Blood sugar control
Balanced blood sugar levels are very important for people who want to overcome thyroiditis and adrenal fatigue. This is one of the first steps to take to improve thyroid health.”
When you have Hashimoto’s, you may not know that you have problems like blood sugar fluctuations, even if you are thin and think you are healthy. You may feel very hungry and angry during the day. You eat high-carbohydrate foods that cause high blood sugar fluctuations. What you don’t know is that these fluctuations also have a negative effect on the adrenal glands (glands in the body that are related to stress) causing an increase in thyroid antibodies.”
The importance of blood sugar in Hashimoto’s thyroid
In general, changes in diet and lifestyle can help control blood sugar levels naturally. People with Hashimoto’s and blood sugar imbalance can control their blood sugar by making changes in their diet and lifestyle and may not need medications. People with diabetes can also benefit from lifestyle changes, but may need to consult a doctor.
Many studies have shown that up to 50% of people with Hashimoto’s have carbohydrate intolerance. This means that when they eat high-carbohydrate foods, their blood sugar levels rise rapidly, leading to low blood sugar levels (reactive hypoglycemia) and symptoms such as irritability, dizziness, anxiety, and fatigue.
An imbalance in blood sugar levels can be described as “adding fire to fire” in the case of Hashimoto’s. Increased stress in the body can lead to weakening of the thyroid. These changes in blood sugar levels are recognized as chronic stress and can lead to an increase in the hormone cortisol, which causes the production of inflammatory proteins and an increased immune response. These changes can lead to excessive release of cortisol and cause symptoms such as chronic fatigue, mood swings and increased thyroid antibodies. It can also weaken the thyroid.
Increasing attention to balancing your blood sugar levels is recommended to help protect adrenal health and improve thyroid function.
Here, we take a deeper look at questions related to blood sugar, including:
What is blood sugar?
Blood sugar, or glucose, is the body’s main source of energy from the foods we eat. This glucose is absorbed from the small intestine into the bloodstream. The pancreas produces insulin to help control blood sugar levels. This extra insulin, It stores glucose in the form of glycogen and sends it to the liver.
Blood sugar swings occur when blood sugar levels are out of normal range, usually caused by eating too many high-sugar carbohydrates. A spike in insulin goes a long way toward lowering blood sugar levels, but this spike in insulin can leading to a tendency to overeat rich carbohydrates and restart the cycle of blood sugar fluctuations. This appears to be an instinct and causes stress in the body.
Symptoms that tell people that their blood sugar levels are not working properly include hormonal problems, fatigue, depression, anxiety, insomnia, poor brain function, and chronic pain.
What is the effect of blood sugar imbalance on Hashimoto’s disease?
Research has shown that up to 50% of people with Hashimoto’s cannot consume a lot of carbohydrates. This means that when they eat high-carbohydrate foods, their blood sugar levels rise rapidly, causing symptoms such as hypoglycemia (reactive hypoglycemia), irritability, dizziness, anxiety, and fatigue.”
Blood sugar imbalances have been described as a ‘fire’ increase in autoimmune thyroid disease by many doctors who focus on Hashimoto’s.
Blood sugar levels and thyroid are closely related. One research paper showed that patients with diabetes are up to three times more likely to develop thyroid disorders. This is because stress can damage the thyroid. When blood sugar levels are constantly fluctuating, the body perceives these changes as chronic stress, which causes an increase in the release of the hormone cortisol, which may lead to the production of inflammatory proteins and an increased immune response. Ultimately, it may lead to an increase in thyroid antibodies and symptoms such as chronic fatigue, lead to mood swings and weight gain.
How do you know if your blood sugar is out of balance?
My blood sugar was very low, about 50mg/dL, before I found out I had Hashimoto’s. I often felt dizzy, weak, and anxious without really knowing why.
If you have diabetes or prediabetes, you may know that your blood sugar is out of balance. If you have Hashimoto’s, blood sugar disturbances are very common, and many people with Hashimoto’s have low blood sugar in the early stages (hypoglycemia) are encountered.
Hypoglycemia is known to be an early risk factor for developing diabetes. It can also lead to exacerbation of Hashimoto’s and other autoimmune diseases.
The following are some of the symptoms of low and high blood sugar. Note that these lists are general symptoms to help you manage daily fluctuations in blood sugar levels. But these symptoms may be signs of diabetes. If These symptoms are persistent and severe, but diabetes has not yet been diagnosed, it is better to see a doctor.
Symptoms of low blood sugar include:
cravings for sweet foods, irritability and dizziness if you don’t eat, feeling wet and irritable, constantly needing to eat to control fatigue, feeling shaky or irritable, anxiety, forgetfulness, blurred vision, fogginess, and cold extremities. be.
Symptoms of high blood sugar levels include:
tiredness after eating, constant hunger, cravings for sweet foods that do not go away after eating them, the need for dessert after meals, waist circumference larger than hip circumference, frequent urination, increased appetite and thirst, The problem is in losing weight and testing for reactive hypoglycemia.
If you experience dramatic changes in blood sugar levels after eating meals, you may have reactive hypoglycemia. Reactive hypoglycemia is often caused by a large release of insulin immediately after eating, and is typically characterized by a rapid drop and subsequent rise in blood sugar levels.
Additionally, blood sugar imbalances are common in people with hypothyroidism, as well as reactive (explosive) hypoglycemia. Interestingly, a stomach microbe called H. pylori can also be a factor in both of these problems.
You can easily test yourself for reactive hypoglycemia using a simple, over-the-counter blood glucose monitor. It uses a small blood sample from your finger.
Blood sugar is important for people with Hashimoto’s, and taking care of your nutrition can make a big difference.
Reference
https://thyroidpharmacist.com/articles/blood-sugar-imbalances-and-hashimotos/
