#284 - Glucose metabolism explained: HbA1c, insulin resistance, and strategies for better energy | Dr. Ben Bikman & Mike Haney

Fructose and its byproduct uric acid may play a role in the development of Alzheimer’s, thanks to an evolutionary adaptation hijacked by the modern diet. Fructose can be directly consumed, or the body can convert high-glycemic carbohydrates and other foods to fructose. Fructose suppresses some cognitive functions. Dr. Richard Johnson and Dr. Rob Lustig discuss a new study, of which Johnson was an author, on how fructose may be a potential driver in Alzheimer’s, and they hypothesize about fructose’s potential connection to the development of other conditions. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl 🎙 What Richard Johnson, MD, & Rob Lustig, MD, discuss: (09:50) — Fructose is the driver of some diseases that are on the rise in kids (11:53) — Fructose is a driver of obesity and metabolic syndrome (15:36) — Pharmaceutical treatments for Alzheimer’s disease aren’t as effective as researchers had hoped (17:32)— The research focus of Alzheimer’s is slowly shifting to understanding insulin resistance in the brain (20:41) — Is fructose a root cause of Alzheimer’s? (26:26) — New research suggests fructose induces a foraging response (28:20) — Fructose inhibits areas of the brain to encourage successful foraging (46:48) — We need more research on fructose (1:03:10) —Is fructose a factor in violence? Transcripts & Show notes Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 👋 WHO WE ARE: Levels helps you see how food affects your health. With real-time, personalized data gathered through biosensors like continuous glucose monitors (CGM), you learn which diet and lifestyle choices improve your metabolic health so you can live a longer, fuller, healthier life. 🔗 LINKS: Could Alzheimer’s disease be a maladaptation of an evolutionary survival pathway mediated by intracerebral fructose and uric acid metabolism?: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0002916523000047?dgcid=author Subscribe here on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 📲 CONNECT: Connect with Richard Johnson, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drrichardjjohnson/ Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertlustigmd/

25 Touko 20231h 7min

The elevation of uric acid in the body is a causative mechanism in the development of metabolic diseases and contributes to weight gain and fat production. Uric acid is one of the key links between obesity, diabetes, heart disease, neurologic diseases like dementia, ADHD, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and more. Dr. David Perlmutter talks with Dr. Casey Means about why we have excess uric acid, what foods cause uric acid production, and what simple steps we can take to lower our uric acid levels to be optimal. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠https://levels.link/wnl⁠They also cover: How uric acid causes cellular dysfunction and insulin resistance, including oxidative stress, and inflammation, and even prevents insulin from getting out of the bloodstream effectively. Why uric acid would have benefitted us evolutionarily in terms of low access to food and water by letting us more easily pack on weight and raise blood pressure—but how that fights against us today because we now live in an evolutionary-environmental mismatch where this survival mechanism hurts us in the face of caloric abundance. The different dietary and environmental factors that generate uric acid, including fructose, purine-rich foods and umami foods, dehydration, alcohol, and more. How uric acid impairs our hunger signals, drives us to eat, and even promotes risk-taking behavior. How to reverse high uric acid levels as a way to unlock optimal health.🎙 What Dr. David Perlmutter & Dr. Casey Means discuss:(00:00) - Intro(03:12) - More than just gout(05:06) - A causative role(07:44) - The number one cause of death(15:24) - Evolutionary environmental mismatch(16:58) - High fructose corn syrup(22:27) - The dangers of uric acid(23:38) - Uric acid and dementia(30:33) - Too much fructose(41:32) - Erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular risk(01:03:17) - No need to eat sugarTranscripts & Show notes🔗 Helpful links:Watch the conversation: https://youtube.com/watch?v=QZ6jPCcFNa8Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1📲 Connect:Connect with Dr. Casey Means on Instagram: https://instagram.com/DrCaseysKitchenConnect with Casey on Twitter: https://instagram.com/DrCaseysKitchenConnect with David Perlmutter, MD on Instagram: https://instagram.com/davidperlmutterConnect with David on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DavidPerlmutterConnect with David on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/david-perlmutter-md-6a38b930

