Jessie Inchauspé AKA The Glucose Goddess and her new "anti spike" pills.

[Tenmus]

Is anyone else following this? I was pretty impressed with her findings and advice so far. I know her Insta approach to science has been a bit marmite for some people, but I liked that it was innovative and reaching a different audience.
But this week's announcement of her new pills seems like a huge misstep and there's been a massive unkind backlash.

(Funny how any negative reaction to Tim Spector's new plastic-wrapped kefir at M&S isn't getting quite the same personal criticism ).

What little I know of her work it surprises me that she’s bringing out supplements. Not something I’d try I don’t think.

I follow a lot of her hacks and enjoyed her books and Instagram posts. I wouldn’t take the pill she is advertising though as it seems like a gimmick and I prefer to focus on diet/exercise. Am surprised that she’s bought out this pill and am not surprised by the backlash!

Quite. I can't imagine why she thought this was a good idea.

Never heard of her: is she a scientist?

I understand she needs to make money but this doesn’t seem the right way. It would be a shame for people to take this pill and eat a load of sugar thinking it balances it out.

When I first saw her Instagram post with the pill, I genuinely thought it was a joke!!

I’ve always found her incredibly tedious but some of her advice was quite helpful with gestational diabetes - the order of eating food, “clothes on carbs” and having a savoury breakfast.

The supplement feels like a massive sellout and no clinical trials have been run at all to check that this specific combo of ingredients are effective. You’ve got nothing but her marketing spiel as proof it works.

Not in anything relevant. She has a masters in biochemistry then worked as a product manager at a start-up for a bit.

Always the way. “How can I make more money out of this?” As if the market isn’t already flooded with snake oil.

Never heard of her: is she a scientist?

Yes, she's a biochemist. She also has an interesting personal backstory regarding health and healing. I am not her target audience, but I do like this slant on her work. I just think the pills are a massive mistake.
And I'll say it again, just like Tim Spector and his kefir. Why did either of them think they could do something that could be so interpreted as the opposite of what they're proponents of?

I just had a look at the ingredients. Seems ok? I knew cinnamon has some evidence to stabilise blood sugar, wasn't aware of the others.

She seems clear that you have to follow her other rules and this is just an add-on.

Recommend ‘Maintenance Phase’ podcast for general debunking of ‘wellness’ ‘influencers’. Bet there were the usual signs of snake oil peddlers before these weird products.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Ainscough @Loopytiles abd others, do you remember this poor woman? Unfortunately, she took it too far.

I didn’t know about Spector’s kefir. Is he endorsing it or benefitting in other ways? Disappointing if so.

Yeah I gasped when I saw her announcement post 😄 but sellouts have been around forever haven’t they.

Apparently Tim Spector is questionable too.

I did the Zoe study very early on and it was fine but can’t believe the trend to do is still so strong 2 years later!!! Raking it in!

Nutriballoney

In the US we have this weight loss program advertised called GOLO and a glucose control nutritional called Release. I tried to find if this is the same as the Glucose Goddess.

Ah I’m so disappointed, OP. Really thought Jessie was above this kind of thing. Surely she must have made millions already!

Glucose spikes are absolutely normal and not a problem if you’re not diabetic. What’s the obsession with this? Now we have more pills being flogged to vulnerable people who are worried about their health. Very sad.

Copen · 04/02/2024 14:21

I just had a look at the ingredients. Seems ok? I knew cinnamon has some evidence to stabilise blood sugar, wasn't aware of the others.

Cinnamon shouldn't be eaten too regularly, as it contains a compound, which is toxic to the liver.

https://www.consumerlab.com/answers/cinnamon-coumarin-liver-danger/cinnamon-liver-danger/

While a very small amount of cinnamon from time-to- time is safe, a teaspoon a day of cassia cinnamon (the most common form) can be dangerous to the liver. This is because cassia cinnamon naturally contains a significant amount of coumarin, a liver toxin and potential carcinogen.

https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/is-cinnamon-toxic-to-the-liver

Cassia cinnamon contains coumarin, which can damage the liver. Without coumarin, Ceylon cinnamon does not seem to be bad for the liver.

Yeah, it's put me off her. I've also got very skeptical about Zoe and their latest changes in microbiome measurement meaning lots of people have gone from being told they have a good microbiome to being told they had a poor one. I feel like they overpromised and people are getting too anxious about details that really aren't settled in the science. I keep meaning to contact them about the ethics of experimenting using our data whilst only allowing us access to the results if we carry on an expensive monthly subscription. I was reading this yesterday questioning the use of CGM in people without diabetes wchh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pdi.2475

@SinnerBoy thanks, interesting. I've eaten cinnamon daily for a few days, since being prediabetic (normal now).

I remember avoiding cassia but couldn't remember why. Hopefully in the 'anti-spike' tablets they don't use the cassia type cinnamon.

There’s no evidence that glucose levels need to be controlled in the non diabetic population. Obviously that’s not to say you can go ahead and stuff yourself with cake and carbs, because that’s obviously not healthy! But CGM is NOT necessary if you don’t have diabetes.

Insulin is produced and managed by the pancreas, in response to blood glucose levels. Personally, I would not be messing with the biological processes of the pancreas without robust evidence. Pancreatic cancer is a death sentence for most people- one of the deadliest cancers- so I feel very uneasy messing with the natural process of this organ.

I continue to eat healthy with food like porridge, orange juice which have been demonised by these quacks, even though they are highly nutritious and good for you (as part of a varied, whole foods diet).

But pancreatic cancer could as easily be affected by poor modern diets as this supplement.

And what’s wrong with the kefir?

Only questioning it out of interest- I’m interested in how we eat and have kept an eye on spectre and glucose goddess without actually changing my diet yet….

I did go and buy wholemeal rice and pasta - again - after yesterday’s book of the week extract. It’s a cycle I regularly go through.

Yes absolutely @pickledandpuzzled - we need to be eating a healthy diet- there is good evidence for the Mediterranean diet.

Kefir is part of a good healthy diet along with whole meal foods….Spectors advice to eat a range of vegetables and nuts/seeds is fantastic and gives a good framework for improving your diet and potentially gut health (but the evidence around gut health is limited- there’s a lot we don’t know).

The problem is the demonising of healthy foods like porridge oats and fruit juice. Suggesting health hacks that cause disordered eating when they’re really not necessary. Eating nutritious foods in moderation should be the key message not avoiding healthy foods because they raise your blood glucose… which is entirely normal. You only need to worry about BG if you have diabetes or gestational diabetes.

The issue with CGM and stressing about Blood Glucose when there is no clinical reason to do so, is that it can lead to disordered eating and can be hard to maintain and so you can more easily slip into unhealthy eating habits. Just like any diet which is reliant on willpower.

We also don’t know what the long term impact is of keeping blood glucose levels low are, not to mention nutritional deficiencies associated with avoiding healthy foods for BG reasons at the population level.

Just searched her and seeing as she isn't saying anything groundbreaking and new, I wouldn't take her snake oil.

Agghhhh! Don't get me started! As I type one diabetic who had to fund my own cgm at a cost of £50 a fortnight for years it makes me furious to see the likes of Davina McCall etc flogging Zoe.
When I need mine to survive
I still have to partially fund as the nhs won't give me the compatible cgm for my insulin pump.
It is completely natural for your BG to rise after eating. The non diabetic lucky bastards produce insulin to bring it back down again. I do not! I monitor it 24/7 as have to be my own pancreas.
Can you tell I'm not a fan?