Hypoglycemia/cortisol summary

[Guest guest]

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I've been studying this blood sugar issue for a bit with my handy glucose

meter and Google. I thought I would post a summary, for anyone else who may

benefit. I do appreciate the feedback from some of you on the earlier post

(why my glucose meter didn't agree with my feelings) -- which got me on a

good track, research-wise, I think.

1. All the stuff I've been reading about blood sugar up until now focuses

on insulin. But it seems like Cortisol might be a bigger problem for some

people. Many of the " low blood sugar " symptoms are actually the result of

too much cortisol.

2. Cortisol's job is to create MORE blood sugar. It does this by causing

the liver to turn glycogen into glucose and release it. At the same time,

it also blocks cells from using as much glucose, and starts the breakdown

of amino acids (muscle!) into glucose. Insulin and Cortisol block each

other in a balancing act.

3. Low blood sugar can be rather fatal: so when the blood sugar drops, the

body fights it quickly. The actual blood sugar drop can not last very long,

and not show up on a blood glucose meter. The researchers who figured this

out used a catheter and constantly monitored the blood sugar.

4. So here is what happens: You eat something sweet (or with carbs). Your

blood sugar goes up. The body responds with insulin. The blood sugar drops.

At the bottome of the blood sugar curve, your body responds with a shot of

cortisol, which blocks the insulin. Usually, this mechanism works fine.

5. In some people, the blood sugar goes up, and they respond with too much

insulin. The blood sugar drops, but too fast. At the bottom, too much

cortisol is released. The cortisol sticks around for 2-3 hours, and makes

the person feel sick, even though the blood sugar has been normalized. That

is likely why I felt like I was having " low blood sugar " even though the

glucose meter disagreed.

6. Cortisol is blocked by insulin. So taking a spoonful of sugar will block

the cortisol by producing insulin -- however, for people with #5, this

becomes a vicious cycle. However, protein, fat, and lactic acid ALSO cause

a bit of insulin to be released -- which will block the cortisol without

the rebound. Which is likely why my Mom's chicken broth worked so well! The

protein, fat, or lactic acid don't have to be absorbed to start the insulin

production, so that explains why the therapy can work so fast (just a taste

of fat seems to work, in one study). Coffee works to block cortisol too,

and from personal experience, I think exercise does too.

7. Eating protein and fat with carbs flattens the blood sugar curve -- I'm

sure there is some ideal combo (the Zone?) but my meals seem just about

right for me. No high blood sugar at all. Probably because the protein (and

lactic acid, and fat) cause a bit of insulin to be produced BEFORE the

sugar hits the bloodstream, and it digests slower.

8. Ketosis also blocks cortisol, I recall? Which may be why some people

feel so much better on Atkins.

9. Too much cortisol is a *very* bad thing. If there is WAY too much, it is

called " Cushing's disease " . It causes muscle and skin breakdown, lots of

belly fat and neck fat, and skinny arms and legs. In the short run,

however, too much cortisol makes you weak, sweaty, confused ... just like

low blood sugar. It also makes it hard to build muscle. It is likely, I

think, that in our society of high-carb/low-fat plus a stressful lifestyle,

that a lot of us are habitual over-producers of cortisol.

10. Cortisol is NOT just produced from a steep blood sugar curve. It is

also produced from ANY stress, including:

a. Lack of sleep.

b. Skipping meals (and starvation diets).

c. Too much coffee and alchohol.

d. Too much exercise.

e. Any kind of stress.

f. Allergies, I would imagine? Esp. food allergies (IgG and IgA)?

Heidi Sc