Are Low Blood Sugar Levels Giving You Headaches?
Are headaches and migraine attacks giving you hell? Find out if low blood sugar level is the mastermind behind them all.
A reader sent in a comment for my article on 10 Grams Less Sugar, 10 Times More Sweetness in Life suggesting that my recurrent headache could be the result of low blood sugar. This note got me interested in the link between the two and to find out the possible trigger since I don’t have diabetes (thank goodness!) and hence don’t take any insulin-elevating drugs that may cause low blood glucose level.
In this article, I will share with you some of my personal findings, which I must highlight are not an exhaustive discussion on headache and the condition of having low blood sugar — both of which can have an unimaginable number of causes. And like the other articles on this website, this post is a work-in-progress and will be updated as and when I’ve gathered more information.
How Does the Body Maintain Blood Sugar
Glucose is our body’s main source of energy and it is obtained by breaking down the foods we eat — mainly from carbohydrates such as whole grains, vegetables, fruits and beans.
When glucose is absorbed by the blood, a type of hormone called insulin is produced by the pancreas to tell cells in other parts of the body to use the blood sugar for energy. Excess glucose that are not used immediately will be converted into glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles as backup energy reserve. In normal circumstances, when blood sugar is being used up or stored, insulin production will reduce and/or stop.
In between meals when we are not eating, our blood sugar level will drop gradually over time. When it falls beyond a certain level, the pancreas will get to work again. This time, it will produce another type of hormone called glucagon in an attempt to return the blood sugar level to normal. It accomplishes this task by telling the liver to release its backup energy reserve and convert glycogen into glucose for fuel. Glucagon also activates the release of insulin, so that the fresh dose of glucose will be put to good use.
As you can see, insulin and glucagon work hand in hand to ensure that the level of glucose in our body is steady and balanced. When they are working properly, we will feel physically strong and mentally stable.
But as Murphy’s Law would have it, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong”. There are a few ways in which blood glucose control can go awry and trigger headache.
How Low Blood Sugar Level Can Cause Headache
Whenever we feast on cookies, soda, candies and other high-sugar content foods, our blood glucose level will increase sharply within a short time. This sends the pancreas into a frantic mode as it tries to lower our blood sugar to decent level by releasing large amounts of insulin. The flash flood of insulin will in turn drive the blood sugar level down as quickly as it has climbed. The dramatic increase and fall in sugar level can have a number of possible side effects, one of which is headache or migraine attack.
When our blood sugar level swings wildly, it can adversely affect the regulation of other hormones such as adrenaline. As the level of adrenaline affects the contraction of blood vessels, a sudden drop in blood sugars may cause the arteries in the head to spasm in people who are susceptible. This is then felt as pain which we known as headache.
Eating highly-processed and sugary foods is not the only trigger. Going long hours without foods, starvation and taking insulin injection or pills can also cause blood sugar level to drop too low. In fact, there is a medical term to describe the state of having a lower than normal blood sugar level (less than 70mg/dL). It’s called hypoglycemia. However, not everyone who has hypoglycemia will experience headache, or suffer the same symptoms. Hypoglycemia may be an indication of a serious medical condition. If you suspect that your blood sugar levels often cross into the hypoglycemia zone, do consult a doctor for a thorough medical examination.
Low Blood Sugar Affects Mental Functions
You probably have the experience where you’re so hungry that you can’t think straight. This is not a mere coincidence. Glucose also happens to be the primary source of energy for the brain. The more you’re required to think, analyze or solve problems, the more glucose your brain will need in order to work optimally.
It’s then not surprising that the level of glucose available to the brain affects our mental functions. If we don’t have enough glucose to fuel the brain, work that require mental effort such as decision making will be greatly affected.
Do you know that hypoglycemia doesn’t just trigger bad headaches? It can also cause irritability, anxiety, shakiness, confusion and heart palpitations, symptoms that resemble that of anxiety attack. If you’ve had episodes of panic attacks, it may be worthwhile to ensure that hypoglycemia is not responsible for them.
Although glucose is an important source of fuel for the body and the brain, as we’ve seen, it’s not a good idea to consume high sugar foods in one go. How then should we eat to ensure that our blood sugar level remains steady and balanced? That’s what we’ll discuss next.
