PreDia VS Metformin
Posted by PreDia on Jul 26th 2022
Prediabetes. A word that is often overlooked but it is a condition that can lead to something serious. Prediabetes is when there are high sugar (glucose) molecules in the bloodstream but not high enough to be considered diabetes. Diabetes is a disease that occurs when there is way too much blood glucose in the system and can often lead to further complications of the heart, kidneys, eyes and even problems with extremities of the feet and hands. Therefore, Prediabetes should be urgently taken care of once diagnosed.
How do you treat Prediabetes?
Prediabetes is preferably treated through lifestyle changes. Just by changing the way you eat and adding exercise to your daily routine, you can turn your Prediabetes diagnosis around. Avoiding foods that contain high amounts of refined sugar and carbs and adding in more fiber and protein rich foods, will ultimately reverse Prediabetes and bring you to a healthier lifestyle.
Exercise is also just as important because a big component of Prediabetes is something called insulin sensitivity. This is when the cells are unable to take in the glucose molecules for energy and storage, thus resulting in an increase of glucose in the bloodstream. Exercise can fix this issue by allowing more cells to intake these molecules resulting in lower levels found in the blood. Therefore, engaging in physical activity for at least 150 minutes a week can also help reverse Prediabetes.
Metformin is the standard medication used for both Prediabetes and diabetes (more so for Type 2 diabetes). Whenever a person is diagnosed with either condition, metformin will typically be prescribed first before any other anti-diabetic medication is used. Even though it can be beneficial for those that need it, metformin also has side effects and long-term effects that can be damaging to patients that take this medicine. The side effects most experienced by patients are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and low blood sugar or also called hypoglycemia that can be detrimental if not treated promptly. The long-term effects of taking metformin are vitamin B12 deficiency, lactic acidosis, and both kidney and liver diseases can arise as well. The mechanism behind metformin is that it works on the liver to lower production of glucose molecules, and it also works in the cells to increase glucose intake by allowing them to become more sensitive to insulin and therefore also increasing insulin sensitivity as well.
What is PreDia and how can it help with Prediabetes?
Unlike metformin, PreDia is a supplement that can help reduce glucose levels in the bloodstream without affecting insulin levels, which means there is less risk of developing hypoglycemia. PreDia uses a formulation of a patent ingredient called Abscisic Acid (ABA) which is contained as a grapeseed extract, that lowers blood glucose levels independent of insulin. This is a tremendous win for the pancreas which produces insulin because this allows for it to not be overworked and thus reducing insulin resistance. The other difference when it comes to PreDia is that no side effects are seen with this supplement unlike metformin.
Metformin has been used for decades as the primary treatment for both Prediabetes and diabetes, but it is also associated with a variety of side effects that can be detrimental long term in patients taking it for an extensive period. Although there are no head-to-head studies done of taking metformin versus PreDia in patients with Prediabetes, PreDia has been clinically proven to help reduce blood glucose levels without the side effects typically seen with anti-diabetic medications such as metformin. PreDia along with lifestyle changes, such as diet and exercise, can help patients that are diagnosed with Prediabetes reduce their glucose levels but also live a healthier life.