Steady glucose monitoring (CGM) know-how 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 basic public has change into extra in style. This weblog critically examines the potential dangers and limitations of repurposing CGMs for weight reduction.
The inspiration 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 underneath the pores and skin to measure the quantity of glucose within the interstitial fluid. A receiver or smartphone receives knowledge from the sensor, which supplies ongoing updates on blood sugar ranges. By offering a dynamic view of glucose swings, this know-how allows individuals with diabetes to make educated selections about their meals, insulin dosage, and total diabetes administration.
For diabetics, real-time blood sugar monitoring via CGMs presents exact and up-to-the-minute info on glucose ranges.This accuracy allows immediate actions to cease doubtlessly dangerous spikes or dips, bettering glycemic management. Moreover, CGMs provide perception into how sure meals and life-style decisions have an effect on blood sugar, enabling individualized therapy methods. Fast modifications which might be detected early may help forestall extreme hypo- or hyperglycemia, thereby decreasing the chance of problems from diabetes.
The connection between blood sugar and weight
The intricate relationship between blood sugar ranges and weight acquire reveals a posh interaction that goes past easy caloric consumption.
Blood sugar rises after we eat proteins and carbs (and particularly, with carbs). It is a fully 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 need to micromanage and even fear about this bodily course of.
What we do usually wish to keep away from, is having giant blood glucose spikes all through the day. These are thought to result in an elevated threat for heart problems (though a weight-reduction plan that causes giant insulin spikes is probably going extremely refined, which can be a threat issue for coronary heart illness).
For some individuals, consumption of huge quantities of extremely refined carbohydrate meals can result in weight acquire, which is among the major threat elements for insulin resistance.
Insulin just isn’t the evil monster that quite a lot of social media personalities make it appear. The Carbohydrate Insulin Principle – which states that weight reduction can’t happen when insulin ranges are elevated (and due to this fact we should always all be consuming a low-carb weight-reduction plan) – is questionable. Each low carb and low calorie diets work for weight reduction after they’re sustained over the long-term, main many respected researchers to consider that it’s calorie stability, not insulin, that’s chargeable for weight reduction.
In reality, the recent DIETFITS trial concluded that not solely do low-carb and low-fat diets produce related 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 vitality aka energy to the physique over much less processed choices. Whereas I’d by no means advocate slicing ultra-processed meals out altogether, limiting them is one thing we should always all try in the direction of.
Examine why I would like you to eat processed meals.
Each excessive and low blood sugar ranges wield a big affect over cravings, vitality ranges, and total 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 vitality. This rollercoaster impact can result in heightened starvation, cravings, and an elevated probability of overeating.
These fluctuations in blood sugar ranges can instigate a vicious cycle of poor consuming habits. The hunt for fast vitality fixes via sugary snacks can result in additional blood sugar spikes and crashes, perpetuating unhealthy patterns. In consequence, fostering secure blood sugar ranges via balanced meals wealthy in advanced carbohydrates, fiber, protein, and wholesome fat turns into pivotal in curbing cravings, sustaining vitality, and selling total more healthy consuming habits.
Utilizing a CGM for weight reduction
The way forward for CGM know-how appears to be shifting to prospects within the realm of weight administration. Ongoing analysis is delving into extra intricate features 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 amassing knowledge CGM knowledge over 5 years to find out if using CGMs may help individuals with weight reduction, with a 1 12 months comply with 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 end result measures embody figuring out the typical fasting glucose and the change in weight in variety of kilos. Secondary end result measures embody physique composition reminiscent of proportion of physique fats. One other secondary end result measure is proportion of time spent in vary glucose ranges lower than 140.
Whereas the first function of CGMs stays diabetes administration, their potential purposes for weight administration are being explored. CGMs can present knowledge on how particular meals and dietary patterns have an effect on blood sugar ranges, providing a personalised method to weight reduction. By understanding how sure meals trigger speedy blood sugar spikes or crashes, people can make extra knowledgeable decisions to stabilize their vitality ranges and scale back cravings.
Whereas it may be informative to see what results completely different meals have on our blood sugar personally, I actually don’t suppose non-diabetics want to make use of CGMs for weight reduction or total well being. Selecting extra entire and minimally processed meals, fewer sugary drinks and fewer alcohol, and being lively 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 show you how to.
CGM for Weight Loss: Potential Challenges and Concerns
Because the idea of repurposing CGMs for weight reduction beneficial properties traction, it’s essential to handle the potential challenges and concerns related to this method. Whereas CGMs have confirmed immensely helpful in diabetes administration, their software to weight reduction calls for a cautious examination of the restrictions that may come up.
