Hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by low blood sugar or glucose. Since carbohydrates convert easily to glucose, you would think think that increasing carb intake would fix the problem. But that's not how your body works. The best way to treat low blood sugar is prevention. Choosing the right carbohydrates and limiting overall intake helps stabilize glucose levels and stops the high and low blood sugar cycle typical of people with hypoglycemia.
The Glucose Cycle
Your body's preferred energy source is glucose, which your body produces from carbohydrates in the food you eat. When you eat carbohydrates such as sugar or starch, your body convert them into glucose, raising blood sugar. The faster your blood sugar rises the more likely your pancreas overproduces insulin to try to keep up with demand. Once glucose has been moved into your cells, excess insulin in your bloodstream fools your brain into believing you need more glucose, leading to hypoglycemia -- the first symptom of which is often hunger and a craving for sugar. If you give in to that craving, you start the cycle again, flooding your body with more glucose and even more insulin.
The "Right" Carbohydrates
Your body needs carbohydrates -- they provide essential nutrients. Although you want to limit sugar and starch, you don't want to limit high-fiber carbs such as vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains that promote a gradual rise in blood sugar. A "low-carb" diet isn't a "no-carb" diet and you should be wary of any fad diet that seeks to eliminate all carbohydrates. To eliminate hypoglycemia, University of Maryland Medical Center recommends that you eat between 100 and 150 g of carbs daily. This is still less than the suggested amount the 2010 USDA dietary guidelines recommend you consume -- between 45 and 65 percent of your calories from carbs -- but still ensures that you'll receive the vitamins and minerals you need from your diet.
The Glycemic Index
One tool for choosing carbs that won't spike your blood sugar is the glycemic index. Developed in Australia at Sydney University, the glycemic index, or GI, measures the potential effect of food on your glucose level. Foods score between 1 and 100 -- the higher the score, the faster your blood sugar level rises. Low-GI foods score 55 or less and should comprise the bulk of your carb choices. To stop episodes of hypoglycemia, choose low-GI carbs that won't skyrocket your blood sugar, followed by an inevitable crash. You'll still need to make healthy choices; because fat slows digestion, sweets high in both sugar and fat, such as chocolate candy, may have a low GI score. A piece of fruit with a slightly higher GI score is always a better choice than candy.
Low-Carb Diets Fight Insulin Resistance
If you're overweight, losing weight will help your body use insulin more effectively and can help prevent insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. You can design your own food plan based on the number of calories you need to consume or you may choose to work with a dietitian to develop a personalized eating plan. Many popular low-carb diets are based on the glycemic index and can help control hypoglycemia. The number of carbs you eat on a low-carb diet can vary from 20 g to 150 g daily, depending on your individual needs.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Hypoglycemia; Jan. 2010
- Ask the Dietitian: Hypoglycemia and Low Blood Sugar
- Jackson/Siegelbaum Gastroenterology: Hypoglycemia; Frank Jackson; 2008
- Glycemic Index: About Glycemic Index
- Mercola.com; Low Grain and Carbohydrate Diets Treat Hypoglycemia, Heart Disease, Diabetes Cancer and Nearly ALL Chronic Illness ; Joseph Brasco, MD
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Low Carb Diets -- The Right Way to Go?
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