Pre-Diabetes

What is pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes means your blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes. It is estimated that over 96 million American adults have pre-diabetes - and more than 80 percent of them do not know it. Without intervention, pre-diabetes commonly progresses to type 2 diabetes within five years. But with the right support, it is also highly reversible.

Pre-diabetes is not just a blood sugar problem. It reflects deeper dysregulation in how your body manages energy, inflammation, hormones, and stress - which is exactly why a naturopathic approach is so well suited to addressing it.

Common signs and associated symptoms include fasting blood glucose between 100 125 mg/dL or A1c between 5.7-6.4%, fatigue especially after eating, weight gain particularly around the abdomen, strong carbohydrate or sugar cravings, difficulty concentrating or brain fog, elevated triglycerides or blood pressure, and history of gestational diabetes or PCOS.

What causes pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes develops when insulin resistance becomes advanced enough to impair blood sugar regulation. Contributing factors include diet high in refined carbohydrates, sugar, and ultra-processed foods; physical inactivity and loss of muscle mass; chronic stress and elevated cortisol; poor sleep quality or sleep apnea; gut microbiome imbalances and intestinal inflammation; hormonal shifts including perimenopause, androgen excess, or thyroid dysfunction; nutrient depletions that impair glucose metabolism; and genetic predisposition and family history of diabetes.

How does naturopathic medicine treat pre-diabetes?

At Open Wellness PDX, Dr. Sand and Dr. Emrick take pre-diabetes seriously as a reversible condition that deserves thorough investigation. Advanced lab testing - including fasting insulin, expanded lipid profiles, inflammatory markers, nutrient levels, and hormone panels - helps identify exactly what is driving blood sugar dysregulation for each patient. Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) can be a particularly powerful tool at this stage, giving real-time insight into how specific foods, sleep, and stress affect blood sugar.

Treatment plans are individualized and may include therapeutic nutrition planning focused on blood sugar stability and metabolic repair; evidence-based botanicals and nutrients including berberine, chromium, magnesium, alpha-lipoic acid, green tea extract, and amino acids such as taurine and glycine; nutrient optimization to correct depletions that impair insulin signaling; movement and lifestyle medicine tailored to improve insulin sensitivity; pharmaceutical support including metformin or GLP-1 medications when clinically indicated; gut health optimization; and hormone balancing when relevant hormonal imbalances are contributing.

Pre-diabetes is a message from your body that something needs to change. With the right investigation and support, that change is absolutely possible.

To get started, call Open Wellness PDX at 503-770-0670, request a telehealth visit, or book online.