Reactive hypoglycemia: what it is and how it affects our mood

Reactive hypoglycemia shows to what extent biological processes linked to nutrition can affect our mood and predispose us to behave in one way or another.

In this article We will see what reactive hypoglycemia is and how it has an impact on our emotions and psychological processes in general.

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What is reactive hypoglycemia?

Reactive hypoglycemia, or postprandial hypoglycemia, is an affectation consisting of the appearance of low blood sugar levels just after a meal, a fact that generates a series of unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms for the person who eats it. suffers.

This alteration generally occurs during the 3 or 4 hours following a certain meal, which differentiates it from classic hypoglycemia, which occurs when the person is fasting.

The direct cause of reactive hypoglycemia is not completely clear, although it may be related to any of the following: causes, depending on the person: the type of food eaten, variations in the movement of food through the digestive tract digestive. In general, it translates into a temporary lack of energy resources that the body can count on to give the cells what they need to function at full capacity.

Some other causes that we can find to explain reactive hypoglycemia are alcohol consumption, certain surgical procedures such as gastric bypass or ulcer surgery, hereditary or certain metabolic disorders tumors.

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How do reactive hypoglycemia affect mood?

As indicated, reactive hypoglycemia is related to a series of symptoms, among which the following stand out: weakness, feeling hungry, pale skin, tremors, anemia, dizziness, sweating, and general malaise.

In addition to that, some of the psychological symptoms that can appear in people who present this type of alteration are anxiety, extreme tiredness, insomnia, disorientation and in the most extreme cases, psychosis.

Although symptoms vary from person to person, what is common to all individuals with reactive hypoglycemia is physical and emotional fatigue. The tendency to suffer from this situation on a regular basis can significantly affect your ability to adapt to the demands of everyday life, manifesting itself in a lack of motivation and a tendency to procrastinate, or even a greater propensity to suffer stress and anxiety due to the feeling that the situation overwhelms us, we have too many "fronts" to deal with and we do not have enough energy to carry out these tasks or responsibilities.

Thus, it's easy for a self-fulfilling prophecy to emerge: the person feels that he will not be able to convince himself to do what he has to do and, faced with this discomfort, tries to stop thinking about those pending tasks, thus falling into procrastination.

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What can be done in the face of reactive hypoglycemia?

Treatment of reactive hypoglycemia consists of an initial medical evaluation to determine if the symptoms the person is experiencing are actually caused by low blood sugar or No.

If so, what is done next is to confirm that the symptoms subside as soon as the person has normal blood sugar levels, and in case of more severe symptoms, further tests may be performed medical,

Although reactive hypoglycemia is not associated with specific medical treatment and its effects dissipate relatively quickly on their own, there are some healthy measures that can be put into practice related to the person's diet, so that your symptoms disappear and improve your quality of life.

The main changes in diet and meal timing that can be implemented in a person with reactive hypoglycemia are:

1. To eat a balanced diet

Starting a balanced diet during the week is one of the best ways we have to avoid the effects of reactive hypoglycemia and It is a very healthy habit that will give us energy and both physical and mental health..

Maintaining a balanced diet means eating healthy foods like lean protein that doesn't come from meat and high-fiber foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

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2. avoid some foods

Some of the foods that we must inhabit if we present this type of alteration are sugary foods and simple processed carbohydrates such as white bread or white pasta.

It is of great importance avoid eating simple processed carbohydrates on an empty stomach at all costs, since they especially affect people with reactive hypoglycemia.

3. Eating food when drinking alcohol

Alcohol on an empty stomach is also highly inadvisable, which is why whenever alcohol is consumed, it should be done eating some type of food to accompany it.

Nevertheless, the consumption of alcohol is not recommended in any case, neither for people with reactive hypoglycemia nor in those who do not present said alteration.

4. Eat several meals a day

In order to avoid drastic drops in blood sugar, it is highly recommended to eat several small meals throughout the day, spaced approximately every 3 hours. In this way, very copious meals are avoided.

Small meals or snacks can be of any type, but are generally recommended to be pieces of fruit, vegetables or healthy foods with little sugar.

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