Steady glucose monitoring (CGM) expertise has revolutionized diabetes administration, offering real-time insights into blood sugar ranges for people with diabetes. Whereas CGMs have immense advantages for this particular inhabitants, the concept of utilizing them for weight reduction among the many common public has develop into extra in style. This weblog critically examines the potential dangers and limitations of repurposing CGMs for weight reduction.
The muse of CGMs: Diabetes administration
Steady Glucose Monitoring (CGM) methods are superior medical units that monitor glucose ranges in real-time.They’re made up of a tiny sensor that’s inserted below the pores and skin to measure the quantity of glucose within the interstitial fluid. A receiver or smartphone receives information from the sensor, which gives ongoing updates on blood sugar ranges. By offering a dynamic view of glucose swings, this expertise allows individuals with diabetes to make educated selections about their meals, insulin dosage, and general diabetes administration.
For diabetics, real-time blood sugar monitoring by means of CGMs provides exact and up-to-the-minute data on glucose ranges.This accuracy allows immediate actions to cease probably dangerous spikes or dips, enhancing glycemic management. Moreover, CGMs provide perception into how sure meals and life-style decisions have an effect on blood sugar, enabling individualized therapy methods. Speedy adjustments which can be detected early might help forestall extreme hypo- or hyperglycemia, thereby decreasing the chance of issues from diabetes.
The connection between blood sugar and weight
The intricate relationship between blood sugar ranges and weight achieve reveals a posh interaction that goes past easy caloric consumption.
Blood sugar rises after we eat proteins and carbs (and specifically, with carbs). It is a utterly regular response, and never one we should always purpose to keep away from. When blood sugar rises, the physique releases insulin to facilitate glucose uptake into cells. Once more, completely regular response, and most of us, particularly these of us with out diabetes, don’t should micromanage and even fear about this bodily course of.
What we do typically wish to keep away from, is having massive blood glucose spikes all through the day. These are thought to result in an elevated danger for heart problems (though a eating regimen that causes massive insulin spikes is probably going extremely refined, which can be a danger issue for coronary heart illness).
For some individuals, consumption of enormous quantities of extremely refined carbohydrate meals can result in weight achieve, which is likely one of the main danger components for insulin resistance.
Insulin will not be the evil monster that quite a lot of social media personalities make it appear. The Carbohydrate Insulin Idea – which states that weight reduction can’t happen when insulin ranges are elevated (and subsequently we should always all be consuming a low-carb eating regimen) – is questionable. Each low carb and low calorie diets work for weight reduction once they’re sustained over the long-term, main many respected researchers to imagine that it’s calorie stability, not insulin, that’s chargeable for weight reduction.
Actually, the recent DIETFITS trial concluded that not solely do low-carb and low-fat diets produce comparable outcomes for weight reduction, however insulin ranges don’t influence weight reduction. Some interpretations argue that each teams had a discount in glycemic load which then led to weight reduction.
We do know, nevertheless, that ultra-processed, refined meals are metabolized faster and provide extra power aka energy to the physique over much less processed choices. Whereas I’d by no means advocate reducing ultra-processed meals out altogether, limiting them is one thing we should always all attempt in direction of.
Examine why I need you to eat processed meals.
Each excessive and low blood sugar ranges wield a major affect over cravings, power ranges, and general consuming habits. When steep blood sugar spikes and crashes happen, notably after consuming sugary or refined carbohydrate-rich meals, the physique experiences a shift in power. This rollercoaster impact can result in heightened starvation, cravings, and an elevated chance of overeating.
These fluctuations in blood sugar ranges can instigate a vicious cycle of poor consuming habits. The hunt for fast power fixes by means of sugary snacks can result in additional blood sugar spikes and crashes, perpetuating unhealthy patterns. Consequently, fostering steady blood sugar ranges by means of balanced meals wealthy in complicated carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and wholesome fat turns into pivotal in curbing cravings, sustaining power, and selling general more healthy consuming habits.
