Why is measuring blood sugar no longer enough?

Here are the advanced analyses to prevent type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and diseases related to insulin resistance.

What is Glycemia?

Blood glucose represents the concentration of glucose in the blood (mg/dl).

Maintaining your blood sugar levels within the correct range is essential to your health, as levels that are too high (or too low) can have negative effects on your body.

Excessive values, in fact, could promote alterations in carbohydrate metabolism, favoring the onset of pathological conditions such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), Alzheimer's (type 3 diabetes), obesity and PCOS .

While excessively low values could permanently damage brain health.

In this article you will understand:

• Why the common fasting blood glucose measurement is insufficient to assess the health of your glucose metabolism

• What are the damages caused by hyperglycemia?

• What can you do to prevent and/or restore proper glucose metabolism?

Remember, you can leave your questions in the comments section below!

How is blood sugar regulated?

Over the course of evolution, our body has developed a very effective and efficient glycemic regulation system, consisting of:

• 5 hyperglycemic hormones: Glucagon, cortisol, adrenaline, noradrenaline, and growth hormone . Their function, as the name suggests, is to raise blood sugar levels and prevent hypoglycemic crises that would compromise vital functions.

• 1 hypoglycemic hormone: Insulin . Its function is to lower blood sugar levels and prevent hyperglycemia, which would lead to changes in blood pH and osmolarity.

Adrenaline	Norepinephrine	Cortisol	GH	Insulin
+Blood sugar	+Blood sugar	+Blood sugar	+Blood sugar	-Glycemia

This happened because the amount of food and carbohydrates (as well as the main agents that alter glycemic balance) that guided our evolution over the millennia was lower than in the modern diet.

So today we find ourselves in an evolutionary discordance : we have more tools to combat hypoglycemia when, due to excess food and carbohydrates, we need more tools to combat hyperglycemia.

Hence the development of chronic pathologies related to nutrition (T2DM, PCOS, Alzheimer's, hypertension, metabolic syndrome...).

Why is the blood sugar test insufficient?

While measuring blood sugar levels is very useful for diagnosing metabolic disorders (e.g. pre-diabetes, diabetes, etc. ), measuring this value alone is insufficient to quantify the functioning of the entire carbohydrate metabolism.

Fasting values	60-100mg/dl	101-124 mg/dl	>125mg/dl
OGTT (glucose load)	<140 mg/dl	140-199mg/dl	>200mg/dl

In fact, blood sugar levels tell us nothing about the amount of insulin our pancreas is producing to maintain stable blood sugar levels. Since diabetes is a chronic degenerative disease affecting the pancreatic beta cells (the cells that produce insulin), quantifying their status allows us to prevent the onset of this disease and related conditions.

It is increasingly common in our clinical practice to find normal glycemic values but altered insulin values , proving that evaluating only the first of the two is an incomplete and incorrect strategy.

We therefore invite you to continue reading the article to understand which tests to perform to prevent the onset of this pathology.

How does high blood sugar affect your health?

Hyperglycemia is a condition in which blood glucose levels are chronically elevated. This condition can damage various parts of the body, including the kidneys, liver, neurons, and endothelium.

Among the main harmful effects of hyperglycemia we find:

1. Blood vessel damage : Prolonged hyperglycemia can damage blood vessel walls, increasing the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack and stroke.

2. Neuropathy : High blood sugar levels can damage nerves, leading to symptoms such as pain, tingling, and loss of sensation, particularly in the extremities.

3. Kidney disease : Hyperglycemia can damage the kidneys, impairing their ability to filter waste from the blood. This can lead to kidney failure.

4. Retinopathy : High blood sugar can damage the small blood vessels in the retina, the part of the eye that detects light and sends signals to the brain, leading to vision problems and blindness.

5. Compromised immune system : Chronic hyperglycemia can weaken the immune system, increasing susceptibility to infections.

The 3 Best Blood Tests to Evaluate Your Glycemic Metabolism

1. Home index: (glycemia x insulinemia / 405)

Assessing the relationship between blood glucose and insulin levels when fasting and/or after a glucose load allows us to evaluate the degree of insulin resistance, as well as the health of glucose metabolism.

Below are the normal values of homa-index.

2. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c):

Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is a measure of the amount of glucose bound to hemoglobin in red blood cells. Since red blood cells have a lifespan of about three months, HbA1c provides an overview of average glycemic control over time.

A high HbA1c level indicates poor glycemic control and an increased risk of diabetic complications. This test is particularly useful for monitoring the effectiveness of therapies over time.

3. Methylglyoxal:

Methylglyoxal is a molecule highly reactive to the advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). These AGEs are associated with various pathological conditions. Its assessment allows us to assess the damage caused by hyperglycemia even earlier than HbA1c. Unfortunately, this test is not yet available in Italian laboratories.

3 winning strategies to modulate blood sugar levels

Maintaining stable blood sugar levels is essential for preventing age-related diseases. But what are the strategies to avoid alterations in this metabolism?

1. Nutrition : A balanced, low-glycemic diet is essential for keeping blood sugar levels under control. Here are some practical tips:

• Eliminate soft drinks, fruit juices and sweets: they provide large quantities of sugar which puts a strain on the pancreas.

• Always include a protein source in your meals: proteins modulate the glycemic peak

• Reverse the sequence of courses: start the meal with raw vegetables, move on to the main course (protein and fat), and finally add carbohydrates (preferably complex and whole grains). Ex: mixed salad —> salmon fillet and olives —> brown basmati rice.

2. Supplements : Supplements play an important role in supporting blood sugar metabolism. Some supplements that may be helpful are:

• Berberine : a plant compound that reduces insulin resistance and improves lipid metabolism (500-1500mg/day)

• Chromium : improve insulin sensitivity (50-250mcg/day)

• Magnesium : essential for the function of pancreatic beta cells (300-600mg/day)

• Omega-3 : Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory effects and may improve insulin sensitivity (1-3g/day)

3. Regular exercise : Exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve insulin sensitivity and keep blood sugar levels under control. It is recommended to:

• Resistance exercise : (weights or bodyweight) improves glycemic sensitivity by stimulating protein synthesis

• Endurance exercise : (running, swimming, cycling) increases energy expenditure by promoting the depletion of muscle and liver glycogen

Conclusions

Monitoring your blood sugar is important, but it alone doesn't provide a complete picture of your metabolic health.

Factors such as insulin resistance and glycated hemoglobin offer a more detailed and accurate view of blood glucose metabolism.

Adopting nutritional strategies , supplements, exercise, good stress management, and sleep are essential to keeping blood sugar levels under control and promoting overall health.

A comprehensive assessment of glycemic metabolism not only allows for the early identification of potential problems, but also allows for targeted preventive measures, significantly improving quality of life.

Don't let your metabolic health take a back seat. Book aconsultation.

to start your journey to optimal metabolic health!

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