Color-changing Tattoo For Diabetics Might Change Things

Color-changing tattoos that react to changing blood sugar levels could become a new way to monitor glucose levels. The team have developed inks that react to blood salt levels, pH, and glucose levels. The glucose-sensing ink changes from blue to brown when blood sugar goes up and back to blue when it sinks again.

This can become an "interactive display," the ink's developers say, allowing diabetics and others to know when blood sugar levels are too low or too high. The real-time color-changing is an immediate response to current blood glucose levels and could be faster and easier to use than skin prick tests.

The MIT team behind the inks has been developing tattoo inks for a myriad of uses.

The team at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has developed inks that react to the interstitial fluids which surround tissue cells in the body. These fluids conduct various things from one cell to another and quickly reflect changes in the body. Inks from the development team can react to changing acidity (pH) levels, changing from pink to purple. They also have salt-sensing inks which track sodium levels and shift to an intense green under UV light when salt levels are high.


The MIT team says that their tattoo inks are only at a "proof of concept" stage, but say that they could offer new ways of monitoring changes in the body. The research could eventually lead to an easier way for diabetics and others to monitor their treatment and health. Diabetics could, for example, use a perfected form of the ink to more easily and accurately read their body's current glucose levels and better dose their insulin to match.

Source: Dailymail.co.uk


More Articles

With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.

Farro...

Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....

With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...

If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...

In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.

When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...

More Articles

If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....

For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.

A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...

According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...

Eleven Clinical Studies

After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...

Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...

Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...

Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...

Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...

Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....

When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...

Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.

The...

Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...

Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...

Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...

One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...