A new study finds healthy adults using CGMs are getting info that could lead to harmful dietary choices.
More healthy adults are using continuous glucose monitors to track how different foods affect their blood sugar levels.
But a new study warns the information they’re getting may be inaccurate and could lead to harmful dietary changes.
Continuous glucose monitors, or CGMs, are wearable devices often prescribed to help people with diabetes track their blood sugar in real time. But over the past year, the FDA has approved several for over-the-counter use.
For their study, researchers tracked blood sugar levels in 15 healthy volunteers after they consumed fruit-based products, ranging from whole fruit to smoothies.
They compared two methods – a continuous glucose monitor and the standard finger-prick test.
The results… the monitor overestimated the glycemic index hit from the smoothie by 30% and misclassified whole fruits as medium or high GI foods, while the finger-prick test showed they were low GI.
The researchers say this could lead users to avoid whole fruit, fearing harmful blood spikes.
The monitors also overestimated the time spent above healthy blood sugar levels by nearly 400%.
The senior researcher says CGMs are fantastic tools for people with diabetes even if the reading isn’t 100% accurate, but “For healthy individuals, relying on CGMs could lead to unnecessary food restrictions or poor dietary choices.”
He says if you want to check your blood sugar levels, the finger-prick method is still the best choice.
Source: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Author Affiliations: University of Bath, NIH
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