Glucose Spikes and Ageing 

1. Telomere Shortening: Telomeres protect chromosomes and are located at the ends of chromosomes. They are likened to aglets on the ends of shoelaces to prevent them from fraying.It is a known fact that diabetics experience accelerated ageing⁶¹. Millions of people in the population have insulin and metabolic effects that put them at great risk for large glucose spikes after eating thus damaging their DNA, shortening telomeres and shorter telomeres are associated with shortened lifespans. 
    
2. Glycation of skin collagen and elastin: All proteins have the potential to become "glycated", and this is where glucose attaches to protein and damages them. A test called HbA1c is used to see how much glycation is occuring in a diabetic, and from this HbA1c level, we can work out diabetic blood glucose control. 
   
   It is a cumulative effect of glucose spikes damaging skin proteins that has a significant role in our appearance and making the skin more prone to sun and environmental damage. 

Cardiovascular Death in Non-Diabetics: 

Glucose spikes are associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular death⁶² that includes acute heart attacks or strokes. 

Glucose spikes are toxic to the lining of the blood vessels called the endothelium as it increases the stickiness of the lining and can cause glycation (glucose damage) of lipid fractions like LDL to form Glycated-LDL^63,64 a sticky molecule that penetrates the vessel wall to cause plaques.

Glycated-LDL is not cleared rapidly, allowing damage to occur long after the meal. To make matters worse, Glycated-HDL is cleared faster, increasing the risk of greater plaque formation⁶⁴. Meal-after-meal, glucose spike-after-spike this process is happening. Thus plaque buildup and rupture will occur as glucose also causes a marked elevation in inflammation after eating as shown by raised C-Reactive Protein (CRP) and other inflammatory cytokines. 

Glucose oxidation products also interfere with the formation of vital Nitric Oxide (NO)⁶³ in the blood vessel lining, and it is Nitric Oxide that causes widening (dilation) of the arteries to allow more blood to flow through a wider blood vessel. Low levels of Nitric Oxide are associated with poor cardiovascular outcomes⁶⁵. 

Brain Damage & Cognitive Decline: 

The PATH Study, published in the journal Neurology, showed that significant brain shrinkage can occur when blood glucose is just in the high normal range (< 6.1 mmol/L). 

The main areas of the brain affected were the Amygdala and Hippocampus both areas critical for memory and cognitive ability. 

With an 'epidemic' of Alzheimer's and dementia, this is frightening news. Many people have high-normal levels that even though lab reports state "Normal" glucose levels, nothing could be further from the truth. In that laboratory reference range from low to high, the risk increases greatly along this continuum. If we add high blood glucose spikes to an already suboptimal fasting glucose level, this spells disaster for the brain. 

Remember these glucose 'insults' or spikes occur many times in a day and often blood glucose levels after just one meal may not return to normal for 6 hours or more⁶⁷ for various reasons like insulin resistance and so it is possible that the blood glucose level is still high when the next meal is consumed resulting in a 24/7 elevated blood glucose level. Disaster indeed!

Glucose Spikes and Cancer: 

Rapidly dividing cells need a lot of energy. Glucose/Insulin/IgF-1 are a deadly triad that drives cell multiplication leading to trillions of DNA errors that ultimately leads to cancer. 

A huge body of scientific research attests to this link between the triad discussed above and many cancers. 

There are some striking statistics concerning carbohydrate intake and breast cancer risk^49,50. Carbohydrates are broken down into glucose and glucose leads to stimulation of insulin production which in turn leads to increased IgF-1 levels for protein synthesis and cell multiplication. A feast signal. Let's look at some frightening associations between these factors and breast cancer: 

1. A two-fold risk of recurrence if the carbohydrate intake stayed the same or increased after treatment⁴⁹ (In other words, you need to lower your carb intake after treatment
2. 70% more likely for breast cancer recurrence if the tumours tested positive for the IgF-1 receptor (Carbs greatly increase blood insulin and IgF-1 levels)
3. A 5-fold (5x) risk of recurrence if the breast cancer was IgF-1 receptor-positive and carbohydrate intake increased⁴⁹

This effect of blood glucose levels after eating, is not just about breast cancer but many cancers and highlights the worrying association between Glucose (Carbs) - Insulin and IgF-1 a powerful growth factor associated with Insulin and dangerous cell multiplication leading to abnormal cells and cancer. 

After-meal glucose elevations around 11 mmol/l resulted in a staggering 52% increase in cancer death⁶⁸.