses the science behind fiber's role in slowing glucose absorption and preventing sudden blood sugar spikes.
Simple experiment shows how fiber controls glucose absorption
To visually explain the concept, Deepsikha uses a simple experiment involving two glasses of water, two sieves, and droppers filled with red dye. Explain that the vessels represent blood, the strainers represent the stomach, and the red dye symbolizes the glucose released after consuming carbohydrates. One sieve is left empty, while the other contains a green substance representing fiber.
While presenting the demonstration, Deepsikha says, “Give me 60 seconds and I will tell you how eating fiber can reduce the risk of diabetes.” She further explains, “Imagine these two glasses of water are your blood. This (the strainer) is your stomach. And one stomach already has fiber. The other is an empty stomach.”
What happens when you eat carbohydrates on an empty stomach?
During the experiment, Deepsikha releases the red dye through both sieves. In the fiber-free setting, the dye flows directly into the water, visually showing how carbohydrates consumed on an empty stomach are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. This rapid absorption causes sudden spikes in blood sugar, which can be harmful if repeated frequently.
How fiber slows the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream
In contrast, when the dye passes through the fiber-containing sieve, most of it is absorbed by the green substance rather than freely entering the water. This demonstrates how fiber creates a barrier that slows the entry of glucose into the bloodstream.
Explaining the science behind this, Deepsikha says, “When you eat fiber, it actually blocks sugar, which reduces the rapid absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, thereby reducing the sugar spike.” He adds that eating carbohydrates without fiber allows sugar to enter the blood too quickly, “which creates a bigger sugar spike and worsens diabetes.”
How eating fiber first promotes long-term blood sugar control
Through this experiment, Deepsikha highlights that fiber plays a key role in slowing glucose absorption, which helps reduce insulin resistance over time. By simply prioritizing high-fiber foods before consuming carbohydrates, people can stabilize blood sugar levels and reduce their risk of diabetes in the long term.
January 25, 2026, 1:25 PM IST
