High Glucose after Meals is a Risk Factor

The CR Way recommends keeping glucose low for optimal health. High fasting glucose levels (above 100 mg/per deciliter) is recognized as a risk factor for diabetes. In fact, clinical laboratories include fasting glucose as a routine measurement in their metabolic panels.

However, fasting glucose is only part of the story. High postprandial (after eating) glucose is also a risk factor. In an excellent International Diabetes Federation ( IDF) report, Guidelines for Management of Postmeal Glucose, high postprandial glucose levels are identified as a risk factor for damage to the retina, increased carotid intima-media thickness (atherosclerosis), oxidative stress, increased inflammation, endothelial dysfunction, decreased myocardial (heart muscle) blood flow, increased cancer risk, and impaired cognitive function in elderly type 2 diabetics.

Recommendations include –

• Keeping postprandial glucose below 140 mg/dl

• Self monitoring for risk assessment.

As readers of The CR Way know, glucose levels are intimately tied to the rate of aging (See “Limit Calories or Limit Glucose?” pg. 11, The CR Way). The sirtuin family of genes, which is thought by many to play a fundamental role in calorie restriction’s beneficial effects, becomes active when glucose levels fall and NAD (an enzyme that’s essential for the release of energy) increases. Another enzymatic complex – mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), which facilitates cell growth and is the object of much aging and cancer research – is also deactivated when glucose levels fall.

Some in the longevity movement take metformin to keep glucose low. And, if you have diabetes, metformin should certainly be considered. However, the CR Way to Great Glucose Control starts by showing subscribers how to control glucose naturally through food selections, timing, and other methods. All foods, recipes, and meal suggestions are delicious, nutrient-dense, and designed to help keep glucose levels low. Food and recipe suggestions are integrated into lifestyle plans that have suggested glucose control targets from the time users wake up until it’s time to go to sleep.

For more on glucose control, watch the free video series,  Better Glucose for a Better Life.