This is a summary of an article found at Levels Health
The Yolk
- Sugar might cause headaches through high or low blood sugar – but it’s not clear in research
- Possible reasons for sugar causing headaches:
- High glycemic variability – blood sugar goes up and down too much (like a rollercoaster) from extra stress, poor sleep, diet, exercise
- Over stimulated brain regions from the “after crash” of eating sugars
- Other possibilities of headaches are also likely:
- Stress
- Poor posture
- Dehydration
- Food and chemical sensitivity
- Overstimulation in your environment
- What about sugar and migraines?
- How to prevent a headache that might be sugar related:
- Stabilize blood sugar by:
- Moving More
- Muscles moving helps take up sugar from the blood and therefore, lowers insulin response
- Post meal walks are helpful
- Balancing Your Meals
- Increase whole grains, protein, veggies, fiber and fat to help slow down the glycemic response
- Avoid eating sugary foods or carbs alone – add in protein, fat, fiber
- Taking Sleep Seriously
- 7-8 hours
- Lack of sleep causes us to use glucose less effectively
- Managing Stress
- To lower glucose levels, prevent sugary food cravings
- Spending more time outdoors
Perspective
- No clear answer but the advice here is sound – improve your health overall!
- As always, go for healthy, balanced meals
- Regulating blood sugar is so important for many things, so it’s good to take action on it regardless
- See a doctor to test blood sugar levels if you’re concerned (hemoglobin A1C test)
- Keep track of foods you eat and how you feel afterwards
- If you don’t have any medical conditions, consider the above (diet, exercise, sleep, stress) when experiencing a headache
Research & Resources