Utilizing a CGM for weight reduction
The way forward for CGM expertise appears to be shifting to prospects within the realm of weight administration. Ongoing analysis is delving into extra intricate elements of glucose fluctuations and their relationship with metabolism and weight.
Superior algorithms are being developed to boost the predictive capabilities of CGMs, providing people real-time insights into how completely different meals and actions influence their blood sugar ranges.
The present IRB research with 50,000 contributors is accumulating information CGM information over 5 years to find out if using CGMs might help individuals with weight reduction, with a 1 yr observe up interval. Each women and men 18 years and above are eligible for this research together with different particular standards.
The estimated research completion date is November 2027. This research is taken into account a scientific trial and it’s wanting into using CGM’s within the non-diabetic inhabitants to go with Signos cellular well being platform.
Main final result measures embody figuring out the common fasting glucose and the change in weight in variety of kilos. Secondary final result measures embody physique composition similar to proportion of physique fats. One other secondary final result measure is proportion of time spent in vary glucose ranges lower than 140.
Whereas the first objective of CGMs stays diabetes administration, their potential functions for weight administration are being explored. CGMs can present information on how particular meals and dietary patterns have an effect on blood sugar ranges, providing a personalised strategy to weight reduction. By understanding how sure meals trigger speedy blood sugar spikes or crashes, people can make extra knowledgeable decisions to stabilize their power ranges and cut back cravings.
Whereas it may be informative to see what results completely different meals have on our blood sugar personally, I truthfully don’t assume non-diabetics want to make use of CGMs for weight reduction or general well being. Selecting extra complete and minimally processed meals, fewer sugary drinks and fewer alcohol, and being energetic as a lot as attainable are all fundamental steps to raised well being and weight reduction that many people haven’t but mastered.
If you happen to don’t have the fundamentals down, a CGM isn’t going to magically provide help to.
CGM for Weight Loss: Potential Challenges and Concerns
Because the idea of repurposing CGMs for weight reduction features traction, it’s essential to deal with the potential challenges and issues related to this strategy. Whereas CGMs have confirmed immensely useful in diabetes administration, their utility to weight reduction calls for a cautious examination of the constraints that may come up.
1. Overemphasis on Numbers Over Nicely-Being
One of many main issues when utilizing CGMs for weight reduction is the chance of fixating solely on blood sugar numbers, probably overshadowing the broader elements of well being and well-being. Inserting extreme significance on data-driven outcomes may result in a slim perspective of general wellness. A concentrate on glucose ranges might divert consideration from important components similar to psychological well being, emotional well-being, and sustainable life-style habits.
2. Unrealistic Expectations and Fast Fixes
Whereas CGMs can present real-time insights, anticipating them to be a whole software for weight administration oversimplifies a posh subject. Weight reduction encompasses multifaceted parts, together with dietary decisions, bodily exercise, sleep, and stress administration. It must also embody self-regulation and starvation and fullness cues, in addition to satisfaction and satiety from meals.
Relying solely on CGM information may inadvertently promote the notion that weight reduction may be achieved by means of expertise alone, neglecting the significance of purpose setting and long-term approaches. Elevated information and consciousness will not be sufficient to vary behaviour! CGMs will not be the be all finish all of weight reduction and may be seen as unrealistic.
3. Disordered Consuming and Emotional Affect
The potential for CGMs to set off or exacerbate disordered consuming behaviors is a crucial concern. Fixed monitoring of blood sugar ranges may inadvertently encourage obsessive behaviors round meals consumption and train, contributing to an unhealthy preoccupation with numbers. Furthermore, the emotional toll of striving to keep up particular blood sugar ranges – particularly when not clinically related – can result in heightened stress and anxiousness, probably compromising psychological well-being.