1. Overemphasis on Numbers Over Effectively-Being
One of many major issues when utilizing CGMs for weight reduction is the chance of fixating solely on blood sugar numbers, doubtlessly overshadowing the broader features of well being and well-being. Putting extreme significance on data-driven outcomes would possibly result in a slender perspective of total wellness. A give attention to glucose ranges could divert consideration from important elements reminiscent of 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 an entire software for weight administration oversimplifies a posh challenge. Weight reduction encompasses multifaceted components, together with dietary decisions, bodily exercise, sleep, and stress administration. It also needs to embody self-regulation and starvation and fullness cues, in addition to satisfaction and satiety from meals.
Relying solely on CGM knowledge would possibly inadvertently promote the notion that weight reduction might be achieved via know-how alone, neglecting the significance of aim setting and long-term approaches. Elevated knowledge and consciousness just isn’t sufficient to alter behaviour! CGMs aren’t the be all finish all of weight reduction and might be seen as unrealistic.
3. Disordered Consuming and Emotional Impression
The potential for CGMs to set off or exacerbate disordered consuming behaviors is a crucial concern. Fixed monitoring of blood sugar ranges would possibly inadvertently encourage obsessive behaviors round meals consumption and train, contributing to an unhealthy preoccupation with numbers. Furthermore, the emotional toll of striving to take care of particular blood sugar ranges – particularly when not clinically related – can result in heightened stress and nervousness, doubtlessly compromising psychological well-being.
4. Potential for Misinterpretation and Misinformation
Deciphering CGM knowledge precisely requires an understanding of physiology and diet. With out correct steering from healthcare professionals, people would possibly misread fluctuations in blood sugar ranges, resulting in pointless dietary restrictions or insufficient responses to real well being issues. Misinformation might simply unfold via on-line communities and social media, compounding potential dangers. Everybody just isn’t educated on utilizing CGMs, as they weren’t created for the larger public.
5. Price, if not lined by insurance coverage
This will change into a really costly software to help in weight reduction ranging anyplace from $100-$300 per thirty days.
It’s additionally necessary to notice that in some situations, 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 provides a complete app-based software for monitoring and analyzing how numerous elements reminiscent of 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 acquire insights into their glucose responses all through the day as a way to drop extra pounds and higher their total well being.
Nutrisense io does work with dietitians. They’ve truly contacted me to collaborate, however I declined. Some dietitians consider that CGMs are helpful for individuals who don’t have diabetes. Once more, whereas I believe it may be attention-grabbing to see your private glucose response to completely different meals, I don’t suppose the outcomes are clinically related for almost all of non-diabetics.
The app makes use of Steady Glucose Monitoring know-how to offer real-time knowledge on glucose ranges, and plainly Nutrisense takes care of the CGM prescriptions for its members. Nonetheless, the service comes with a value, with subscription plans beginning at $299 per thirty days for a 3-month subscription or $225 per thirty days for a 12-month dedication. It’s value noting that Nutrisense just isn’t lined by insurance coverage.
The Nutrisense app claims to show customers the best way to eat in a greater approach and to start out making the correct meals decisions that may assist to realize weight reduction objectives. This will all be achieved with no CGM, however okay.
Such a service might doubtlessly be beneficial 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 all the way down to this degree.
CGM for weight reduction: On-line Claims
On-line diet claims have change into more and more prevalent, typically promising fast fixes and outcomes by buying some form of product.
Over on TikTok, for instance, some man named Klint claims he’s reducing weight from utilizing his CGM. Klint shares that after 2 weeks he has misplaced 30 kilos as a result of CGM. He makes use of the app to trace his glucose ranges based mostly on completely different patterns. When his glucose just isn’t 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 acquire”.
This form of pondering exhibits an actual misunderstanding of how the physique works.
He mentions staying in storage mode causes weight acquire, 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 “dangerous,” he beneficial properties weight. He explains that consuming extra pure meals and fewer processed meals helped him lose the load.
Klint is making it seem to be the CGM is what’s making him drop extra pounds when in actuality, it’s in all probability the life-style modifications he’s making to his weight-reduction plan.
It’s little question that CGMs have their function within the diabetic world. Individuals wanting particularly for weight reduction shouldn’t be relying solely on CGM know-how.
People ought to undertake a multifaceted method that integrates customized diet, bodily exercise, mindfulness, and psychological well-being. Registered dietitians play a pivotal position in guiding people via this journey, offering evidence-based suggestions and fostering reasonable expectations which might be particular to at least one’s wants and life-style.
The prospect of utilizing CGMs for weight reduction presents a glimpse right into a future the place know-how intersects with wellness. Nonetheless, navigating this path requires cautious consideration of potential challenges and moral dilemmas.
Whereas CGMs have revolutionized diabetes administration, their software to weight reduction calls for a cautious and complete method that values total well being and well-being above mere knowledge factors. Follow the fundamentals and be constant, as an alternative of leaning to CGMs to information weight reduction.
