Excess blood sugar, also called hyperglycemia, is dangerous for health. But nature is well done, our body ensures that our blood sugar level is always stable. To do this, it triggers the secretion of insulin through the pancreas, a hormone that lowers blood sugar. However, this mechanism can be undermined by regular and significant consumption of sweet foods. This is why it is important to control your blood sugar through food but not only … Discover the other factors that can disturb your blood sugar. And you can act on some of them.
Stress, a direct trigger of sugar peaks
When the body is faced with a stressful situation, it secretes several hormones including cortisol. This production of hormones leads to a temporary increase in blood sugar to immediately provide energy to the body in order to allow it to act physically (flee or face) on the trigger for stress. This increase in blood sugar levels will have the effect of triggering an insulin secretion peak (to lower it), which is often followed by hypoglycemia. This partly explains this feeling of KO after a stressful event. Stress falls back and sugar too!
An infection can increase the sugar level
In case of colds or flu, blood sugar tends to increase. When the body fights against an infection, it produces stress hormones (cortisol, adrenaline and glucagon) which increase the level of blood sugar. The increase in blood sugar during an acute infection is also linked to the drop in physical activity. When you are bad, you move less, so you slowly eliminate the sugar ingested.
Without physical activity, sugar circulates longer
Physical activity helps to lower blood sugar and thus allows it to be better controlled. This is why it is recommended, especially for diabetics, to perform a light or moderate exercise after a meal, such as a walk of 15 to 30 minutes for example. In the absence of physical activity, the level of blood sugar drops slower.
The menstrual cycle influences insulin sensitivity
The hormones secreted during the menstrual cycle will vary the sensitivity of the organism to insulin. Their level varies during the menstrual cycle, which can vary the blood sugar level. The impact of the cycle on blood sugar is low (in non -diabetic women) but it can be felt by some women.
Lack of sleep disruptes the hormones of appetite
It is not enough to count the carbohydrates ingested to control your blood sugar, sleeping well is just as important. Lack of sleep acts on hunger hormones, namely Ghrelin and Leptine. This explains that we want fatty and sweet foods when you are tired. It is not the lack of sleep strictly speaking that increases blood sugar but its impact on the hormones that act to regulate appetite.