Hypoglycemia can mimic many diseases.  Often, it is a component of conditions such as alcoholism, allergies, colitis, constipation, indigestion, obesity, and nutritional deficiencies.  Symptoms of hypoglycemia can include anxiety, chest pain, confusion, cravings for sweets, depression, dizziness, fatigue, headache, hunger, insomnia, irritability, and night sweats.

There are two main types of hypoglycemia: reactive and functional.  If you skip meals and then fill your stomach with junk food, such as a candy bar or soda pop, your pancreatic enzymes speed into action.  Insulin will be over-secreted and “reactive hypoglycemia” results.  When this occurs, your adrenal glands produce adrenaline to counteract the lowered blood sugar level. “Functional hypoglycemia” refers to symptoms of hypoglycemia that are precipitated by an inadequate diet.   Functional hypoglycemia is the most common form of hypoglycemia.  It has a direct relationship to the time and type of meal that was last eaten.

Hypoglycemia is evidence of a body under stress.  Proper functioning of the adrenal glands is necessary to handle stress.  It is adrenaline that stimulates the increased heart rate, sudden feeling of panic, hunger, and sweating so characteristic of hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia results when adrenaline and other stimulants are released by the adrenal glands in response to low blood sugar.  Easing stress on the adrenals is essential in minimizing symptoms of hypoglycemia.

If you’re not sure whether or not you have hypoglycemia, ask your doctor to perform a five hour glucose tolerance test.  This can be a somewhat stressful ordeal.  Nevertheless, this is the standard laboratory test used in the diagnosis of hypoglycemia. 

Royal Recommendations for Prevention and Treatment

1. Eliminate refined and processed foods (e.g., white flour, white sugar, white rice, and white salt) from your diet.  Refined carbohydrates appear to be major factors in reactive hypoglycemia.

2. Avoid sweet fruits and juices.  These tend to cause quick elevations in blood sugar.  Also, avoid alcohol and stimulants such as coffee, tea, tobacco (See “Smoking Addiction”), and caffeinated soft drinks that result in profound swings of the blood sugar.

3. Check your food allergies.  (See “Allergy—Food.”)  Food sensitivities can stimulate the pancreas to over-secrete insulin, the adrenals to overproduce adrenaline, and other symptoms which may be unique to the individual.

4. Don’t go without food.  Instead, eat 6-8 small meals throughout the day.  Eating protein, such as raw cheese, or a complex carbohydrate, such as an apple or carrot, between meals will help to prevent wide swings in blood sugar since they are digested more slowly.  Eating a snack before bedtime may also be helpful.  If a reaction does occur, drink some fruit juice and get the blood sugar up.

5. Increase your fiber intake by increasing your consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Oat bran, brown rice, guar gum, and psyllium husk are also good sources of fiber.  Fiber can inhibit fluctuations in the blood sugar and slow the hypoglycemic reaction.  (See “Constipation.”)

6. Reduce your stress.  Learn meditation or yoga or just sit quietly, with your eyes closed, for a while every day.  Yoga also improves diaphragmatic breathing, which, in turn, induces relaxation and reduces stress.  Learning to relax will put you in better control of your life.

7. Determine if your thyroid is functioning normally by measuring your basal body temperature.  Place a thermometer under your arm for 10 minutes before arising in the morning on two consecutive days.  Your basal body temperature should be greater than 97.8.  If not, then you could probably benefit from natural thyroid supplementation.  (See “Hypothyroidism.”)

8. Consider adrenal support with the adrenal hormone precursors, DHEA and Pregnenolone. These are the “mother steroids” from which adrenal hormones are made.  DHEA and Pregnenolone can “rest” the adrenals.  Both DHEA and Pregnenolone are safe in phsyiologic doses (the amount your adrenals should make everyday when not under stress) and can obtained from natural sources.  They are best taken either dissolved in vitamin E oil or in a micronized powdered form.  Quality of the product can be insured when ordered through a compound pharmacy.  The daily physiologic dose for men is 5.0 mg of DHEA and 10.0 mg of Pregnenolone; for women it is 2.5 mg of DHEA and 30.0 mg of Pregnenolone.  If high doses of DHEA are being taken, a physician should monitor the patient’s DHEA or DHEA-S bloodlevels. (See “Stress.”)

9. Heart rate variability testing, an assessment of heart rate variations, can reveal if an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system exists.  The autonomic nervous system regulates the production of hormones in the body.  An imbalance in the ANS can now be treated with non-cognitive biofeedback (e.g., recycling of the heart rate variations).

10. Mercury amalgam in the teeth is vaporized from hot liquids and chewing and absorbed into the body.  This can weaken the adrenal glands, exacerbate food sensitivities, interfere with thyroid function, and inhibit liver enzymes from detoxifying the body properly.  Excessive body burden levels of mercury, as well as other heavy metals, should be properly checked.  (See “Chelation Therapy.”)

11. Supplements known to be beneficial in the treatment of hypoglycemia include:  vitamins A, C, and E, B-complex (with additional B5 or Pantothenic Acid), the minerals calcium, magnesium, manganese,  vanadium, and zinc, digestive enzymes, the amino acids L-Carnitine, L-Cysteine, and L-Glutamine, and blue-green algae between meals.

12. Herbs known to be beneficial include juniper berries and licorice.

13. Homeopathics recommended include Arsenicum Album (for mental fatigue and exhaustion), Hepar Sulphuris (for weakness and sweating), Nux Vomica (for food cravings).  Homeopathics made from the adrenal gland, hypothalamus or pituitary are also helpful in supporting glandular regulation of blood sugar.

To learn more about healing and health optimizing therapies, go to www.NewHopeMedical.org or call NEW HOPE MEDICAL CENTER at (702) 476-0000 (direct line) or toll free (866) HEAL-NOW!