In 2021, 9.8% of the global population was diabetic, while 10.2-15.9% were prediabetic (IDF Diabetes Atlas, 2021) and these number are set to explode over the next 20 years. In fact, according to the same source, the estimated number of adults with prediabetes was at least 541 million in 2021, and its set to be at least 730 million in 2045.
Not only are the real numbers driving a need for more effective preventative strategies, but there has also been heightened consumer awareness of this area of health.
Speaking during the firm's online product launch event yesterday (April 13), Matevž Ambrožič, marketing and PR Director at PharmaLinea, pointed out that Google searches for ‘sugar’ increased by 616% between 2004 and 2023, while searches for ‘blood sugar’ rose by 181% in the same period (Good Trends, April 2023).
The increased awareness comes from a range of avenues, not least from the viral celebrity nutritionist known as 'The Glucose Goddess' who released a bestselling book last year called 'Glucose Revolution', telling people how to take control of their blood sugar spikes.
At the same time, Ambrožič says that non-invasive continuous blood glucose monitors (CGMs) have proliferated the mass market and now a wide range of consumers, from pro athletes to weekend warriors, are choosing to wear these devices to better tailor their diets and optimise their exercise.
"But the real game changer will be what’s about to happen," he argued, "current CGM’s pierce your skin and sample your blood, and you have to go out of your way to get them.
“What will create an incremental leap will be when CGM is integrated into wearables that consumers are already wearing. Very soon, every single consumer with a smartwatch will be able to see and track their glucose levels in real time.
“When that happens, potentially millions of consumers will come to the conclusion they have high blood sugar levels and they will want to do something about it.
“When this happens, companies ready with solutions which provide real effects will win. So blood glucose supplements are on the verge of becoming a major supplement category.”
The brand’s newly launched white label supplement ‘>Your< Prediabetiq Capsules’, contains 250mg of a patented, branded plant-based blood sugar control ingredient (to be disclosed to the brand on partnership agreement) and 100mg Chromium, mixing an extensively studied branded ingredient with a micronutrient also recognised to help manage blood sugar.
The patented ingredient works to inhibit breakdown of carbohydrates in the gut thereby reducing post-meal blood sugar peaks and crashes by up to 40%, decrease post-meal insulin levels, decrease the GI of several carbohydrate based foods, increase satiety, and provide a prebiotic effect on the gut. The benefits can be enjoyed in the long term as well as seen in the short term, using CGMs.
Working synergistically with this ingredient, chromium is scientifically evidenced to be involved in insulin signalling. It helps to improve the efficacy of insulin, has a role in normal carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, and helps regulate hunger.
PharmaLinea expects this product will appeal to a wide audience of consumers, from those with diagnosed pre-diabetes, right through to women with PCOS and elite athletes.