When you eat, blood sugar is created that circulates through your bloodstream. Simply put, carbohydrates turn into blood sugar, so the more of them you eat, the higher your blood sugar levels will be. Unfortunately, it often isn’t this simple and metabolic diseases and lifestyle can cause issues.
As the saying goes, you can have “too much of a good thing.” Though we need blood sugar for energy, if we have too much or too little, it can cause problems. The blood sugar that isn’t needed for energy becomes stored in cells to be used later.
Those with diabetes are accustomed to monitoring their glucose levels. This is because, with diabetes, blood sugar levels are not maintained the way they should be. Glucose levels are your blood sugar levels, and they should remain relatively consistent. With Type 2 diabetes, glucose levels are high, which causes a range of health issues like heart disease and stroke. Type 1 diabetes is less common than Type 2 and occurs when the pancreas doesn’t make insulin or only makes little. Both types of diabetes can be managed with intervention as well as frequent monitoring.
One of the easiest and most effective ways to monitor blood sugar is with a Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) system. This little device is attached to the black on a person’s arm and is worn for several days. It can be worn in the shower, exercising, and throughout daily activities.
The sensor is relatively discreet and is attached to the back of the upper arm for two weeks. It is the size of two quarters and easy to apply. The sensor is inserted just under the skin (subcutaneous tissue) and works by measuring interstitial fluids on the skin rather than using blood. It takes these fluids and then changes it into an electrical signal. This signal represents the amount of glucose in the blood.
The measurements are taken every few minutes and are conveniently sent to an app on your phone for easy monitoring. For those with diabetes, the device can also be paired with an insulin pump known as an integrated CGM. The measurements are incredibly accurate, with an impressive 90% accuracy rate. However, accuracy is influenced by the application, so it is essential to follow instructions carefully.
The CGM sensor technology has already been incredibly successful with a significant market forecast. According to data from Bridge Market Research, it is expected to grow substantially between 2021 and 2028, with a compound annual growth rate of 19.35%.
This growth is not due to an increase in diabetes but partially because of the rise in use by non-diabetics. Non-diabetic’s blood sugar levels can also fluctuate. Certain activities, foods, and drinks can cause glucose levels to dip or spike, and more people want to monitor these fluctuations. CGM’s are being used by biohackers who wish to learn more about their body’s response to food and exercise. Biohacking is described as do-it-yourself biology that involves making minor changes to one’s diet and lifestyle to improve health and wellness.
There are recommended blood sugar levels for non-diabetics. With a healthy lifestyle and diet, glucose levels should stay between 70 and 130 mg/dl before eating and increase to 180 mg/dl after a meal. Your fasted (morning) glucose, glucose variability, and how your body responds tells you a lot about your metabolic health.
This is important information as it can help you prevent blood sugar spikes. When your blood sugar spikes, your body reacts by creating more insulin. When this happens continuously, your cells become desensitized to insulin and aren’t as efficient at clearing blood sugar. Over time, this can lead to metabolic dysfunction and Type-2 diabetes.
The more informed you are, the more accountable you can be. You can take action and make adjustments to reduce these spikes. For example, by eating more protein, fat, and fiber with carbs or taking a short walk after a meal. There are easy ways to modulate blood sugar levels, but you won’t know if they are working or when you should act if you aren’t monitoring them.
By using a CGM sensor, you will understand if blood sugar levels cause your energy slumps, how alcohol affects you, how glucose fluctuates during the night, and the impact of different food and exercise routines.
Though you can gain valuable insights when only worn once for 14-days, the longer you monitor, the more information you will have. For example, you can continue to adjust and know if they are working or not. This will provide you with what is known as “metabolic intuition.”
Some non-diabetic users use CGMs to understand the experience of a diabetic user better. For example, a parent may try it to under what their diabetic child experiences. Healthcare providers may also do the same. For instance, according to a Healthline article, a registered nurse and CDE named Lily Nichols tried a CGM. She does not have diabetes but wanted to better understand what was being prescribed to the patients she worked with.
These sensors have also been used in studies in healthy, non-diabetic individuals to acquire benchmarks for future research. For example, in 2019, the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism had 153 non-diabetic patients where a CGM sensor to find the mean average glucose levels for various age groups.
If you are interested in learning more about your blood sugar levels and how your diet and lifestyle affect them, you can purchase your own CGM sensor. There are several companies that sell them, with some also including doctor consultation. For example, AgelessRx.com, a telehealth subscription service, will provide you with a personalized doctor consultation and you can buy CGM sensors that will be shipped directly to your door.
You can’t manage what you can’t measure, so if you want to better manage and improve your health and blood sugar levels, you need to monitor it. A CGM sensor is an easy, painless, and affordable way to do so.
