Low Blood Sugar: The Nutritional Plan to Overcome Hypoglycaemia, with 60 Recipes. Martin Budd, N.D., D.O.

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       CHAPTER 3 The symptoms of low blood sugar

      One of the main problems in accurately diagnosing low blood sugar is that many of the symptoms of the condition can have other causes.

       General symptoms and problems

      To discuss the diversity of symptoms caused by low blood sugar would take up most of this book. However, the list below is a representative selection of the most common symptoms that can be caused in part or wholly by low blood sugar.

      I am sure there will be many eyebrows raised at the great variety and number of symptoms I have listed and, at first sight, it is difficult to imagine that there is a common theme to all these conditions.

      Interestingly though, many of the symptoms of low blood sugar are classed by doctors as ‘stress disorders’ and I hope to show, by describing the effect of sugar on the nervous system, that many of these symptoms are in fact due to nutritional imbalances and not ‘personality failings’. You may see several of your own symptoms on the list; but simply to scan this list, recognize your symptoms and blame low blood sugar is not the answer. As previously stated, many of these symptoms may have other causes, not least of which could be stress.

      Self-diagnosis is therefore not advisable; a naturopath or sympathetic doctor should be able to offer more objective diagnostic methods. These can include, in addition to detailed case-history taking, the six-hour glucose tolerance test, the measurement of adrenal and thyroid hormones and a blood insulin test (these will be discussed in due course).

      At some time in their lives most people experience one or more of the symptoms listed above. They are usually caused by transient low blood sugar – a temporary or passing fall in the blood sugar level. This is rapidly rectified by the body’s own sugar regulation mechanism. Once a balance is achieved, the symptoms usually disappear. If, however, there is a chronic imbalance in our sugar regulation, the symptoms may well improve or change, but they will always return if the actual imbalance is not corrected.

      Now let us look more closely at the way in which a drop in the blood sugar directly affects the various organs and systems of the body, giving rise to the symptoms outlined. In this way you will begin to understand why the blood sugar level is so important to the normal running of the body. The effects of low blood sugar can be classified as follows:

       Nervous system changes

      The main nutrient needed by the nervous system is glucose. There is no really adequate substitute and, although other substances are involved, they cannot replace glucose. Unfortunately, it is not fully understood just how glucose acts on the nervous system, but it has been noted that when a healthy patient is injected with insulin (the opposite of glucose), profound and sudden changes in the efficiency of the nervous system occur within minutes. This is completely reversed by an injection of glucose. This tends to confirm that the nervous system requires a continuous supply of glucose in order to function efficiently.

      Although the weight of an adult brain is only two per cent of the total body weight, the activity of the brain, in terms of utilization of glucose, may amount to 20–25 per cent of the total body activity. In spite of this, the total amount of glucose concentrated within the brain at any one time would, under normal conditions, be exhausted in 10–15 minutes. The effects of glucose starvation on the brain and nerve tissue as a result of a low level of blood sugar are as follows:

      1 Insufficient oxygen.

      2 Reduction in specific substances within the brain that are essential for nervous activity.

      Let us look at the symptoms that can result from such changes.

       CIRCULATORY CHANGES

      Not surprisingly, the system first affected by a drop in the blood sugar level is the blood circulatory system. This, of course, includes the heart and blood vessels. When the blood sugar falls, the body automatically reacts in an attempt to restore balance to the system. This response involves the release of adrenaline from the adrenal glands, to raise the blood sugar. Adrenaline is also released in stressful situations. This means that if an individual has persistent low blood sugar, they may have symptoms similar to those produced by chronic stress. These can include:

      1 An irregular increase in the heart rate, causing palpitations and breathing difficulties.

      2 Angina-like symptoms involving a reduction in circulation to the heart muscle, chest cramp and pain in the chest and arms.

      3 A general withdrawal of blood to deal with the ‘stress effects’, causing coldness of the hands and feet, muscular cramp and a poor adaptation to temperature changes.

       GLANDULAR CHANGES

      The changes involved in the glandular system following a drop in the blood sugar level are widespread and could well provide sufficient material for another book. However, in СКАЧАТЬ