Take back control of your blood glucose roller coaster!
In today’s fast-paced world, maintaining a healthy lifestyle is easier said than done. The rise in sedentary lifestyles and the consumption of high-sugar and high-carbohydrate foods have led to a surge in blood glucose-related health issues. Growing in tandem is the consumer awareness on the importance of balancing blood sugar responses. This in turn goes hand in hand with growing consumer demand for effective solutions to support healthy blood glucose levels.
This blog explores the transformative power of Reducose®, a branded ingredient from Phynova, that turns fast sugars and carbohydrates into slower ones, promoting balanced blood sugar levels and overall well-being.
Blood glucose matters to all of us
Blood glucose is one of the most important biomarkers to monitor and to manage. It is influenced foremost by what we eat, every time we eat. The carbohydrates in our diet (starch, sugars) are too big to be absorbed into our body directly, and so they are digested by enzymes in the small intestine. Once these enzymes have cleaved off glucose from our food, these molecules are then small enough to pass through the gut wall. This makes our blood sugar levels rise and signals the pancreas to produce insulin.
Insulin is an important hormone, functioning like a key to open three doors. Our cells respond to insulin and let glucose enter as a source of energy. Next, our bodies will store excess glucose in glycogen stores in muscle tissue and the liver, ready to be used as back-up energy. Cells and glycogen stores have a finite capacity to store glucose and when they are ‘full’, insulin deposits the remaining glucose into fat cells. Unfortunately, our fat cells do have an infinite capacity to store glucose.
In a nutshell, foods containing fast sugars and starches, trigger high blood glucose spikes, which in turn trigger high insulin spikes. High insulin spikes put our bodies in fat-storage mode and can trigger ‘sugar-crashes’, making us crave for more fast sugars and carbs. This makes our blood glucose spike again, etc.…
This repetitive cycle is called the blood glucose roller coaster.
The quality of what we eat will make the roller coaster wild, with unhealthy spikes and crashes or mild, balanced, and healthier for the short and long term.
The negative health consequences of wild blood sugar fluctuations, also for otherwise healthy people, are now better understood. In the DECODE study, a European multicenter study involving more than 25,000 participants (Lancet, 1999), it was shown that the cardiovascular risks increased substantially when the post-meal glucose spikes go above 7.8mmol/L (= 140mg/dL). These risks are independent of glycaemic status, i.e., the risk increases equally and to the same level whether the person has normal blood glucose levels or is diabetic.
Every single person on the planet goes on the blood glucose roller coaster, every time food is consumed. The blood sugar response to foods also differs from person to person and within one person it can differ depending on exercise, sleep, or stress for example. Our blood glucose responses are therefore highly personalized. But one thing is certain, we can all notice that our blood glucose is fluctuating. We all have experienced moments of being ‘hangry’ (angry & hungry) or having a lack of focus (brain-fog) for example due to a sugar crash.
Consumer awareness & measuring technology are converging
In recent years, the significance of maintaining healthy blood glucose levels has gained considerable attention. Books like “Glucose Revolution” by Jessie Inchauspé play a crucial role in raising consumer awareness about the impact of diet on blood sugar regulation. These educational resources provide valuable insights into the importance of making informed dietary choices to prevent blood sugar spikes and promote long-term health
In the era of constant food temptations and cravings, the term “food noise” has emerged as a popular trend on social media platforms like TikTok. “Food noise” refers to the distracting and persistent cravings for unhealthy foods that can derail even the most dedicated dietary efforts. This phenomenon underscores the need for strategies to regulate blood glucose levels effectively, as imbalances can contribute to intensified food cravings and poor eating habits.
On top of increased consumer awareness, we can witness advancements in technology creating a perfect storm in the quest for blood sugar control. Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) have revolutionized the way individuals can monitor their blood sugar levels. These wearable devices provide real-time feedback on glucose fluctuations, enabling users to understand what is going with their blood glucose roller coaster and make immediate adjustments to their diet and lifestyle. Although CGMs are intended for diabetics, a growing group of non-diabetics are wearing them, ranging from professional athletes to biohackers and lifestyle influencers. Excitingly, Bloomberg recently reported that Apple is close to introducing the CGM technology on their popular Watch. This breakthrough will empower mainstream consumers to watch in a non-invasively and fully personalized manner how their blood sugar roller coaster is fluctuating.
We all sit on this blood sugar roller coaster every time we eat, but we mostly sit in the passenger seat and just undergo it. Eating a perfectly balanced diet would make the blood glucose roller coaster fluctuations mild and healthy. The problem is that we are all swimming in an ocean of processed foods containing fast sugars and starches.
This is where Reducose® can play a crucial role in empowering the consumer to take back control of the glucose roller coaster and be in the driver’s seat.
An immediate & significant impact on healthy blood glucose
Backed by nine human clinical trials (and with more in the pipeline), Reducose® has an elegant mode-of-action to balance blood glucose levels. By preventing the digestion of carbohydrates, it effectively transforms fast sugars and other carbohydrates into slower ones, significantly reducing the amount of glucose that enters the bloodstream, thus preventing high blood sugar spikes and crashes. Reducose® does this by competitively inhibiting the alpha-glucosidase enzymes located at the top part of our small intestines. These enzymes will typically cut off glucose molecules from our food and by keeping them ‘busy’ for about one hour, Reducose® tackles the root cause of high blood sugar and significantly lowers the post-meal blood sugar and insulin response by 40%.
What differentiates Reducose from other carb-blocking ingredients is that after about one hour, Reducose® is absorbed through the gut wall into our blood and is excreted unaltered (it is inert inside our bodies) via the kidneys in the urine. Unlike other ingredients, Reducose® does not travel to the colon and consequently does not upset the microbiome, which typically leads to the unwanted gastrointestinal effects seen with other carb blockers.
Better balanced blood sugar also delivers a bonus, called the “second-meal effect”. A lower blood sugar response to a first meal, will help our bodies to also have a lower blood sugar response to the next meal. At an optimal dose of 250mg, Reducose® can be easily taken as part of a daily routine with the first meal of the day, positively cascading into this “second meal effect”.
As Reducose® delivers a better controlled and balanced blood sugar and insulin response, this efficacy can be monitored quasi-live on CGMs.
CGMs now also play an important communication and marketing role and can be used to help educate consumers on the surprising blood sugar effects of seemingly healthy foods.
Example: www.staylolife.com uses 250mg Reducose® in their ‘StayLo’ brand and using CGMs compare what happens to the blood sugar response with a range of foods.
Beyond blood sugar regulation, Reducose® offers additional benefits to support overall well-being. The carbohydrates that escaped digestion trigger satiety signals, helping individuals feel full faster and for longer periods, it aids in appetite control, preventing excessive snacking and reducing cravings between meals. These undigested carbohydrates will ultimately be available to feed to good bacteria in the microbiome, acting as a prebiotic.
Quiet down the “food noise”
Reducose® quiets down the “food noise” and empowers individuals to take better control over their dietary choices and maintain a healthier lifestyle. The lower and slower blood sugar response after eating when using Reducose®, provides sustained energy and helps with mental sharpness and focus.
These immediate and cascade benefits make that Reducose® is being used and considered by brand owners globally for a variety of health benefits ranging from healthy blood sugar, low GI, weight management, women’s health (menopause & PCOS), healthy aging, cardiovascular health, sports nutrition, and cognition.
Reducose® works in a small dose, brings immediate and significant effects that can be felt and monitored by consumers. Reducose® empowers us to achieve our health and wellness goals while still enjoying the foods we love.
