Blood sugar imbalances have become the new normal in America. An estimated 1 in 3 Americans are prediabetic, and around 80% of them don’t know they are [1]. 2 out of 3 Americans are overweight or obese.
Among many factors contributing to this problem, the Standard American Diet is far from blood sugar-friendly. It may seem normal to have cereal for breakfast, hamburgers with fries for lunch, and a few slices of pizza for dinner, but it’s not good for us
The good news is that you don’t necessarily have to give up your favorite foods or miss out on festivities. In fact, many nutritionists find that their clients will more readily add something than remove when changing health habits [2]. You will find it much easier to add quick bursts of exercises or munches of algae tablets throughout your day, especially during the holidays [3]. You’d be surprised how little you have to do to make a difference.
This article will explain why Energy Bits is your best blood sugar support food. First, let’s cover the root causes of why poor blood sugar control has become the new normal.
Excess caloric intake
There are long-living and healthy populations around the world that consume a lot of carbs. So carbs aren’t necessarily evil—it’s high-carbs, high-fat, and high-calories that are the killing combo for insulin resistance and weight gain.
Perpetually excess caloric intake turns off anti-aging genes. At the same time, this turns on genes that promote cell growth and insulin resistance [4].
Here’s why most Americans are overeating:
- Highly processed foods are engineered to make people overeat, such as with high-fructose corn syrup and high salt
- Food portions have increased over time, leading to an obesity epidemic.
- Drinking calories in the form of soda or other beverages
- Decrease energy expenditure throughout the day as many of us need to drive to get around
- Nutrient deficiencies leading to increased appetite
Nutrient deficiencies
Since the 1960s, the Green Revolution shifted farming to maximizing yield with plant breeding, pesticide usage, and synthetic fertilizers with only a few minerals. As a result, our soils are now more depleted in numerous key nutrients, leading to an overall lower nutrients and higher toxicity throughout the food chain .
To make matters worse, the government subsidizes cash crops like corn and soy, making processed foods and meats fed with these crops the more affordable option. These processed foods are higher in calories and lower in nutrients. When families rely on these foods for the long-term, it can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
Being nutrient deficient contributes to weight gain, as many of these nutrients are essential to our general health. For example, vitamin D is linked with the development of type 1 diabetes as it plays a vital role in immune system development [6]. Serum vitamin D levels are also typically lower in populations with diabetes than in people without [7].
Zinc, magnesium, and vitamin D are crucial for blood sugar regulation. Additionally, vitamin K2 plays a role in glucose metabolism, cholesterol, and triglycerides, making it an essential vitamin when addressing blood sugar [8].
Interestingly, vitamin K2 can help diabetic rats by increasing the readouts from the osteocalcin gene. This leads to elevated adiponectin, an essential hormone for glucose control, and increases insulin sensitivity [9].
We still don’t know if vitamin K2 can reverse diabetes in humans, but it’s a beneficial vitamin to consume for healthy blood sugar and metabolism. A serving of Energy Bits provides 23 mcg of vitamin K1 and 3 mcg of vitamin K2.
Sedentary lifestyle
Unfortunately, with the typical work/life balance we see today, a sedentary lifestyle is quite common. Most people will sit at a desk throughout the day, drive everywhere, and get minimal steps in when they have the time.
A sedentary lifestyle can lead to poor blood sugar control, as physical activity can increase insulin sensitivity. It can also lead to weight gain and a decrease in glucose tolerance over time [10].
A sedentary lifestyle can directly affect metabolism, bone density, and vascular health, increasing metabolic disease risk [11]. With a decrease in muscle density, you will also see a reduction in lipoprotein lipase (LPL), an enzyme that breaks down fats in the body. Inversely, with increased physical activity, you can see an increase in LPL and a positive effect on blood sugar metabolism [12].
Poor mitochondrial health
The mitochondria are the powerhouses of our cells. They help convert carbohydrates and fats into cellular energy as ATP. In your pancreas, the mitochondria produce the energy necessary to produce insulin.
When our mitochondria do not function optimally, this can lead to poor glucose metabolism, poor insulin response, and poor insulin production [13].
Age-related muscle loss
Age-related muscle loss is a fairly normal phenomenon. Most people lose 3 – 5% of their muscle mass per decade after around 30, and faster after age 60 [14]. Your muscles are responsible for 90% of insulin-related blood sugar control. So, this muscle loss alone can contribute to age-related weight gain and decline in insulin response as early as in your 30s.
This speaks to the importance of providing your body with enough nutrients and resistance training exercises to maintain your muscles.
Feed lean and blood sugar-friendly bacteria
Clinical trials find that spirulina and chlorella can improve blood sugar and insulin response partly by feeding and increasing the healthy gut flora, especially with raw spirulina like Energy Bits [15],[16]. There is even a meta-analysis of 8 studies confirming the finding [17].
Another clinical trial also found that chlorella improved the gut flora in people with dysbiosis, and thus helped with their blood sugar [18].
A clinical trial in 62 obese people for 12 weeks suggests that spirulina, even 1 gram/day, can significantly reduce appetite by 4.16% [19].
Spirulina may also protect the gut flora against a suboptimal, like a SAD, diet. In rats fed with a high-fat diet (which is unhealthy for them and their gut bacteria), the spirulina group had less fat gain and leaky gut compared to the control group [20].
Provide whole food sources of vitamins, minerals, and omega-3
Chlorella and spirulina are packed with vitamins, minerals and omega-3s. As we addressed previously, having optimal levels of vitamins and minerals is essential for healthy blood sugar.
These vitamins and minerals are found in algae tablets:
- Magnesium is important for over 300 biochemical reactions, several of which are important for blood sugar control.
- Folate is a B vitamin that can improve glycemic control [21].
- Omega-3s: Chlorella contains omega-3s, which are essential for insulin response and mitochondrial function [22],[23]
- Vitamin K helps with blood sugar. Chlorella provides high levels of vitamin K2 per serving [24].
- Our algae tablets also contain a large amount of antioxidants, which are also crucial for blood sugar and cardiovascular health [25],[26].
Support mitochondrial function
Spirulina and chlorella are chlorophyll-rich foods. These microalgae are also very similar to mitochondria, so they have numerous nutrients for the mitochondria. In fact, there’s a cell study that suggests that chlorophyll pigments might help the mitochondria harvest light for energy [27].
As a source of antioxidants, chlorophyll, and omega-3, algae tablets can powerfully support mitochondrial function [28]. These antioxidants help manage the oxidants that may interfere with mitochondrial function and protect your mitochondria from oxidative damage. In a cell study, a spirulina polysaccharide helped restore mitochondrial function, making it a great supplement to support your mitochondria [29].
