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The Mystery of the Sugar Crash: What Triggers Your Discomfort?
Most people have experienced a bout of fatigue or discomfort after eating a heavy carbohydrate meal. This phenomenon is called Reactive Hypoglycemia, and it is closely related to how our bodies regulate blood sugar levels. According to research, a sugar crash is a hypoglycemic reaction after a high-carbohydrate meal that usually occurs within four hours of the meal. Both diabetics and healthy people may experience this phenomenon.
“Symptoms of a sugar crash may include tiredness, irritability, or a hangover-like feeling of discomfort.”
This condition is more than a diagnosis and requires medical evaluation to find out the cause. When a person eats a high-carbohydrate meal, blood sugar rises rapidly, followed by the secretion of insulin, which causes the body to quickly absorb glucose, either to store it as glycogen or fat, or to use it for energy . Such a "sugar crash" is the result of an ensuing sudden drop in blood sugar levels.
Signs and symptoms of sugar crash
Everyone’s degree and sensitivity to drops in blood sugar levels is different, so the symptoms of a sugar crash will also vary. Typically, these signs may be felt within four hours of eating a heavy carbohydrate meal, including:
- Severe fatigue
- Dizziness or weakness
- Papitations or rapid heartbeat
- Anxious or irritable
- Sweating or shaking
“The biological response to a sugar crash is similar to a hypoglycemic state, and the body responds in a similar manner.”
Causes and possible factors of sugar crash
The main cause of the sugar crash is still debated, according to the National Institutes of Health. Some researchers believe that some people are extremely sensitive to the body's normal production of adrenaline, while others believe that insufficient glucagon production may contribute to the occurrence of sugar crashes.
Various hormones such as cortisol, growth hormone and sex hormones also play an important role in regulating the body's response to insulin. Hormonal imbalances that are not properly treated, such as adrenal insufficiency or growth hormone deficiency, may also trigger a sugar crash. Additionally, certain stomach surgeries or hereditary fructose intolerance are also considered rare causes of sugar crashes.
Diagnosis of sugar crash
To confirm a diagnosis of sugar crash, your doctor may recommend an HbA1c test, which evaluates your blood sugar averages over the past few months. Additionally, a six-hour glucose tolerance test can be used to detect fluctuations in blood sugar before and after consuming a specific glucose drink. In the case of reactive hypoglycemia, the diagnosis is confirmed when blood sugar falls below 70 mg/dL and symptoms resolve after eating.
Treatment strategies for sugar crash
In most cases, changing your eating habits can effectively alleviate the symptoms of a sugar crash. Specific suggestions include:
- Avoid or limit sugar intake, including candies, desserts, and sugary drinks.
- Eat starchy foods such as potatoes, pasta and white rice in small amounts.
- Include protein sources such as meat, dairy, beans, etc. with every meal or snack.
- Ingest more high-fiber foods such as beans, green leafy vegetables and various fruits.
"Moderate exercise can increase the uptake of sugar by cells and help reduce excessive secretion of insulin."
Patients should avoid high-sugar diets, especially concentrated fruit juices and sugary drinks, which can quickly cause severe fluctuations in blood sugar. Because it is a short-term problem, sugar crashes usually do not require medical intervention; the focus is on the composition of the diet and the timing of intake.
Understanding of late-stage hypoglycemia
If blood sugar levels are found to be normal when symptoms occur, it is called "idiopathic postprandial syndrome." This may be caused by an imbalance in the regulation of the sympathetic nervous system, and patients usually also experience emotional stress.
Dietary changes can not only help reduce the occurrence of sugar crashes, they can also help improve the syndrome.
To sum up, sugar crash is a phenomenon closely related to diet. How to skillfully adjust diet in daily life to make ourselves healthier is an issue that each of us can think deeply about?
