Hangry? Here Are 8 Underlying Reasons Your Blood Sugar Is Out Of Whack

The good news is that many blood sugar problems are reversible, or at least improvable. In my functional medicine clinic, I see patients overcoming their blood sugar problems through relatively simple lifestyle changes over time. But first, it's important to identify the root cause of your blood sugar imbalance in the first palace. Here are the top reasons I find blood sugar is either too high or too low:

The protein Nrf-2 plays a role3 in regulating antioxidant gene induction by turning on genes that are responsible for antioxidant and detox pathways. When Nrf-2 is activated, inflammation tends to subside. There are many antioxidant-rich foods that tend to activate Nrf-2, including:

Studies also suggest4 that PPARs, or peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, may help improve inflammatory conditions like blood sugar problems. Some PPAR activators for you to bring into your life: wild-caught fish, green tea, astragalus, ginger, and sea buckthorn.

Snacking in between meals can be fine once in a while, but if you are consistently having or wanting to snack, it's a good sign that you are on the blood sugar roller coaster. This way of eating is consistently keeping insulin and blood levels up, with little or no time to recuperate. Intermittent fasting is a great tool that can help regulate the hormones that govern blood sugar. When patients come in with blood sugar problems, I like to recommend IF due to its proven ability to increase metabolism5 and lower6 insulin resistance. If you have a blood sugar problem and want to try fasting, it's key to work with a doctor who can monitor you and slowly increase the length of your fasts as your glucose stabilizes. Leptin resistance, another hormonal resistance pattern that leads to weight gain and weight-loss resistance, has also been shown to improve with IF.

According to research7 published in the medical journal Circulation, in a group of nearly 5,000 people, those who took higher levels of magnesium over a period of 15 years had a decreased risk of metabolic syndrome—a condition that is often a precursor to diabetes. A similar study8, published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, followed more than 1,000 healthy adults for five years and found that greater magnesium intake improved insulin sensitivity. Other studies have shown9 that magnesium improves triglycerides and high blood pressure10—two other hallmarks of metabolic syndrome and diabetes. When chromium levels are low, good cholesterol tends to drop, and the risk of insulin resistance, as well as triglyceride levels, go up. Chromium supplementation has been shown to improve blood sugar receptor function. The best food sources of chromium include onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and sea vegetables.

The relationship between poor sleep and blood sugar problems is a vicious cycle. Poor sleep will negatively affect your blood sugar levels over time, and your blood sugar levels can hurt your sleep. The less we sleep, the higher our blood sugar rises, so it's no surprise then that people with chronically poor sleep are at an increased risk for diabetes. Research has shown11 that people who slept less than six hours a night had more blood sugar problems compared to those who got eight hours of sleep. Sleep is not a luxury; it's a necessity.

Methylation is a complex process that supports many crucial functions in the body, including healthy blood sugar balance. Activated B vitamins—like B9 L-Methylfolate (L-5-MTHF) and B6 Pyridoxyl-5-Phosphate (P5P)—are a great way to support methylation pathways. Food medicines to focus on are spinach, okra, turnip greens, and meats like chicken liver or grass-fed beef liver, which have the highest levels of bioavailable B vitamins.

The fat-soluble vitamin tocopherol—or vitamin E—has been shown12 to support insulin sensitivity. Standard doses range between 600 and 900 milligrams. Most people have low vitamin D levels, which can cause a host of problems, but in one study13, supplementing with vitamin D for 12 weeks decreased body fat by 7 percent, and lower weight correlates to better blood sugar control. Low D levels have also been linked to metabolic syndrome. Aim for 60 to 80 ng/mL per day.

Your gut health and blood sugar balance are inextricably connected. One study found14 transplanting the microbiome of diabetic mice into healthy mice made the recipients diabetic! Among the culprits are advanced glycation end products (AGE)—harmful compounds that have the potential15 to cause leaky gut. A high-sugar diet can also tip your microbiome in the wrong direction, causing candida overgrowth, which is also linked to blood sugar problems. What’s good for your gut is good for your blood sugar, and vice versa.

Want to know more about blood sugar? Here are 15 signs that your blood sugar is out of whack.