Hypoglycemia & Sugar: Is there a correlation?
Understanding the Connection Between Sugar Consumption and Hypoglycemia: A Personal Journey to Recovery
It is both an honor and a privilege that Dr. Nancy Appleton invited me to write this chapter on Hypoglycemia & Sugar: Is There a Correlation? Having known each other personally and professionally for more than 20 years, she understands why this topic is so deeply personal to me—and why it is so important to share.
I have lived through the harsh reality of hypoglycemia and the equally damaging effects of not knowing what sugar can do to the body and mind. It took a life-altering experience for me to fully grasp why sugar has been called the “white plague,” the “quiet killer,” and one of the most destructive, addictive substances in modern diets. Some experts have written that sugar contributes to fatal diseases, fuels crime and delinquency, and may underlie many mental and emotional problems. The late Dr. Harvey Ross perhaps said it best in his book HYPOGLYCEMIA: THE DISEASE YOUR DOCTOR WON’T TREAT:
“The difference between eating natural, unrefined carbohydrates and refined sugar can be the difference between life and death, for refined sugar is lethal when ingested by human beings.”
As a young mother, I had no understanding of sugar’s consequences. I lived on Yankee Doodles, Devil Dogs, hot fudge sundaes, and apple pie. Some days I barely ate; others, my meals consisted of pasta and bread. It’s no wonder I suffered from chronic fatigue, struggled to wake up in the morning, battled insomnia, endured splitting headaches, and sank into a depression so deep I wondered, “Am I going crazy?”
That was my life for 10 long years—from 1960 to 1970. During that time, I visited dozens of doctors, underwent countless tests, swallowed thousands of pills, and even endured electric shock therapy. Finally, someone diagnosed me with severe functional hypoglycemia—low blood sugar—and recommended a simple treatment: a diet. A glucose tolerance test and the elimination of sugar changed everything. For the first time in a decade, I felt hope. I was finally on the road to recovery.
What saddens me is that what happened to me nearly 40 years ago is still happening to people today.
I receive almost 500 emails each month from around the world through my website, Hypoglycemia.org, an extension of the Hypoglycemia Support Foundation, Inc., which I founded in 1980. I created the HSF to offer information, support, and encouragement to those suffering—resources I desperately needed when I was sick and alone.
My message remains simple: Your symptoms may not be in your head.
If you experience fatigue, insomnia, confusion, mood swings, faintness, headaches, depression, phobias, blurred vision, nervousness, inner trembling, sudden hunger, heart palpitations, cravings for sweets, allergies, crying spells—just to name a few—you may have functional hypoglycemia. In many cases, it stems from poor diet, stress, and lifestyle.
But what exactly is hypoglycemia, and what role does sugar play? To explain clearly and accurately, I turned to Dr. Lorna Walker, the HSF’s nutritionist for the past 25 years. Here is her insight:
“Seale Harris, M.D., first described reactive or functional hypoglycemia in 1924 and appropriately labeled it hyperinsulinism. Today, the terms reactive hypoglycemia, functional hypoglycemia, and idiopathic hyperinsulinism are used interchangeably.
The diagnosis is made using the 6-hour Glucose Tolerance Test, which challenges the pancreas with a glucose load while measuring blood glucose and insulin over time. Low glucose levels accompanied by elevated insulin confirm reactive hypoglycemia.
In hypoglycemia, the pancreas is overly sensitive to rapid spikes in blood sugar and responds by releasing too much insulin. But does eating sugar cause hypoglycemia? Though few formal studies exist on sugar consumption and hypoglycemia, strong empirical evidence suggests a connection.
The clearest evidence lies in treatment: patients improve on a diet low in sugars and refined carbohydrates. Since the average American consumes nearly 100 pounds of sugar annually, it is reasonable to assume that many will overtax their pancreas and develop reactive hypoglycemia.
We must also consider the rise in Type II diabetes—even in children as young as 12. Like hypoglycemics, Type II diabetics have elevated insulin levels, but their cells no longer respond to insulin properly. Obesity plays a role, but we know insulin promotes fat storage—more insulin, more fat. Is it not reasonable to conclude that constant consumption of sugary, refined foods wears down the pancreas until it can no longer regulate blood glucose? Dr. Harris himself said, ‘The low blood sugar of today is the diabetes of tomorrow.’
The treatment for Type II diabetes mirrors that of hypoglycemia: weight loss and the same dietary principles. With such clear evidence pointing to diet as a major factor in hypoglycemia, it is time for the scientific community to conduct the studies needed to confirm it.”
Whether you have been diagnosed with hypoglycemia or simply suspect it, the first step is education. Learn all you can about this condition so you can choose a knowledgeable healthcare professional to guide your diagnosis and treatment. In the meantime, examine your diet, track your symptoms, and eliminate the biggest offender: sugar.
Do that, and you’ve already taken the first step toward healing—your journey toward recovery has begun.
