| Description: Low concentration of blood sugar.
Cause: May be caused by chemical imbalance, or by liver disease or pancreatic tumors.
Useful Supplements: Chromium, Copper, Magnesium, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Zinc.
Further information: Hypoglycemia is a condition caused by extremely low blood sugar. It occurs when glucose is used too rapidly or not released into the blood quickly enough, or when excessive insulin is released (causing sugars to process too quickly).
While hypoglycemia also occurs on its own, it is often associated with diabetes, and can occur when too much insulin is taken, meals are not eaten often enough, or exercise increases without an increase in food intake.
Symptoms of hypoglycemia include fatigue, trembling, headache, blurred vision, confusion, and sudden irritability.
The best way to avoid hypoglycemia is through regular diet and exercise. Diabetics should follow their prescribed diet and medication schedules.
When hypoglycemia occurs, the first thing to do is have a quick sugary snack. If this does not help, more food, or possibly an injection of glucagon, may be needed.
In severe cases, blood sugar drops to the point that the patient loses consciousness. When this condition, called insulin shock, occurs, emergency help should be called immediately.
To avoid continued difficulties, hypoglycemics should eliminate alcohol,1 refined sugars,2 and caffeine from their diets. Foods rich in fiber are recommended, and frequent small meals are better than widely spaced large meals.3
In some cases, low blood sugar may be connected to food allergies.4
While high protein, high carbohydrate diets have long been recommended for patients with low blood sugar, this may not be the best approach. Increased protein intake can interfere with the body’s ability to process sugar,5 because protein increases insulin levels.6
The following supplements may be helpful in the treatment of hypoglycemia:
Chromium, taken at 200 mcg daily, can help prevent blood sugar levels from suddenly dropping.7
Magnesium, taken at 340 mg daily, may also help control blood sugar levels.8 Magnesium should not be taken with patients with kidney disease.
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) may also be helpful in the treatment of hypoglycemia.9
Other potentially helpful nutrients include Copper, Vitamin B6, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Zinc.10
References
1O’Keefe SJD, Marks V. Lunchtime gin and tonic as a cause of reactive hypoglycemia. Lancet 1977;i:1286–88.
2Sanders LR, Hofeldt FD, Kirk MC, Levin J. Refined carbohydrate as a contributing factor in reactive hypoglycemia. Southern Med J 1982;75(9):1072–75.
3Hofeldt FD. Reactive hypoglycemia. Metabol 1975;24(10):1193–1208.
4Rippere V. A little something between meals: masked addiction not low blood blood-sugar. Lancet 1979(June 23):1349 [letter].
5Anderson JW, Herman RH. Effects of carbohydrate restriction on glucose tolerance of normal men and reactive hypoglycemic patients. Am J Clin Nutr 1975;28:748.
6Ullrich IH, Peters PJ, Albrink JA. Effect of low-carbohydrate diets high in either fat or protein on thyroid function, plasma insulin, glucose, and triglycerides in healthy young adults. J Am Coll Nutr 1985;4:451.
7Anderson RA et al. Chromium supplementation of humans with hypoglycemia. Fed Proc 1984;43:471.
8Stebbing JB et al. Reactive hypoglycemia and magnesium. Mag Bull 1982;2:131–34.
9Shansky A. Vitamin B3 in the alleviation of hypoglycemia. Drug Cosm Ind 1981;129(4):68–69,104–5
10Gaby AR, Wright JV. Nutritional regulation of blood glucose. J Advancement Med 1991;4(1):57–71.
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