Alcohol and hypoglycemia: any link?

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Alcoholism or heavy drinking can cause hypoglycemia, as the liver is unable to produce enough glucose. Hypoglycemia can lead to impairment of brain functions. Regular exercise and a balanced diet can help prevent hypoglycemia. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include hunger, sweating, and difficulty speaking.

There is substantial evidence that alcohol and hypoglycemia are indeed linked. Alcoholism or heavy drinking has been shown to cause hypoglycemia. With the body focusing all of its efforts on breaking down the recently consumed alcohol, it becomes unable to produce an adequate amount of blood sugar or glucose.
Hypoglycemia is simply low blood sugar. The essential sugar called glucose is the main form of energy for the human body. When the supply of glucose to the brain becomes too low, it can result in impairment of various brain functions. This is known as neuroglycopenia.

The correlation between alcohol and hypoglycemia is direct. Although the human body is quite resilient and capable of performing numerous tasks at once, the processing of alcohol inhibits the liver’s ability to function. This means that the liver is unable to produce as much glucose as it should, resulting in a dramatic increase in the chances of hypoglycemia.

Most of the time it is alcoholism and intemperate alcohol consumption that leads to low blood sugar rates. When you drink to excess on a regular basis, the liver is no longer able to achieve the necessary rate of glucose production. Initially, this behavior can lead to brief or temporary hypoglycemia, which usually has no lasting effects, although it can temporarily alter the brain’s responses to further hypoglycemia. Eventually, after many years of alcoholic behavior, the liver can get used to this behavior and permanently alter its glucose production.

Alcohol and hypoglycemia aren’t inseparable, though, because hypoglycemia doesn’t happen every time alcohol is consumed. Brief periods of hypoglycemia typically occur when you drink too much alcohol on an empty stomach. These initial temporary falls into hypoglycemia can be halted or prevented by eating or snacking before intoxication.

There are other preventative measures that can be taken to curb the cause and effect of alcohol and hypoglycemia, such as regular exercise. A carefully constructed diet is also advisable. Eating a wide assortment of foods, especially high-fiber foods, and skipping refined carbohydrates, which include white flour and the sugars found in donuts, cookies and other sweets, means greater resistance to hypoglycemia.

If a person is experiencing a hypoglycemic episode, several symptoms will begin to appear. When the person is in danger of fainting, these indicators become present: intense hunger, unexplained sweating, nervousness, drowsiness or lightheadedness, and difficulty speaking or exhibiting motor skills. When a short-term hypoglycemia occurs, all you need to do is stop drinking, rest, and eat.




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