Why Does My Blood Sugar Drop After Eating?

2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29

Have you ever felt dizzy, shivering and even hungrier even after lunch? This may be reactive hypoglycaemia. Here's what you need to know about it and how to avoid it.

Hypoglycemia is the term used to describe what happens when our blood sugar drops. May cause weakness, hunger, sweating, palpitations, tremors or tremors, fainting, dizziness, nausea, headache and impaired vision. It can become so severe that it can cause mental symptoms such as confusion.

While hypoglycemia most commonly affects diabetics after a high dose of insulin, non-diabetics can also sometimes experience these symptoms, especially when the body secretes large amounts of insulin.

So, if you've ever felt shivering, sweaty, and weak after eating without diabetes, it could be reactive hypoglycemia - when your blood sugar drops as a result of too much insulin.

Why can this happen?

When you're at work, this can be especially annoying, especially when you have to focus on an important task.

As unpleasant as it is, in most cases the drop in blood sugar after a meal is not life-threatening. It is the result of excessive insulin production after consuming heavy foods loaded with carbohydrates. The extra insulin removes too much glucose from the blood, leading to the symptoms mentioned above.

Other more serious reasons for drop in blood sugar after a meal include tumors of the pancreas, alcohol abuse, operations such as gastric bypass, or treatment of ulcers or insulin resistance (a metabolic disease that often includes conditions such as obesity and high blood pressure).

What can you do to prevent these post-meal sugar breakdowns?

The best solution to combat postprandial hypoglycaemia is to ensure that the pancreas produces enough insulin and the blood sugar level never drops too much or too fast.

This can be avoided by eating foods that do not over-stimulate insulin secretion. These include unrefined carbohydrates such as white pasta, white bread, pasta, biscuits, pastries, white rice and fruits with a very high sugar content such as grapes.

Alcohol and sugary sodas can also cause insulin spikes.

If you are prone to hypoglycaemia and do not have any underlying conditions, or if you have prediabetes, Dr. Ingrid van Herden, a registered nutritionist, recommends the following:

- Never miss breakfast. A diet such as intermittent fasting may not be ideal for you if you are prone to low blood sugar.

- Do not skip meals and never let your blood sugar fall too low.

- Eat small, frequent, balanced portions based on the following principles: they should include whole grains, a healthy source of fat, lean protein and fiber.

- Eat healthy at work to avoid this, especially late in the afternoon when driving home. Wholemeal crackers, dried fruits, almonds or apple slices with peanut butter are ideal.

- Limit alcohol levels, as excess alcohol can also cause blood sugar levels to rise and then fall.

"Get enough sleep." When you lack sleep, cortisol (a stress hormone) levels rise, which can also lead to a drop in blood sugar levels.