Glucose Control is Important for Your Health Aetas Protocols

What is Glucose?

Glucose serves as the essential fuel for our body, powering its vital functions. It plays a critical role in maintaining optimal health. Our glucose levels vary throughout the day due to meals and physical activity. When we consume carbohydrate-rich foods, they are converted into glucose, leading to an increase in our glucose levels, providing us with more energy. Over time, sustained high glucose levels can cause significant harm to the body. High glucose levels and insulin resistance are today recognized as one of the primary contributing factors to virtually all chronic diseases. If you aim to extend your lifespan and avoid illness, it is important to maintain low glucose levels and prevent major fluctuations. Your body regulates glucose levels through the hormones insulin and glucagon, which are influenced by your food intake, sleep, and physical activity.

Insulin is released when our pancreatic beta cells (β-cells) detect an increase in glucose levels. This hormone plays a vital role in reducing glucose levels by promoting the uptake and storage of excess glucose.

When our glucose level drops, the hormone glucagon is released. It triggers liver cells to generate new glucose from proteins and glycerol (fat) as energy sources. This ensures a sufficient supply of glucose to meet the body’s energy demands.

Understanding these regulatory mechanisms is critical for achieving and maintaining optimal glucose levels. Glucose control is a valuable tool for assessing how well your body manages high glucose levels, enabling you to maintain a stable glucose baseline and prevent extreme fluctuations that can have tremendous impact on your health.

The Perils of Elevated Glucose Levels

High and frequent fluctuations in glucose levels increase the risk of insulin resistance and harm to your body. Insulin resistance occurs when your body’s cells fail to respond effectively to insulin’s signals. As a result, glucose struggles to enter cells and convert into energy, leading to heightened glucose levels in your bloodstream. While insulin resistance has long been associated with type 2 diabetes, recent discoveries reveal its important role in the development of several other serious conditions, including cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer^{1,Janssen, J. a. M. J. L. (2021). Hyperinsulinemia and its pivotal role in aging, obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 22(15), 7797. 2Freeman, A. M., & Pennings, N. (2022). Insulin Resistance. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.}.

Elevated glucose levels and insulin resistance can also trigger an inflammatory response in the body. Inflammation is typically a health-protective mechanism, but when it becomes chronic, it can cause damage to tissues and organs. Insulin resistance can exacerbate inflammation by increasing the release of inflammatory signaling molecules in the body. Conversely, chronic inflammation can also contribute to insulin resistance by affecting insulin’s function. The signs of chronic inflammation are often ‘invisible’ as they are scattered throughout the body and challenging to pinpoint. To prevent chronic inflammation in the body, it is therefore important to maintain a low glucose baseline. If you are unsure whether you are suffering from chronic inflammation, a suPAR Longevity test can measure the level of inflammation in your body. A high suPAR score indicates the presence of a serious underlying condition, but it also provides a valuable opportunity to identify the cause early and thus guide disease prevention.

Fascinating studies have revealed that individuals who surpass the remarkable milestone of a century (centenarians) often maintain a low glucose baseline^{3Ji, S. H., Dong, C., Chen, R., Shen, C. C., Xiao, J., Gu, Y. J., & Gao, J. L. (2022). Effects of Variability in Glycemic Indices on Longevity in Chinese Centenarians. Frontiers in nutrition, 9, 955101.}. Studies like this has helped prioritising glucose control as a pivotal factor in the pursuit of longevity.

Are You at Risk of Prediabetes?

It is estimated that more than 290,000 Danes are living with prediabetes^{4Diabetes, V. F. (n.d.). Prædiabetes. Videncenter for Diabetes.}. Prediabetes occurs when your glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet at diabetic levels. It’s a warning sign that your body’s glucose processing is not as efficient as it should be. Prediabetes demands just as much attention as diabetes, as it silently inflicts damage on vital organs like the heart, blood vessels, and kidneys.

Research today reveals a connection between prediabetes and Alzheimer’s disease, as insulin resistance and elevated glucose levels can contribute to the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain, a characteristic feature of Alzheimer’s^{5Kellar, D., & Craft, S. (2020b). Brain insulin resistance in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders: mechanisms and therapeutic approaches. Lancet Neurology, 19(9), 758–766.}. Moreover, a key gene variant, APOE4, found in more than half of Alzheimer’s cases, disrupts crucial brain insulin processing^{6Zhao, N., Liu, C. C., Van Ingelgom, A. J., Martens, Y. A., Linares, C., Knight, J., Painter, M. M., Sullivan, P. F., & Bu, G. (2017). Apolipoprotein E4 Impairs Neuronal Insulin Signaling by Trapping Insulin Receptor in the Endosomes. Neuron, 96(1), 115-129.e5.}. Although the cause of Alzheimer’s is still unknown, insulin resistance is suspected to be a driving factor, leading to Alzheimer’s being referred to as type 3 diabetes. This underscores the urgency of maintaining stable glucose levels to avoid insulin resistance.

Despite the potential consequences prediabetes can have on the body, it is not an inevitable path to diabetes. With the right lifestyle changes like embracing a healthy diet, staying physically active, avoiding smoking and obesity, and regular screenings, you can actually turn the tide^{7Tuso, P. (2014). Prediabetes and Lifestyle Modification: Time to Prevent a Preventable Disease. The Permanente Journal, 18(3), 88–93.}.

Optimal Glucose Levels

Achieving optimal glucose levels is influenced by various factors, including genetics, lifestyle, and potential predispositions. Therefore, it is important to always consult a healthcare professional beforehand.

The general recommended values for normal fasting glucose range between 3.9 mmol/L and 5.6 mmol/L. If, however, your levels reach 7 mmol/L or higher in multiple tests, it’s a clear signal of diabetes^{8Indicator Metadata Registry Details. (n.d.).}. Conversely, too low glucose, known as hypoglycemia (below 3.9 mmol/L), may trigger symptoms like dizziness, perspiration, rapid heartbeat, and other symptoms that should be closely monitored^{9Mathew, P. (2022, December 26). Hypoglycemia. StatPearls – NCBI Bookshelf.}.

How to Monitor Your Glucose Levels

Traditionally, fasting glucose measurement and HbA1c (long-term glucose) serve as standard references for diagnosing diabetes patients. Now, you have the ability to monitor your glucose levels around the clock. This cutting-edge technology offers a hassle-free, precise, and comprehensive approach to tracking your glucose levels throughout the day. A tiny sensor, comfortably placed on your upper arm, measures interstitial glucose levels—the glucose present in the fluid between your cells. By using a CGM sensor, you gain insights into the stability of your glucose levels and how your body responds to various foods, physical activity, stress, and more. It provides a comprehensive picture of your glucose patterns, enabling the identification of potential fluctuations and imbalances.

At Aetas, we provide CGM sensors that can assist you in monitoring your glucose levels, giving you unique insight in how to maintain a healthy balance. In just 14 days of using the sensor, you’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of how your body reacts to various factors such as food, sleep, stress, and physical activity. For more information, you can book a free consultation with us here, or purchase the CGM sensor directly at the bottom of the page.