Fatigue After Eating Sugar

We all love sweets and once in a while, like to indulge in them. Some of us even get sugar cravings which no other food can satisfy. Sweets or for that matter any other high sugar content food item can alleviate our mood or so we think. In some people however, it has an opposite effect. It might cause tiredness in them and they often wonder,"why do I get tired after eating sweets?". Let's find out the reasons for experiencing fatigue after eating sugar and try to answer their query.

Reasons for Fatigue After Eating Sugar

Homeostasis
There is a myth associated with sugar that it provides instant energy to the body. The truth is that when a person consumes sugar, the blood sugar levels rise. The pancreas then produces insulin to maintain homeostasis or stable blood sugar levels in the body. This causes a sudden decrease in the blood sugar levels, making a person tired. Thus, feeling tiredness after eating sugar is very natural. Most of the time, it goes away on its own, once the blood sugar levels become normal again. Homeostasis, a normal body response could be behind your experiencing fatigue after eating sugar. To stop this tiredness after eating sweets, avoid them as much as you can. Also, refrain from foods containing refined carbohydrates like bread, pasta and rice, among others. Eat a balanced diet and maintain a regularity vis-a-vis the meal timings. Avoid any drastic change in your diet like going on a crash diet or a liquid diet, so that the blood sugar levels are stable.

Imbalance of Serotonin
Serotonin is a chemical that transmits signals from one area of the brain to another. It influences brain cells related to a number of body functions like sleep, appetite and memory. When a person eats foods high in sugar, the natural response of the body begins. The blood sugar levels rise and the pancreas releases more insulin into the blood to balance that. In some persons, excessive insulin production takes place, causing a protein building block called tryptophan to proceeds towards the brain. Tryptophan joins hydroxylase in the brain to form serotonin. An imbalance of serotonin can make the body seem worn out and sleepy after eating sweets. This is another reason behind tiredness after eating sugar.

Reactive Hypoglycemia
If the fatigue after eating is accompanied by other symptoms like heart palpitations, nervousness, dizziness, light-headedness, headaches, sweating, insomnia and panic attacks, you could be suffering from reactive hypoglycemia. This condition can occur in both diabetics and non-diabetics. When a reactive hypoglycemic consumes sweets or high sugar content foods, his pancreas produce and release excess insulin in the blood stream. This causes the blood sugar level to fall rapidly, hence causing fatigue after eating sweets.

Pre-Diabetes
Pre-diabetes is a state when a person's blood sugar levels are higher than normal but not high enough to qualify for Type 2 diabetes. Reason for your tiredness after eating sugar could be that you are in a pre-diabetic state. Pre-diabetes occurs when the pancreas produce less insulin or when the body does not utilize the insulin released by pancreas properly. Take a home glucose test to confirm whether you are a pre-diabetic. Pre-diabetes can be cured by losing excess weight, refraining from sweets and carbohydrate rich foods. However, if it remains undiagnosed or is overlooked, it can cause Type 2 diabetes.

If you experience fatigue after eating sugar occasionally, then there is nothing to worry about, as it is something very common. However, if the tiredness after eating sugar is in extreme and does not go away on its own, it is recommended that you get yourself thoroughly examined by a doctor. After all, a man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools.