Stress & Blood Sugar Connection
Diabetes is a big health problem, with more than 1.5 million Americans diagnosed every year. In 2015, 88 million Americans aged 18 and older had prediabetes and this number is growing every year.
Before discussing how to manage diabetes, let’s take a closer look at what diabetes is exactly. Diabetes is a disorder characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. When blood sugar rises to the point that insulin, a hormone responsible for clearing glucose from the blood, cannot keep up, it can lead to a diagnosis of diabetes. There is more to the story, however. The body tries to address this rising glucose level and proceeds to shift into overdrive, pumping insulin into the system in a last-ditch effort to keep blood glucose regulated. For a short time, it works. Eventually though, the pancreas taps out, unable to keep up with the body’s ever-increasing demand for insulin.
The root cause of diabetes is multi-factorial and goes beyond just what we eat. Our environment plays a big part in our metabolism and blood sugar maintenance. Understanding nutrition and having access to nutrient dense food is important. But even the “healthiest” diet cannot completely control our blood sugar . Other hormones come into play. Cortisol the “stress” hormone is one of the most important hormones to understand when discussing diabetes and prediabetes.
Cortisol is an important and often misunderstood hormone. Cortisol has many responsibilities:
- Immune system regulation (anti-inflammatory): it is suppresses immune cells (T-cells, B-Cells, and neutrophils) during inflammation.
- Stress response: during acute and chronic stress keeps the body in the high alert or sympathetic state to provide energy for the body during times of stress.
- A diurnal hormone: naturally high in the morning to wake us up and low at night to help us fall and stay asleep.
- Glucose and protein homeostasis: increases glucose production and protein degradation to maintain energy demands.
Bottom-line is cortisol plays an important role in may metabolic pathways. When cortisol production becomes dysregulated we see the downstream effects: sleep disruption, immune system disruption, blood sugar imbalance, and other hormones being dysregulated.
We need cortisol high to maintain blood sugar when we are in the sympathetic “fight or flight” response. We need our brain and muscles to work fast when running from that bear. However, most of us are not running from bears. We are chronically stressed from life- relationships, work, kids, money, politics, etc. This in turn can lead to chronically high levels of blood sugar, insulin resistance, and diabetes.
The relationship between diabetes and cardiovascular disease is well-understood, as diabetic risk increases injury to blood vessels, which leads to plaque formation and hardening of the arteries. What is not as well-understood is the link to other downstream conditions, such as certain breast cancers, PCOS, liver disease, osteoporosis and Alzheimer’s disease. And the common thread that ties all these apparently different conditions together? You guessed it, insulin resistance. In fact, the relationship is so strong, it has prompted researchers to now refer to Alzheimer’s disease as “type 3 diabetes.”
When it comes to cancer or Alzheimer’s disease, there are no definitive answers, but the science is clear. If you want to stack the deck of health in your favor, control your blood sugar and insulin levels. This happens with a well-structured diet and exercise program that layers in stress management, sleep optimization and reduced exposure to environmental toxins, which studies have shown can increase insulin resistance.
Talk with your doctor about ways to either test optimize your metabolism and help regulate your cortisol. Schedule an appointment or a free information phone call with one of our doctors today!
