Why Your HbA1c Is Lying to You (And How to Bring It Back Down)
You don’t need keto or fasting to lower glycation. You need better mitochondrial function, less oxidative stress, and stronger antioxidant defense. Here’s the step-by-step blueprint.
You can have normal fasting glucose and still have an HbA1c higher than a diabetic.
Crazy? Not really. It’s one of the most misunderstood problems in modern health.
You do everything “right.”
You eat clean, avoid sugar, maybe even fast, yet your bloodwork still shows a high HbA1c.
Your doctor says you’re “prediabetic,” even though your glucose looks fine.
And no one can tell you why.
The truth?
Glycation isn’t just about blood sugar. Fat and protein can cause it too. Yep, you read that right.
It’s what happens when your cells can’t burn glucose (or fat) efficiently, when oxidation stalls, mitochondria choke, and glucose starts reacting with proteins instead of being turned into energy.
That’s what raises HbA1c.
Not the sugar itself, but the metabolic environment it enters.
Even with perfect diet and fasting, you can still have:
Oxidative stress turning glucose into reactive carbonyls.
PUFA oxidation feeding the glycation loop.
Iron imbalance accelerating free radical reactions.
Endotoxin and inflammation activating RAGE receptors that amplify tissue damage.
I’ve seen this in hundreds of labs and in my own experiments.
Two people can eat the exact same meal.
One oxidizes it cleanly… steady energy, low HbA1c.
The other produces methylglyoxal, AGEs, and inflammation; all with the same glucose level.
That’s why focusing on carbs alone misses the point.
Personally, I’ve lowered my HbA1c from 5.3% (already good) to 4.9%, not by cutting or lowering carbs, but by improving metabolic health, mitochondrial function, nutrient intake and keeping inflammation low.
Basically addressing the underlying issues.
In this article, you’ll learn why glycation happens even without hyperglycemia, and how to fix it at the root.
Not by cutting carbs, but by restoring cellular redox balance, mitochondrial function, and antioxidant defense.
You’ll see why markers like ferritin, PUFA intake, gut health, and oxidative stress tell you far more about your HbA1c than your glucose monitor ever will.
So let’s break it down, what glycation really is, why it happens, and how to reverse it from the inside out.
If you have a specific, seemingly “unique” problem with carbs, drop it in the comments and I’ll tell you what might be the underlying issue so that you can address that. Because living without carbs isn’t the fix. It’s just a patch.