A simple change in the order of foods eaten during a meal could help soften blood sugar spikes, according to new research in mice. Experts say the findings are intriguing, but they caution that food sequencing should not be treated as a quick fix.

In a study published in the journal Diabetes in October, researchers gave mice olive oil 15 minutes before glucose, a simple sugar used by the body for energy. Those mice experienced a smaller early rise in blood sugar than mice given glucose first or glucose alone.

The researchers reported a similar effect in mice with type 2 diabetes and severe insulin deficiency. They also tested other dietary fats, suggesting that the response observed in the experiment may not be exclusive to olive oil.

The results offer clues about why the order in which nutrients enter the digestive system could matter. When the mice received fat before sugar, their stomachs moved food into the intestine more slowly, and their blood sugar initially rose less sharply.

Corresponding author Dr. Daisuke Yabe of Kyoto University described the process as a coordinated response involving the digestive system. "Our findings suggest that the order in which nutrients reach the gut can engage a coordinated hormone-nerve response that changes how quickly the stomach delivers glucose to the intestine," he said in a statement.

Giving fat first also produced early increases in two hormones, glucagon and GLP-1. Although glucagon is usually associated with raising blood sugar, the researchers found that the two hormones appeared to work together to help restrain the rise in glucose.

Yabe said the research was inspired by practical approaches that people could sustain. Instead of eliminating entire categories of food, meal sequencing changes how the components of a meal are consumed.

"Meal-sequencing is appealing because it merely changes how a meal is eaten rather than requiring people to avoid entire food groups," Yabe said. The researchers emphasized, however, that additional studies are needed to test meal sequencing in humans.

Huma Chaudhry, a registered dietitian based in Chicago and founder of Dose of Nutrition, said the study adds to research examining food order as a possible way to moderate blood sugar. She also stressed the limitations of drawing conclusions from an experiment involving mice.

Because the research was not conducted in people, its findings cannot automatically be applied to human meals. "We can't assume the same results would occur in humans," Chaudhry told Fox News Digital.

Previous human research suggests that eating vegetables or protein before carbohydrates may help moderate blood sugar after a meal, according to Chaudhry. She said more research is still needed to determine the specific effects of consuming olive oil first.

Chaudhry warned against interpreting the experiment as a reason to consume olive oil by itself before eating. "The takeaway isn't that everyone should start drinking olive oil before a meal," she said, adding that there is "no need to treat it like a supplement or quick fix."

Instead, she pointed toward meals containing a combination of nutrients. "The bigger message is about building balanced meals that naturally contain healthy fats, protein, fiber and carbohydrates," Chaudhry said.

The conditions of the mouse experiment also differed from an ordinary human meal. The mice were fasted overnight before receiving olive oil and glucose separately, with the two substances given 15 minutes apart.

Chaudhry suggested that people could begin a pasta meal with a leafy green salad dressed with olive oil. At breakfast, eggs could be paired with toast, and food sequencing would not require each food to be separated by a fixed interval.

At dinner, someone might eat a salad with olive oil first, followed by chicken and pasta together. Pasta can raise blood sugar, while the broader meal includes vegetables, protein, healthy fat and carbohydrates.

The findings place food order within the larger question of meal composition rather than presenting it as a stand alone solution. "Food order may influence blood sugar alongside the overall quality and balance of our meals," Chaudhry said.