Acarbose mimics caloric restriction by blocking starch digestion to sugars, thereby preventing glucose spikes.

“caloric restriction is good for you a carbos is sort of like caloric restriction and it doesn't block glucose absorption but it does block the digestion of starches to sugars and so glucose wouldn't go up so much that would be good for you just like caloric restriction in their view and that was their rationale”

“now in mice it turns out it doesn't go down we've done this twice now so it's probably not an overall change in the amount of glucose that gets in but a change in the kinetics”