A low glycaemic index (GI) breakfast may help reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, local media reported on Monday, citing a local study by Singapore researchers.

Researchers from the Clinical Nutrition Research Centre (CNRC) have proven the importance of breakfast, which has long been stressed by nutritionists and doctors, that is -- what is eaten for breakfast sets the tone for the rest of the day in terms of sugar in the blood, the Strait Times reported.

In a two-day trial, each 11 participants were given a low GI breakfast and afternoon snack, which includes multigrain bread and parboiled basmati rice, and a high GI one, which comprises white bread and glutinous rice. They were also offered a standard buffet lunch and were free to eat what they wanted for dinner. During the test, they wore glucose monitoring machines that tested their blood glucose every five minutes over 48 hours.

After a week, they switch the breakfasts and were tested again.

GI measures the sugar in the blood from the carbohydrates eaten. A high GI food means the food elevates blood sugar and insulin levels more quickly, vice versa.

The results showed that those who had a low GI breakfast and afternoon snack have significantly less sugar in their blood for the rest of the day. The effect can even last until the second day.

The researchers suggested that a low GI breakfast "may help to reduce the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes," which is caused by high blood sugar levels.

As to the reason, researchers outlined two possible explanations. One is that people on a low GI breakfast felt satisfied for longer, thus they ate less at lunch. The other is what is called a "second meal effect," which means a low GI meal reduced the glucose response to the next meal taken.

"So what you eat at breakfast sets your glucose response to the entire day at a lower amplitude," Professor Jeyakumar Henry, head of the CNRC and one of the researchers involved told The Straits Times.