We all know that a chronic high blood glucose, known as hyperglycaemia, leads to diabetes. What is not talked about enough, however, is hypoglycaemia (low blood glucose) and why we should avoid it.
Hypoglycaemia is a very common problem. Some sources suggest that in US alone about 50 million people may suffer due to this condition (1).
Hypoglycaemia is caused by low blood sugar (glucose) levels and may trigger many unpleasant and sometimes dangerous symptoms.
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Signs of Low Blood Sugar
Blood glucose below 70 mg/dL (4 mmol/L) is low. A blood glucose level below 54 mg/dL (3.0 mmol/L) requires an immediate action.
The brain requires a constant adequate level of blood sugar to function properly. It is more dependent on blood sugar (glucose) than any other organ.
If you often become suddenly very hungry or very tired, then this is likely to be caused by hypoglycaemia (2).
Since blood sugar (glucose) is brain’s primary energy source, its insufficient levels may trigger negative symptoms. They may include fatigue, heart palpitations, craving for sweets, chocolate or caffeine, inability to concentrate, depression, anger, panic attacks, dizziness, insomnia, headaches, muscle weakness, and hot flashes.
In some reported cases even suicidal thoughts or other mental problems can be triggered by low blood sugar. In severe cases, seizures, coma and even death may occur.
Diabetic patients are at the highest risk for severe hypoglycaemia attacks (3).
Possible Causes
When you eat too much sugar and refined (deprived of fibre) foods, the level of glucose in your blood rises to abnormal heights. As a result, consumption of products with refined sugar, glucose, white flour and other refined foods, stimulate pancreas to flood the body with insulin needed to lower the dangerously high blood sugar.
Unfortunately, excessive levels of insulin sometimes lowers blood glucose too much leading to hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar level) and described earlier signs (4).
It may happen also when we burn up sugar stores and our body is not adapted to use fats as an alternative energy source instead of sugar.
If you don’t regularly eat too much sugar – your pancreas can handle isolated overdoses of sugar. But if you consume refined products and foods with sugar on a regular basis then every time your sugar level gets high your pancreas overreacts flooding your body with insulin.
Excess insulin lowers blood glucose too much. Since there is not enough sugar in the blood, the adrenal glands release anti-stress hormones. Those hormones, in turn, release the sugar stored in the liver for emergencies.
Eventually, everything gets worn out – the pancreas, the adrenal glands, the liver and the brain, thus triggering the listed above unpleasant symptoms.
Diabetics can also cause hypoglycaemia if they experience drastic fluctuations in blood glucose levels. Most often it is due to the mismanagement of insulin and blood-sugar-lowering medication that make glucose levels drop too drastically.
The same effect may be caused by using medication together with blood glucose-lowering nutritional supplements.
Attempts to use insulin and glucose medications to obtain healthy blood sugar levels is associated with a threefold increase in the risk of hypoglycaemia symptoms.
What to Do When Blood Sugar Is Too Low
If you have symptoms of low blood sugar or your blood sugar is below 4mmol/L, eat or drink something that will raise your blood sugar quickly, such as a small glass of fruit juice.
Check your blood glucose after about 15 minutes, and If it is still below 4mmol/L, have another sweet drink or snack, and check again after about 15 minutes.
Once your symptoms have improved and your blood sugar is above 4mmol/L, eat something that will keep your blood sugar up for longer, such as dried or fresh whole fruits, seeds, nuts, or any regular whole food meal.
Recommended Lifestyle
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First, the priority is to reduce sugar and refined carbohydrate intake. It is the high consumption of refined carbs that leads to massive fluctuations in blood glucose. When blood sugar spikes, so does insulin. And when insulin is too high, it causes blood sugar to crash (hypoglycaemia).
Therefore, to recover from hypoglycaemia and its bad symptoms it is necessary to avoid all the products containing refined sugar and other refined carbohydrates. That includes white flour products, refined pasta, white rice, fruit juices, high glucose/fructose syrup, and also all stimulants (caffeine, tea, chocolate, alcohol, etc.).
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All refined carbohydrates must be replaced with foods high in fibre including whole grains such as barley, oats, buckwheat, etc. (but not wheat), raw vegetables and fresh fruits, dried fruits, seeds, nuts, and legumes. The natural fibre found in these foods causes sugar to be released in the intestines slowly without stimulating pancreas to release large amounts of insulin to lower blood sugar (5).