18 Touko 20231h 18min

Receiving a diagnosis of a chronic condition, such as Type 1 diabetes, can be life-changing. A diagnosis is helpful for understanding the cause of symptoms and how to treat, but managing a chronic condition can take a toll on mental health. Tools like a continuous glucose monitor can help empower people and ease the burden of constant care. Jesse Lavine and Ben Grynol discuss the challenges of managing Type 1 diabetes, how Lavine’s diagnosis with Type 1 impacted him, how CGM helped Lavine not only manage the condition but also thrive with it, and how the medical system needs to change to help patients dial in optimal instead of just adequate health. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl ⁠ Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🎙 What Jesse Lavine & Ben Grynol discuss: (03:39) — A diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes (06:28) — Getting diagnosed with a chronic condition can life-changing (14:18) — Wearing a CGM helped Lavine reduce his insulin intake (26:04) — Having real-time insight into how foods affect your condition and your body (29:47) — Type 1 diabetes does not have to hold you back (35:18) — The current medical system isn’t necessarily set up to empower patients (37:08) — A CGM offers constant feedback that can be used to manage Type 1 diabetes (38:13) — The benefits of having stable blood sugar (41:25)— Managing a chronic condition can lead to medical system burnout (44:59) — Considering the mental health aspects of managing a condition Transcripts & Show notes 🔗 Helpful links: Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1

11 Touko 202354min

A metabolic blood test and cholesterol panel can be confusing, so in this ultimate guide, our Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder Dr. Casey Means talks with Levels advisor and author of Metabolical to give you advice on how to interpret your panels to better understand the status of your metabolic health. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry.Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: ⁠https://levels.link/wnlThis episode does not constitute medical advice.Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health.🎙 What Dr. Rob Lustig and Levels’ Dr. Casey Means discuss:(00:00) - Intro(02:17) - Understanding cholesterol(02:44) - The correlation between LDL and heart disease(05:12) - The connection between LDL and triglycerides(07:14) - Good cholesterol(16:48) - Measuring LDL(30:04) - Portal systems in the body(44:51) - The importance of liver function tests(54:05) - How to reduce liver fatTranscripts & Show notes🔗 Helpful links:Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/C3rsNCFNAw8The ultimate guide to understanding your cholesterol panel and metabolic blood tests: https://levelshealth.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-understanding-your-cholesterol-panel-and-metabolic-blood-testsFind us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1Connect with Casey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DrCaseysKitchenConnect with Casey on Instagram: https://instagram.com/drcaseyskitchen Connect with Rob on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertLustigMDConnect with Rob on Instagram: https://instagram.com/robertlustigmd

4 Touko 202357min

How does pregnancy affect your metabolic health at each trimester, from conception to postpartum lactation? Levels Research Design Lead Dr. Azure Grant talks with Ben Grynol about the different phases of pregnancy and how it affects hormones and things you can do to reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. Look for multiple new shows per week on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations about metabolic health and how the Levels startup team builds a wellness movement from the ground up in the health and wellness tech industry. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🎙 What Azure Grant, PhD, & Ben Grynol discuss: (04:46) — Worsening or poor metabolic health can impact fertility (06:15) — Age increases one’s risk of pregnancy complications, including those related to metabolic health (13:53) — Every system in the body must adapt in response to pregnancy (18:12) — Insulin resistance naturally occurs during pregnancy (23:53) — The trajectory of glucose levels during pregnancy follows a U-shape (28:33) — Can focusing on metabolic health during pregnancy reduce fatigue? (39:44) — Gestational diabetes can lead to complications for both the birthing parent and their child (41:31) — The importance of monitoring for and treating gestational diabetes (43:56) — Parental health is paramount to child health (51:28) — Continuous glucose monitoring during pregnancy could be helpful (57:03) — Metabolic health is an important factor in family planning and beyond Transcripts & Show notes 🔗 Helpful links: Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1

