Saint Andre shares four tips for avoiding sugar hangovers: 1. And it's really hard to avoid binging on those fun-size candy bars leftover from Halloween.īut, when you do decide to indulge, is a sugar hangover always a guarantee?ĭr. Just as it's hard to order the drip coffee instead of a pumpkin spice latte most days of the week. It's hard to choose a piece of fruit over a handful of cookies for dessert night after night. "People who have diabetes, on the other hand, will need to take postprandial hyperglycemia much more seriously because it's much easier for your blood sugar to rise to unhealthy levels and for more serious immediate and long-term consequences to occur." Can you avoid a sugar hangover? "What this means is that most people don't need to worry so much about the symptoms of postprandial hyperglycemia, but if you frequently engage in eating behaviors that spike your blood sugar, it could eventually lead to the development of type 2 diabetes," says Dr. High blood sugar damages your blood vessels and, ultimately, leads to health conditions such as: If this persists, type 2 diabetes develops." "When your body becomes resistant to insulin, even if it's still able to make plenty of insulin, it's much harder to control your blood sugar and, unfortunately, this means your blood sugar is more likely to remain high for longer periods of time. "The issue, however, is that frequent blood sugar spikes can, over time, lead to insulin resistance, which might develop into type 2 diabetes," warns Dr. And, for most people, this whole process happens fairly quickly. The end result is plenty of immediate energy, some energy reserves that you can tap into later if needed, and your blood sugar returning back to a normal level. Here's how it works:Īs soon as your body senses your blood sugar is rising, your pancreas releases insulin - a hormone that helps your body turn glucose into energy and store any extra glucose away for later use. In fact, it has specific sensors and mechanisms designed solely to keep your blood sugar levels in balance. Saint Andre.Īt its healthiest, your body knows how to handle blood sugar spikes. "The mild symptoms associated with postprandial hyperglycemia might not themselves be cause for concern, but the blood sugar spike that brings on those symptoms can affect your health over time if they occur frequently enough," warns Dr. But, long-term, the underlying cause of a sugar hangover can have consequences. Is a sugar hangover bad for you?įor most people, a sugar hangover isn't anything more than an immediate, temporary nuisance. If your blood sugar is allowed to fall dangerously low, loss of consciousness and even death can result. This, in turn, can cause symptoms of lightheadedness, shakiness, irritability, sweating, anxiety and palpitations. In addition, as your body attempts to handle a blood sugar spike, it may overcorrect - resulting in a brief state of low blood sugar, called reactive hypoglycemia. It can take up to about two hours to develop, and symptoms of hyperglycemia include: This particular type of hyperglycemia is called postprandial hyperglycemia - or, more simply, after-meal hyperglycemia. But, if you eat a large amount of sugar or have a high carbohydrate meal, there can be a short period of time where you become hyperglycemic - meaning your blood sugar reaches high enough levels to cause unpleasant side effects." "Most people's bodies are excellent at regulating blood sugar levels, so blood sugar spikes are typically brief. This blood sugar spike, if dramatic enough, is what causes that dreaded sugar hangover. These glucose molecules are then rapidly absorbed into your bloodstream, causing a spike in your blood sugar," explains Dr. "Whether it's a sugar-heavy snack or a processed food item like white bread, your body quickly digests simple carbohydrates into simple sugars - namely glucose. We've all experienced the hangover-like malaise that comes along with being a little too snacky, but what do you really know about a sugar hangover? What is a sugar hangover exactly? "For most people, this rapid increase in blood sugar doesn't last long, and its related symptoms aren't cause for any immediate concern." Karla Saint Andre, endocrinologist at Houston Methodist. "Eating a large amount of sugar or simple carbs in one sitting can result in some mild, but unpleasant, side effects - particularly if your blood sugar gets high enough," says Dr. ![]() You can pick any name you want for this phenomenon, but, to your body, it's all just one issue: Something you ate sent your blood sugar up - way up - and there are some short-lived, but uncomfortable, consequences. (It's not really a hangover, and it's a certainly not a coma). It goes by many names, a few of which trend towards dramatic.
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