why is my blood sugar lower after eating than fasting

Why does fasting blood sugar get high before you eat?

And since the diabetic liver tends to release more blood sugar than necessary, it results in an excessively high blood sugar level before you even think about eating. Getting one random fasting blood sugar result that's high before you eat probably isn’t a significant concern.

What happens if Your fasting and post meal blood sugar levels are reversed?

But if the numbers are reversed and your fasting blood sugar levels are higher than your postprandial levels, it could indicate a serious health problem. The American Diabetes Association, or ADA, recommends specific pre-meal and post-meal blood sugar ranges for healthy adults.

Why does my blood sugar increase when I don’t eat?

This is due to the effect of insulin falling and the rising counter-regulatory hormones including increased sympathetic tone, noradrenaline, cortisol and growth hormone, in addition to glucagon. These all have the effect of pushing glucose from liver storage into the blood. This is normal. If you are not eating, you want to use some stored glucose.

Does intermittent fasting give you glucose?

It can only have come from your own body (liver). So, it’s a natural phenomenon, and the fasting now allows your body to use some of the glucose for energy. When combining keto and 5:2 intermittent fasting on fasting days, do you still follow the macro guidelines for keto?

Why is my blood sugar high in the morning but normal after eating?

Commonly known reasons why your blood sugar may be high in the morning include high-carb bedtime snacks and not enough diabetes medications. Yet two lesser-known reasons may be causing your morning blood sugar woes: the dawn phenomenon and the Somogyi effect.

Why does blood sugar rise while fasting?

Glucagon during fasting When fasting the hormone glucagon is stimulated and this increases plasma glucose levels in the body. If a patient doesn't have diabetes, their body will produce insulin to rebalance the increased glucose levels.

How fast does blood sugar drop after eating?

Reactive hypoglycemia occurs when your body experiences low blood sugar after a meal. “It typically occurs about 2 hours after a meal,” says Zumpano, “and can sometimes even happen up to 4 hours after eating.”

What should your blood sugar be after 12 hours of fasting?

After a fast of 8 to 12 hours, your blood is drawn to measure the blood glucose level. A blood glucose level measuring below 6 mmol/L (100 mg/dL) is normal. If your blood glucose level is between 6.0 and 6.9 mmol/L (100 mg/dL and 125 mg/dL), you have prediabetes (impaired fasting glucose).

Is 120 blood sugar high in the morning?

A fasting blood glucose less than 100 is normal. 100-120 is called "impaired fasting glucose", or pre-diabetes. A person with a fasting blood sugar over 120, or a non-fasting blood sugar over 200, is diabetic. Impaired fasting glucose (IFG) should be seen as a wake-up call.

How do I know if I have reactive hypoglycemia?

Reactive hypoglycemia is a drop in blood glucose (sugar) that occurs after eating. Symptoms usually develop within four hours of consuming food and may include shakiness, dizziness, nausea, rapid heartbeat, and sweating. Severe cases can lead to fainting or seizures.

What should my blood sugar be 30 minutes after eating?

0:432:19What should be the blood sugar levels after 30 mins of food intake?YouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIf it contains simple sugars the blood glucose levels after 30 minutes can range from anythingMoreIf it contains simple sugars the blood glucose levels after 30 minutes can range from anything between 100 to up to 200.

Why does my blood sugar go down after eating?

A: It sounds like you may be experiencing something called reactive hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar after eating a meal, which is most likely due to a change in diet. Eating high-fiber carbohydrates is important because they provide the sugar the body needs, but they are also what causes the body to release insulin.

What is reactive hypoglycemia?

Reactive hypoglycemia is the general term for having a hypo after eating, which is when blood glucose levels become dangerously low following a meal. Also known as postprandial hypoglycemia, drops in blood sugar are usually recurrent and occur within four hours after eating.

Does fasting raise blood glucose?