27 Huhti 20231h 1min

Insulin resistance is when cells stop responding to insulin’s signal to uptake glucose. It’s a hallmark of prediabetes, Type 2 diabetes, and other forms of metabolic dysfunction, and it manifests as several chronic disease, ranging from Alzheimer’s to polycystic ovarian syndrome. Dr. Rob Lustig and Dr. Dominic D’Agostino discuss the importance of monitoring insulin levels, why a high or increasing insulin level is a problem, and how insulin resistance hinders weight management. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🎙 What Rob Lustig, MD, & Dr. Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, discuss: (03:57) — What is insulin? (06:55) — What is insulin resistance? (18:00) — There are three types of insulin resistance (38:00) — Weight management is not about calories in and calories out (45:53) — Adding more insulin to the equation of Type 2 diabetes isn’t necessarily the answer (51:20) — Insulin is a crucial biomarker to measure for metabolic health (53:58) — Insulin resistance is a hinderance to weight management (57:07) — The intake of too much leucine can lead to insulin resistance (1:02:04) — Fiber feeds the gut microbiome and is crucial for metabolic health (1:13:11) — Is intermittent fasting necessary? Transcripts & Show notes 🔗 Helpful links: Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/dFOaBrujDHo Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 📲 Connect: Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/robertlustigmd/ Connect with Robert Lustig, MD, on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RobertLustigMD Connect with Dominic D’Agostino, PhD, on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dominic.dagostino.kt/ Connect with Dominic D’Agostino, PhD on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DominicDAgosti2

20 Huhti 20231h 21min

High-carbohydrate diets and carbohydrate loading have been long-standing tenets of athletic training and competition, but newer research indicates a low-carbohydrate diet may be more beneficial for performance and overall health. Professor Tim Noakes and Josh Clemente discuss how a fat-adapted body can rely on fat as a fuel source at all exercise intensity levels, rather than burning mostly carbohydrates, and how such adaptation and dietary focus may reduce one’s risk of prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🎙 What Tim Noakes, MD, PhD, & Josh Clemente discuss: (04:28) — Dr. Tim Noakes explains his career trajectory (19:04) — An adapted body can rely on fat for all exercise intensities (22:30) — The body will never get to a state of no glucose circulation (23:28) — A delicate balance of macronutrients is likely necessary (29:11) — Before the high-carbohydrate craze, elite athletes were fat adapted (33:46) — Fat oxidation in muscle may have a protective effect against Type 2 diabetes (36:39) — Exercise does not cancel out the risk for metabolic disease if diet isn’t accounted for (47:25) — The body can cope with fasting (54:32) — The high-carb training trend has been perpetuated by the carbohydrate industry Transcripts & Show notes 🔗 Helpful links: Learn about metabolic health: https://levelshealth.com/blog Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 📲 Connect: Connect with Dr. Tim Noakes on Twitter: https://twitter.com/proftimnoakes

13 Huhti 20231h 4min

Society champions multitasking, but we can’t truly multitask. Multitasking in fact impedes our focus and productivity. And 12 main factors tend to steal our attention. Johann Hari and Ben Grynol discuss why flow states are important for goal achievement, the things that distract us, and how we can reclaim our focus. Sign Up to Get Your Free Ultimate Guide to Glucose: https://levels.link/wnl Levels helps you see how food affects your health, empowering you with the tools needed to achieve health goals and improve healthspan. Levels Members gain access to the Levels app and continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), providing real-time feedback on how diet and lifestyle choices impact your metabolic health. Look for new shows every month on A Whole New Level, where we have in-depth conversations with thought leaders about metabolic health. 🎙 What Ben Grynol & Johann Hari discuss: (04:18) — Twelve factors can steal our focus (06:02) — Multitasking is a myth (10:49) —We need to be able to focus to achieve our goals (14:07) — Prioritizing deep focus is both a personal and social responsibility (16:50) — Interruptions steal your time and impede focus (27:21) — Three factors help you get into a flow state (30:12) — Mind wandering ultimately benefits your focus (37:00) — The four-day workweek is linked to better productivity (40:08) — Free play is crucial for kids’ brains (43:43) —Childhood looks different now Transcript & show notes 🔗 Helpful links: Watch the conversation: https://youtu.be/4CD3lmg0XmA Find us on YouTube: https://youtube.com/levelshealth?sub_confirmation=1 📲 Connect: Connect with Johann Hari on Twitter: https://twitter.com/johannhari101 Connect with Johann Hari on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johann.hari/

6 Huhti 202346min