4. Potential for Misinterpretation and Misinformation
Deciphering CGM information precisely requires an understanding of physiology and diet. With out correct steering from healthcare professionals, people may misread fluctuations in blood sugar ranges, resulting in pointless dietary restrictions or insufficient responses to real well being issues. Misinformation may simply unfold by means of on-line communities and social media, compounding potential dangers. Everybody will not be educated on utilizing CGMs, as they weren’t created for the higher public.
5. Value, if not lined by insurance coverage
This may develop into a really costly software to help in weight reduction ranging anyplace from $100-$300 monthly.
It’s additionally necessary to notice that in some cases, utilizing a CGM whenever you aren’t diabetic could also be inflicting individuals who really need one to outlive, to lose some entry to those instruments.
About Nutrisense.io
Nutrisense is an organization that gives a complete app-based software for monitoring and analyzing how varied components similar to meals, sleep, train, and stress have an effect on glucose ranges. This software seems to be notably geared toward people with or with out diabetes who wish to achieve insights into their glucose responses all through the day with a purpose to shed pounds and higher their general well being.
Nutrisense io does work with dietitians. They’ve really contacted me to collaborate, however I declined. Some dietitians imagine that CGMs are helpful for individuals who don’t have diabetes. Once more, whereas I feel it may be fascinating to see your private glucose response to completely different meals, I don’t assume the outcomes are clinically related for almost all of non-diabetics.
The app makes use of Steady Glucose Monitoring expertise to supply real-time information on glucose ranges, and plainly Nutrisense takes care of the CGM prescriptions for its members. Nevertheless, the service comes with a value, with subscription plans beginning at $299 monthly for a 3-month subscription or $225 monthly for a 12-month dedication. It’s price noting that Nutrisense will not be lined by insurance coverage.
The Nutrisense app claims to show customers learn how to eat in a greater manner and to start out making the precise meals decisions that can assist to attain weight reduction targets. This may all be finished with no CGM, however okay.
This kind of service may probably be invaluable for people trying to higher perceive and handle their glucose ranges for well being functions, however once more, there’s actually no want for many of us to drill our well being right down to this stage.
CGM for weight reduction: On-line Claims
On-line diet claims have develop into more and more prevalent, usually promising fast fixes and outcomes by buying some form of product.
Over on TikTok, for instance, some man named Klint claims he’s dropping pounds from utilizing his CGM. Klint shares that after 2 weeks he has misplaced 30 kilos because of the CGM. He makes use of the app to trace his glucose ranges primarily based on completely different patterns. When his glucose will not be elevated, he claims to be in “weight reduction mode” and when he has small spikes it’s “wholesome consuming mode” after which a number of excessive spikes in glucose is “weight achieve”.
This form of pondering exhibits an actual misunderstanding of how the physique works.
He mentions staying in storage mode causes weight achieve, and that he gained 3 kilos from a meal. Somebody wants to inform Klint that that 3 kilos isn’t fats.
When he eats “good,” he loses weight, and when he eats “unhealthy,” he features weight. He explains that consuming extra pure meals and fewer processed meals helped him lose the burden.
Klint is making it look like the CGM is what’s making him shed pounds when in actuality, it’s most likely the life-style adjustments he’s making to his eating regimen.
It’s little question that CGMs have their objective within the diabetic world. Folks wanting particularly for weight reduction shouldn’t be relying solely on CGM expertise.
People ought to undertake a multifaceted strategy that integrates customized diet, bodily exercise, mindfulness, and psychological well-being. Registered dietitians play a pivotal position in guiding people by means of this journey, offering evidence-based suggestions and fostering life like expectations which can be particular to 1’s wants and life-style.
The prospect of utilizing CGMs for weight reduction provides a glimpse right into a future the place expertise intersects with wellness. Nevertheless, navigating this path requires cautious consideration of potential challenges and moral dilemmas.
Whereas CGMs have revolutionized diabetes administration, their utility to weight reduction calls for a cautious and complete strategy that values general well being and well-being above mere information factors. Keep on with the fundamentals and be constant, as an alternative of leaning to CGMs to information weight reduction.