Manage Blood Glucose Level to Prevent Headaches & Migraine Attacks
If you suspect that your chronic headaches or migraine are the result of low blood sugar, here are a few suggestions to prevent future attacks:
How to Keep Low-Blood-Sugar-Triggered Headaches & Migraines Away
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Test your blood glucose level. There are many possible causes of headaches. To make sure yours is due to low blood sugar, the best way is to get a test. You can get a reading of your blood glucose level either through your family physician or with a blood glucose meter.
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Avoid foods with high glycemic load. These foods are converted into glucose quickly and will spike your blood sugar quickly. Glycemic load is a better gauge than glycemic index of the impact of a particular food on blood glucose level as it takes into consideration the amount of carbohydrate. If you’re trying to maintain a stable blood sugar level, avoid foods with glycemic load values above 19. You can find a pretty comprehensive list of foods with their glycemic load values here.
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Choose complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates such as vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits and whole grains have lower glycemic load compared to highly processed white flour based products and sugars. That means, they will break down more slowly and release glucose more gradually and steadily into the bloodstream.
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Include some fat, fiber and protein in each meal. Healthy fat, plant fiber and lean protein will help to slow down the absorption of sugar and ensure a steady supply of sugar in the blood. Some healthy fats you could use moderately are extra virgin olive oil and macadamia nut oil, both of which contain potent anti-inflammatory compounds. Lean protein to consider include tofu, lentils, low-fat cheese, wild salmon, and skinless turkey and chicken breast (preferably from free-range poultry).
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Eat every three to four hours. To avoid your blood sugar level dipping to a point that will trigger headache and migraine, eat every three to four hours. In any case, if you’re eating foods with medium to low glycemic load and they include some healthy fat, fiber and/or protein, your meal should last you for that long before you feel hungry again.
Of course, how fast your foods are burnt up also depends very much on your activity level. If you’re starting to feel hungry before your next meal, grab a handful of nuts and seeds to give yourself some sustainable energy which should last you for quite a while.
What other ways do you use to prevent low blood sugar level from giving you headaches? Share with us in the comments. Thanks!
I found this interesting as I suffer mirgrains on a daily bais and tonight had taken every possible drug in the medicine cabinet to try n get rid of it with no luck hrs after doing this I had a sugar craving had a chocolate bar n it started to subside very quickly . My mum used to suffer from the same thing mirgrains on a daily basis and no medication would seem to help much but softdrink seemed to help them I’m not diabetic nor was my mum
Yes, grass-fed meat from some of the bigger companies is quite expensive. On the other hand I get beef that is quite reasonable from a local farmer, and I don’t eat a lot of meat, so it’s not a major expense. Here’s a good article on Grist that urges our concern for how we spend our food dollars and how we treat our local farmers – but you can skip the comments which are mostly misguided and laced with misconceptions.
http://www.grist.org/article/food-do-you-have-the-balls-to-really-change-the-food-system
I have this same problem and I also get migraines even from exercising. I’m currently using a book called Beauty Detox solution to heal my hypoglycemia, although I have had the Nourishing Traditions book for years I can’t afford grass fed beef, although I had my own raw goat milk for a while, it’s hard to come by otherwise. I do raise my own chickens.
Thank you for sharing, Cheryl. I’m curious to know what specifically did you do that you’ve learned from the book?
Good! Nourishing Traditions was a real eye opener for me. It made so much more sense. I guess that was what prompted me to start my website.
Keep up the good work on your website, Kris!
If you really want to avoid hypoglycemia, it helps to drop the unjustified fear of natural saturated fats, and include plenty of butter, coconut oil, and other animal fats, including eggs, in your diet – from grass-fed animals preferably. This way a relatively low carb meal will ‘stick with you’ so you don’t get hungry so soon and the brain happily burns ketones while the body is in fat burning mode. As a practicing dietitian I made recommendations such as yours, but after I retired I found the book, Nourishing Traditions, which gave me a completely different and far better understanding of fats. See my story on my website if you want to know more.
Thank you for your advice, Kris! I’ve recently picked up Nourishing Traditions and I must say it’s really an eye opener. Right now, I’m trying to educate myself, confirm a couple of things I’ve read and unlearn lots of things I’ve picked up unconsciously in the past. You can bet that I’ll share my findings here on this website in due course. I’ve taken a quick look at your website. Wow, lots of interesting information that require some hours of serious reading. Meanwhile, I look forward to exchanging more views on nutrition and more with you here. Cheers!