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Since scientific research proved that caffeine interferes with glucose metabolism, you need to stay away from caffeine products to prevent low blood sugar levels.
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If you still need a sweetener, try to use moderate amounts of natural ones such as date sugar, raw honey, or good sweeteners such as Erythritol, Xylitol and Stevia. Do not use any artificial sweeteners, especially aspartame, because they make recovery from hypoglycaemia more difficult and are a major health hazard.
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Another very important remedy for hypoglycaemia is regular energetic exercise. It was found that it is very helpful in regulating blood glucose levels.
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Increase consumption of healthy fats including avocado, seeds (especially ground flaxseed and chia seeds), nuts, olives, cold-pressed olive oil and raw coconut oil.
- Learn to manage stress through regular aerobic exercise, healthy diet, meditation and nutritional supplements (ashwagandha, magnesium, etc.).
Nutritional Supplements
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One of the most important supplements to deal with hypoglycaemia is Chromium (100 mcg 2-3 times a day before meals) (6). Chromium is also needed in the breakdown of carbohydrates, proteins and fats, which also helps prevent hypoglycaemia.
Chromium and Biotin help our body to use sugar properly, thus contributing to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels (7).
Unfortunately, Chromium deficiency is universal today, and becomes worse with age. We are witnessing an epidemic of related to chromium deficiency ailments including diabetes, hypoglycaemia, elevated cholesterol, fatigue, and sugar cravings.
- GlucoBate tablets (HealthAid) are formulated with Chromium to maintain normal blood glucose levels, Vitamin C, Niacin (B3) and Vitamin B12 for normal energy-yielding metabolism, Vitamin B6 to support normal glycogen metabolism (regulating the release of stored glucose), Biotin and Zinc for normal macronutrient metabolism, including the body’s utilisation of carbohydrates.
HealthAid® GlucoBate also combines natural plant extracts such as Fenugreek, Karela, Jambolan, Banaba, and Cinnamon which are often recommended to be used together with Chromium to help maintain normal blood glucose levels.
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Since also Magnesium helps to maintain the blood sugar levels, take 200mg of Magnesium Citrate powder (or Magcitra tablets) 2 or 3 times daily. Magnesium is also beneficial in relaxing muscles, hear and arteries thus helping people with high blood pressure and those who desire to support heart health.
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Another supplement that helps is Spirulina which supplies amino acids (the building blocks of protein). It stimulates liver to produce more glucagon which is used by brain when glucose in the blood is too low.
Check Your Medication
If you take any medication that alter blood glucose or insulin levels, be very careful to monitor symptoms that might lead to hypoglycaemia.
Researchers suggest that due to medication, in many patients symptoms of hypoglycaemia may become gradually less intense over time leading to “hypoglycaemia unawareness”.
For this reason, you need to learn to track your blood glucose levels carefully and talk to your doctor. It will help in case the medication dosage needs to be reduced to avoid hypoglycaemia.
Related Articles
How to Maintain Normal Blood Sugar (Glucose) Levels?
Sources
- Bakatselos SO. Hypoglycemia unawareness. Diabetes research and clinical practice. Aug 2011; 93 Suppl 1:S92-96.
- Brun JF, Fedou C, Mercier J. Postprandial reactive hypoglycemia. Diabetes & metabolism. Nov 2000; 26(5):337-351.
- Campos C. Chronic hyperglycemia and glucose toxicity: pathology and clinical sequelae. Postgraduate medicine. Nov 2012; 124(6):90-97.
- https://draxe.com/health/hypoglycemia-symptoms/
- Bajorek SA, Morello CM. Effects of dietary fiber and low glycemic index diet on glucose control in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The Annals of pharmacotherapy. Nov 2010; 44(11):1786-1792.
- Anderson RA, Polansky MM, Bryden NA, et al. Effects of supplemental chromium on patients with symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia. Metabolism. 1987 Apr; 36(4):351-355.
- Singer GM, 2006. The effect of chromium picolinate and biotin supplementation on glycaemic control in poorly controlled patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetes Tech. Ther. 2006 Dec; 8(6): 636-43
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