Sugar sensitivity causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels, leading to symptoms such as mood swings, weight gain, and drowsiness. Simple and complex carbohydrates affect blood sugar, and a glucose tolerance test can diagnose hypoglycemia. Treatment involves dietary changes and exercise, while chronic hyperglycemia is treated with insulin. Sugar addiction is not yet scientifically proven, but limiting sugary drinks and increasing whole grains and nutrient-dense foods can help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Sugar sensitivity refers to a condition in which a person experiences large fluctuations in blood sugar levels. These changes can cause many symptoms, including mood swings, weight gain, irritability, and drowsiness. Most types of sugar sensitivity can be treated through dietary changes and exercise.
Simple carbohydrates are found in foods containing refined sugars and in fruits. Complex carbohydrates are commonly called starches. These include bread, pasta, rice and cereals. Both types of carbohydrates affect blood sugar. Carbohydrate-containing foods with whole grains and vitamins are healthier choices and usually leave a person feeling more balanced since the sugars are metabolized over a longer period of time.
When you eat foods rich in carbohydrates, your blood sugar normally rises and your body produces insulin to help metabolize the sugars. In hypoglycemia, this balance is disrupted and blood sugars tend to rise rapidly to high levels and then fall rapidly. Early symptoms of hypoglycemia include an improvement in mood and energy due to high blood sugar levels. When blood sugar drops, however, nervousness, irritability, dizziness, and drowsiness can occur.
A glucose tolerance test (GTT) can confirm a diagnosis of hypoglycemia. The test requires the ingestion of a high sugar solution followed by hourly blood sugar level checks. Treatment of hypoglycemia is mainly through diet. Limiting refined sugars, increasing dietary fiber and protein, and eating small, regular meals can help keep blood sugar levels stable.
Chronic hyperglycemia is another term for high blood sugar levels consistent with a diagnosis of diabetes. This form of sugar sensitivity results from low insulin levels or insulin resistance within the body. Without adequate insulin levels, the body is unable to remove excess sugar from the blood. For those with the condition, diet, exercise and insulin can be used to regulate blood sugar, depending on the type of diabetes.
Some cases of sugar sensitivity aren’t as clearly defined as hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia. While not a scientifically proven disorder, sugar addiction is generally described as a condition in which a person cannot control their intake of carbohydrate-rich foods. Symptoms include cravings, binge eating and withdrawal symptoms when carbohydrates are decreased. Studies are underway to determine if this is truly related to a physiological process.
Regardless of the nature of sugar sensitivity, proper diet and exercise are vital parts of treatment. Limiting the amounts of sugary drinks and refined sugars consumed can reduce rapid blood sugar fluctuations. Increasing whole grains, nutrient-dense foods, fruits, and vegetables can facilitate a slower rise and metabolism of carbohydrates, thereby keeping blood sugar levels more stable.
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