Revisited: does the evidence on glucose tracking add up?
Jan 2, 2025
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Julian Baggini, a philosopher and author focused on food and philosophy, teams up with Nicola Guess, an academic dietitian from the University of Oxford. They dive into the recent obsession with glucose tracking for personalized nutrition. Discussions revolve around the complexities of blood glucose and its connection to health, challenging the superficiality of nutritionism. They also critique the use of continuous glucose monitors, highlighting their limitations for healthy individuals and advocating for a holistic approach to nutrition that goes beyond just glucose data.
The surge in popularity of blood glucose tracking raises questions about the validity and applicability of personalized nutrition advice for non-diabetics.
Experts emphasize that while glucose monitoring technology has potential, foundational health principles like balanced diets and exercise are more crucial for overall well-being.
Deep dives
The Rise of Glucose Monitoring
There is a growing fascination with blood glucose tracking, largely fueled by influencers and wellness companies promoting personalized nutrition based on glucose levels. Devices like continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) claim to provide insights into individual responses to food, potentially helping people manage their weight and health more effectively. Specific dietary recommendations, such as the order in which foods are consumed, could lead to significant reductions in glucose spikes. However, experts caution that while there is promise in personalized nutrition, the science is still emerging, and the accuracy and usefulness of such data in healthy individuals remain questionable.
Challenges of Personalized Nutrition
Personalized nutrition based on blood glucose data faces scrutiny, particularly regarding the validity of its advice for those without diabetes. Researchers highlight that glucose monitoring may not provide meaningful insights into healthy eating since glucose fluctuations after meals can be normal and vary greatly between individuals. Moreover, health indicators such as cholesterol and blood pressure are more critical in assessing overall health than glucose levels and should be prioritized. The current landscape suggests that while personalized nutrition has potential, it may be ahead of the evidence required to substantiate its claims fully.
The Complex Nature of Nutrition
Understanding the complexities of nutrition and the human body indicates that simply tracking glucose may oversimplify the broader aspects of health. Factors such as genetics, lifestyle, and overall dietary patterns play vital roles in how individuals process food and maintain health. Encouraging a holistic view of nutrition, experts emphasize the importance of foundational principles like regular exercise and a balanced diet predominantly consisting of whole foods. Ultimately, while technology and monitoring can aid awareness, adhering to basic, well-established health practices may be far more beneficial than obsessing over precise metabolic metrics.
You might have noticed that everyone has recently become a bit obsessed with blood sugar, or glucose. Wellness firms such as Zoe in the UK – as well as Nutrisense, Levels and Signos – claim to offer insights into how our bodies process food based on monitoring our blood glucose, among other things. But many researchers have begun to question the science behind this. In this episode from July, Ian Sample talks to the philosopher Julian Baggini, the University of Oxford academic dietician Dr Nicola Guess, and Zoe’s chief scientist the King’s College London nutrition expert Prof Sarah Berry to find out what we know about blood glucose levels and our health, and whether the science is nailed down on personalised nutrition. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod
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