When people are hospitalized, the type of diet they’re given can affect how well their blood sugar stays controlled, according to a new study. Researchers looked at 283 adults in the hospital and used special sensors to track their blood sugar levels throughout the day. They found that different hospital diet orders—like regular food, restricted diets, or diabetic meals—were connected to different blood sugar patterns. The study suggests that hospitals should pay more attention to how diet choices impact blood sugar management, especially for patients with diabetes.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How different types of hospital meals affect blood sugar levels in patients who are hospitalized but not in critical condition
  • Who participated: 283 adults in the hospital (average age 61, mostly overweight, about one-third women). Most had type 2 diabetes and were staying in regular hospital units, not intensive care.
  • Key finding: Different hospital diets were connected to different blood sugar patterns. Regular diets with restrictions led to higher blood sugar spikes, while diabetic and liquid diets were linked to lower blood sugar levels. However, these differences were modest and varied by individual.
  • What it means for you: If you’re hospitalized, the specific diet your doctor orders may influence how your blood sugar behaves. This suggests hospitals should think carefully about diet choices for blood sugar management, but more research is needed before making major changes to hospital meal planning.

The Research Details

This study looked back at information collected from hospitalized patients who were already being monitored with continuous glucose monitors (CGM)—small devices that track blood sugar every few minutes throughout the day. Researchers organized the different hospital diet orders into 11 general categories and compared how blood sugar responded to each type. They used statistical methods to account for other factors that affect blood sugar, like insulin use and other medications, so they could focus on the diet’s specific impact.

The study included 283 adults who were hospitalized in regular medical units (not intensive care). Most were overweight and had type 2 diabetes. Researchers collected information about what diet was ordered, what medications patients received, and what their continuous glucose monitor showed about their blood sugar patterns throughout the day.

This approach allowed researchers to see real-world patterns in how hospital diets affect blood sugar without doing an experiment where they would deliberately change people’s diets.

Understanding how hospital diet orders affect blood sugar is important because many hospitalized patients have diabetes or develop blood sugar problems during their hospital stay. If we know which diets work better for blood sugar control, hospitals can make better choices about what to feed patients. This could help prevent complications and improve recovery.

This study has some strengths: it used continuous glucose monitors for accurate blood sugar tracking (not just occasional finger-stick tests), it included a reasonable number of patients, and it accounted for other factors like insulin use. However, it was observational, meaning researchers watched what happened naturally rather than randomly assigning people to different diets. This means we can’t be completely sure the diet caused the blood sugar changes—other factors might have played a role. The study also looked back at existing data rather than following patients forward in time.

What the Results Show

The main finding was that different hospital diet orders were connected to different blood sugar patterns, but the differences were modest. When patients ate a regular diet with restrictions (like a low-sodium diet), their blood sugar spent less time in the healthy target range (70-180 mg/dL) and more time running high. In contrast, patients on diabetic diets or liquid diets had more time with blood sugar running low.

The study measured three main things: time in range (the percentage of time blood sugar stayed in the healthy zone), time above range (when blood sugar ran too high), and time below range (when blood sugar dropped too low). These measures varied across different diet types, but the changes were relatively small—not dramatic differences.

Interestingly, how much blood sugar bounced around (called glycemic variability) didn’t seem to differ much between diet types. This suggests that while different diets might push blood sugar slightly higher or lower, they don’t necessarily make it more unstable.

The researchers also found that insulin use varied across diet types, which makes sense because patients with worse blood sugar control would need more insulin. The study tried to account for this when analyzing the diet’s effect.

The study found that insulin therapy use was significantly different across the various diet orders, suggesting that some diets require more insulin adjustment than others. Patients on restricted diets needed more insulin to manage their blood sugar, while those on diabetic or liquid diets might have needed different insulin amounts. The study also noted that other medications patients were taking could influence how their blood sugar responded to different diets.

This research adds to a small amount of existing evidence about how hospital diet choices affect blood sugar. While hospitals commonly use different diet orders, there hasn’t been much scientific study of whether these choices actually matter for blood sugar control. This study suggests they do matter, at least modestly. However, the findings are not strong enough to completely change how hospitals manage diets—more research is needed to confirm these patterns and understand why they happen.

Several important limitations should be considered. First, this was an observational study, so we can’t prove that the diet caused the blood sugar changes—other factors might have been involved. Second, the differences found were modest, meaning they might not be noticeable in real life. Third, the study only included hospitalized patients, so results might not apply to people managing diabetes at home. Fourth, researchers didn’t have information about how much food patients actually ate or how well they followed their prescribed diets. Finally, the study looked at different diet categories, but within each category, individual meals could vary quite a bit.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, hospitals should consider blood sugar control when choosing diet orders for patients, especially those with diabetes. However, diet choice is just one factor—insulin and other medications are also important. Patients should work with their hospital care team to discuss how their diet might affect their blood sugar. This research suggests diet matters, but it’s not a complete solution on its own. Confidence level: Moderate—the findings are real but modest in size.

This research is most relevant to hospitalized patients with diabetes or those at risk for blood sugar problems. Hospital doctors and nutritionists should pay attention to these findings when planning meals. People managing diabetes at home might find this interesting but shouldn’t expect the same patterns since hospital situations are different. People without diabetes or blood sugar concerns don’t need to worry about these findings.

If you’re hospitalized and your diet is changed, blood sugar effects would likely show up within hours to a day, as shown by the continuous glucose monitors in this study. However, one hospital stay isn’t long enough to see major health improvements—the real benefit would come from consistent good blood sugar management over weeks and months.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • If using a diabetes app while hospitalized, track your prescribed diet type and compare it to your continuous glucose monitor readings. Note the time your blood sugar spends in range (70-180 mg/dL) each day and see if it changes when your diet order changes. Record this alongside your insulin doses to see the full picture.
  • Work with your hospital care team to discuss your diet order and blood sugar goals. If you notice your blood sugar running high or low with a particular diet, mention it to your doctor or nutritionist so they can adjust either your diet or your insulin. Keep a simple log of what you eat and how you feel to share with your healthcare team.
  • If you have a continuous glucose monitor, check your daily time-in-range percentage and note which diet order you’re on. After discharge, continue tracking your blood sugar with your home monitoring system and note any changes when you return to your regular eating pattern. Share these patterns with your doctor at follow-up visits to help guide future hospital meal planning if needed.

This research describes patterns observed in hospitalized patients and should not be used to make decisions about your own diet or diabetes management without consulting your healthcare provider. Hospital diet orders are prescribed by doctors based on individual medical needs, and any changes should only be made under medical supervision. If you have diabetes or blood sugar concerns, discuss these findings with your doctor, nurse, or registered dietitian. This study suggests diet may affect blood sugar in hospitals, but it does not provide specific dietary recommendations for individual patients. Always follow your healthcare team’s guidance for your specific situation.