How do you spot a biohacker in 2021? Look at their tricep. If it’s branded with a coin-sized contraption, that person is watching their blood-sugar levels with hawk-like intensity. Champion marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge, actor Orlando Bloom and Silicon Valley’s health-seeking illuminati are already converts.
That small, round device is a continuous glucose monitor (CGM). Commonly used by diabetics, it tracks glucose rates in real time via a microneedle “installed” into the upper arm (painlessly, I’m told). A constellation of startups have devised apps that pair with these CGMs. These companies are positioning glucose levels as a new measure by which to guide changes in our diets, so – they promise – we can become our sharpest, most energetic selves.
There’s a tremendous opportunity to help people understand: what should I eat and why?”
Blood sugar, derived primarily from carbohydrate-rich foods, spikes when we eat and exercise. As the body’s main source of fuel, it plays an important role in how we go about our day. But historically the only people who have monitored this statistic are diabetics, who have constantly elevated levels. These startups – including San Francisco’s Levels and January AI; Chicago’s NutriSense; Atlanta’s Supersapiens; and Finland’s Veri – want to bring blood-sugar awareness to a broader audience. “January’s goal is to help people know themselves, just like you’re wearing an Oura ring to see how you’re sleeping or an Apple Watch to see how active you are,” says its CEO, Noosheen Hashemi. “[We] see the potential of continuous health monitoring for the whole population.”