In diabetes, the postprandial phase is marked by a rapid and significant rise in blood glucose levels. Recent attention has focused on the potential relevance of these postprandial ‘hyperglycaemic spikes’ to the pathophysiology of diabetes complications. Growing evidence suggests that the postprandial state plays a crucial role in the development of atherosclerosis.

Intensive lifestyle interventions are recommended to slow the progression of type 2 diabetes and lower the risk of other health conditions. These include diet modification, increased physical activity, nutritional counselling and reducing calorie intake and glycaemic load. Recently, there has been growing interest in meal sequencing to control postprandial glucose elevation.