How gut health impacts blood sugar

This post has been created in partnership with Pendulum. As always, all opinions are my own.

When it comes to controlling blood sugar levels, it only takes a quick google search to realize…it’s complex. There’s a lot to learn and unfortunately we often have to sift through the less credible information in order to find the science-backed and proven solutions. 

But if you have landed here and are seeking real strategies and natural ways to lower blood sugar, you are in the right place.

As a dietitian that specializes in diabetes nutrition, my clients often reach out initially asking how to control type 2 diabetes without medication. And while this isn’t always possible or necessary, it is true that lifestyle intervention is recommended as a first line of treatment. In fact, it has been reported that MNT, or Medical Nutrition Therapy (specialized nutrition education from a Registered Dietitian) can provide similar or greater reductions in Hemoglobin A1c than would be expected with medication treatment. Specially, scientific evidence supports that MNT can reduce A1c by up to 2.0% in 3-6 months. Now, that’s impressive!

What is gut health?

A topic that has garnered more attention and research in recent years is the study of the gut microbiome, and specifically how our gut health (or lack thereof) impacts our blood sugar levels. ‘Gut health’ is a term that describes how well the various components of our gastrointestinal (GI) tracts are balanced and working. 

Ideally, our food should be broken down properly and efficiently so that it can enter our bloodstream and deliver the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients that are needed to support our body. You can see that if the health of our gut is compromised, the dietary improvements we have made to improve our blood sugar levels may not be as impactful and therefore not lead to the results we need. This process is something that I have been discussing with my individual clients in recent years, as the data continues to support the necessity and benefits of improved gut function. 

Type 2 diabetes and gut health

Why does gut health matter more for those living with type 2 diabetes? Unfortunately, people with type 2 diabetes have many disruptions in their metabolic processes and a key problem is a reduced ability to metabolize fiber and manage blood glucose. 

New discoveries in microbiome research indicate that the lost/reduced ability can be restored by replenishing strains in the gut microbiome. This is good news! But how might they be able to do this? It’s actually much easier than it may sound, it comes in the form of probiotics. Let’s take a closer look at the benefits of probiotics for diabetes…

Probiotics for type 2 diabetes

Recently, it has been fascinating for me to learn about Pendulum Glucose Control, which is the first and only medical probiotic clinically shown to lower A1C and blood sugar spikes. This probiotic contains targeted strains of beneficial bacteria that help restore disrupted gut function in people with type 2 diabetes. Identified using DNA sequencing, these novel strains help to metabolize fiber and produce butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid which plays a key role in the body’s natural ability to signal insulin production and stabilize blood glucose. Truly, this is the natural solution I’ve been looking for to better help my clients.

Pendulum Glucose Control helps to:

• Manage Healthy Glucose Levels – restore metabolism and clinically shown to reduce A1C levels and blood glucose spikes.
• Produce Butyrate – produce butyrate, the naturally occurring metabolite (short chain fatty acid) that is lost in people living with type 2 diabetes. Butyrate is key for maintaining insulin and glucose balance.
• Unlock Fiber Potential – break down fiber and produce beneficial molecules that energize cells in the colon, functionalities that are not found in typical probiotics.
• Strengthen Gut Lining – prevent harmful bacteria from causing gut inflammation, by protecting the intestinal lining.

This is a safe and natural solution to lowering blood glucose. In fact, a recently published clinical study in the British Medical Journal demonstrated significant improvements to A1C and blood glucose spikes in people with type 2 diabetes when taking Pendulum Glucose Control. The product  has been clinically proven to lower A1C levels (by 0.6 percent) and blood sugar spikes (by 33 percent).*

Interested in trying it for yourself?** My clients have been looking forward to being able to order this product, and I’m happy to partner with Pendulum to offer 30% off your first bottle using the code ‘Lori3’. The company offers multiple purchase options, including a monthly subscription for $165 per month with a money back guarantee. Pendulum recognizes how crucial providing nutrition and diabetes education support are to the successful management of this condition and offers complementary nutrition consultations with a registered dietitian, as well as complimentary A1C tests to help consumers track their progress, with purchase. With these offerings, it is obvious to me that this company approaches diabetes management from both a science-based and holistic view, which is honestly a breath of fresh air.

Pendulum Glucose Control is a medical food and can be taken on top of first line drug therapy such as metformin. It is intended for use only under physician supervision as part of a total diabetes management plan, so be sure to check first with your diabetes healthcare team. 

Have any questions? Feel free to leave them below and I will be sure to answer them. I hope you find this valuable and consider adding it as another tool in your diabetes management toolbox. 🙂

*A nutrition study demonstrated a significant reduction in A1C and blood sugar spikes in people with type 2 diabetes. The study was randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled, and across multiple sites in the U.S.

**Consult your physician as part of your total diabetes management plan. Results may vary from person to person.