PSMD NEWSLETTER
“Anti glucose spike” supplements = ridiculous
May 18, 2025
You guys have probably seen those anti "glucose spike" formulas floating around…
The kind of supplements pushed by Glucose Goddess or other "biohackers".
These contain ingredients like berberine and cinnamon with the goal of lowering glucose spikes after consuming carbohydrates...
All marketed with fear-based messaging about the "dangers" of your blood sugar temporarily rising after eating a meal.
Look, I'm sure they're well-intentioned here…
And I respect anyone trying to help people make better decisions for their health…
But I (STRONGLY) disagree with this notion and would gladly welcome a conversation on the matter.
I actually tried to invite Glucose Goddess onto the podcast to talk about this (…no answer yet 🙄).
Anyway, here’s my position on this whole sugar demonizing, glucose spike blocking trend and why it needs to go away. Pronto.
Glucose rising after eating carbohydrates is NORMAL human physiology.
It's what our bodies have been doing for hundreds of thousands of years.
And insulin spikes are HEALTHY for humans.
But here’s what these “anti sugar” individuals refuse to consider…
CONTEXT.
People in this camp like Glucose Goddess have outright said that ALL sugar = bad for humans.
That is ridiculous.
There is a massive, MASSIVE difference between consuming sugar from whole food carbohydrates vs. processed sugars from a Snickers Bar or donuts.
That’s why when you guys ask me about glucose spikes after eating fruit or honey…
I don't worry about them at alI.
And I don’t believe there is anything in the medical literature that shows eating fruit or honey causes diabetes in ANYONE or has any harmful effects in humans whatsoever.
In fact, the OPPOSITE has been shown…
Studies show over and over again that these naturally occurring carbohydrate sources – with their sugars – are BENEFICIAL for human health.
Fruit juices are shown to IMPROVE endothelial function, DECREASE LDL oxidation and ENHANCE antioxidant status (PMID 14684757, 24476220, 30678193, 10477529, 36839167, 34510203).
Honey shows strong potential as a natural aid in managing metabolic syndromes like obesity, diabetes and hypertension…
Lowering blood sugar, reducing weight gain, improving lipid profiles, enhancing insulin sensitivity, protecting pancreatic function, reducing oxidative stress and supporting vascular health:
There are even studies showing that honey IMPROVES markers in diabetic patients!
One such study found that natural honey consumption reduced cardiovascular risk factors in patients with T2D (PMID: 19817641):
This all points to a simple truth that cannot be left out of the conversation:
Naturally occurring sugars from fruit/honey work DIFFERENTLY in the human body than processed sugars.
So, do not fear sugar from fruit or honey OR the insulin spike that comes with it.
Insulin too is a vital hormone that:
But here's the most dangerous thing about “anti glucose spike” formulas…
Not only does it potentially encourage metabolically healthy people to miss out on the amazing benefits of natural carbohydrate sources…
These anti-spike formulas essentially gives people a "free pass" to continue eating processed foods while thinking they're SOLVING the problem.
Just pop a few pills and eat whatever you want… sounds pretty appealing right?
Check this out from Glucose Goddess’s “anti spike formula” website page:
Yes…
Her formula lets you eat “all your favorite carbs and sugars”
Candy, pizza, french fries, cookies… enjoy them all while IGNORING food quality.
Again, perhaps the intention is good...
And yes, the ingredients CAN work to lower postprandial glucose spikes...
But it creates a SLIPPERY slope by ignoring what actually causes metabolic dysfunction/glucose intolerance in the first place!
(Easier and more profitable to sell a supplement than tell people to fundamentally change their lifestyle though, right?)
Now, are there unique cases where even fruit sugar or honey might need to be moderated?
Sure.
Like I said, it’s all about context.
If you are severely obese, diabetic/pre-diabetic, or have a family history of diabetes... you might want to scale back carbohydrates based on activity levels.
And eating fruit may cause your blood sugar to spike more than it would mine, as I'm metabolically healthy.
But that's just a symptom of the fact that your metabolic machinery is broken.
(In fact, when I look at the research Glucose Goddess uses it is entirely in people who have diabetes and underlying metabolic dysfunction… so extrapolating this for the general population is very unwise).
Even then, anything less than 100g a day in my opinion is not ideal for most humans.
So listen, do not fear these foods.
Consume them in the context of YOUR life.
If you're not as active or you're still trying to repair your metabolic health…
You don't need to eat as many carbohydrates as I do.
But please, don't fall for the narrative that ALL sugars are inherently harmful and need to be "blocked" with supplements.
Address the root causes of metabolic dysfunction instead:
That's how you truly fix the problem.
Not by taking a few pills that mask symptoms while allowing you to continue making poor food choices!
Welcome to the Remembering 🏹
Paul