Fasting can definitely raise blood glucose. This is due to the effect of insulin falling and the rising counter-regulatory hormones including increased sympathetic tone, noradrenaline, cortisol and growth hormone, in addition to glucagon. These all have the effect of pushing glucose from liver storage into the blood.

Why is my blood sugar high in the morning?

Insufficient insulin or medication, excessive carbohydrate snacks at bedtime or high-fat meals at dinner may also cause blood glucose to be elevated in the morning. Advertisement.

Why is my glucose high in the morning?

Causes of High Glucose. Dawn phenomenon may be affecting your morning blood glucose readings. If you consistently wake up with higher blood glucose levels de spite being compliant with your meal plan, this could be a condition known as the dawn phenomenon, states the American Diabetes Association.

How to fix blood glucose fluctuation?

Blood glucose fluctuation in diabetics is very common, and you can usually solve the problem by checking your blood glucose more frequently and paying attention to your lifestyle and medications. Because so many factors are involved when trying to explain an unusual pattern, get a diabetes educator to train you in reading your blood glucose pattern, and check with your doctor before making any big adjustments.

How to check blood glucose if you have dawn phenomenon?

To rule out if your high blood glucose is due to dawn phenomenon, your endocrinologist may ask you to eat a low-fat, carbohydrate-controlled dinner, maintain your usual physical activities and check your blood glucose around 2 or 3 a.m. for several days. Your doctor will help you determine if you have dawn phenomenon and adjust your medications ...

Why do you need a diabetes educator?

Because so many factors are involved when trying to explain an unusual pattern, get a diabetes educator to train you in reading your blood glucose pattern, and check with your doctor before making any big adjustments. Advertisement.

What is reactive hypoglycemia?

Some people have a condition called reactive hypoglycemia, where low blood glucose occurs after a meal. These people will benefit from meeting with a dietitian to develop a meal plan that regulates the timing of glucose release and insulin secretion. Advertisement.

What doctor can help with high blood glucose?

Your endocrinologist can help discover the cause of your high blood glucose levels.

What does it mean when you have low blood sugar while fasting?

This is different from low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) that occurs while fasting. Signs and symptoms of hypoglycemia may include: If you use insulin or other blood sugar lowering medications to treat diabetes, hypoglycemia after eating may mean that your medication dose needs to be adjusted.

What is reactive hypoglycemia?

What can I do for my symptoms? Answer From M. Regina Castro, M.D. Reactive hypoglycemia (postprandial hypoglycemia) refers to low blood sugar that occurs after a meal — usually within four hours after eating. This is different from low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) that occurs while fasting.

Why is my blood sugar low after eating?

If sugar comes from the food you eat, why would blood sugar be low after eating? It may be due to a phenomenon called reactive hypoglycemia. This refers to low levels of blood glucose that “react” to high levels. According to Mayo Clinic, it can occur within 4 hours of eating a meal.

Why is low blood sugar more likely after eating high starches?

Low blood sugar is also more likely after eating meals that are high in starches and sugars because these are types of carbohydrates that raise blood sugar levels quickly. The effect is greater if the meal is low in protein, fat, and fiber, since those nutrients slow digestion and prevent blood sugar from swinging so wildly.

Who Gets Low Blood Sugar?

Low blood sugar can happen in people with prediabetes or diabetes, according to Mayo Clinic. If you are on insulin, it can happen if you take more insulin than you need, skip a meal, or eat fewer carbohydrates than usual without adjusting insulin. If you are not on insulin, or have diabetes but do not know it, low blood sugar can also happen if you skip a meal. It can also happen if you exercise more than usual.

How to prevent blood sugar swings after exercising?

Instead of exercising on an empty stomach, have a small snack an hour or two before you start, or a larger snack or small meal three hours before. Have a snack or your next scheduled meal as soon as possible after exercising. These changes can help prevent blood sugar swings. Instead of…. Try….

Why do we need to maintain glucose levels?

You need to maintain a certain level of glucose, or sugar, in your blood to use for energy. The Harvard School of Public Health explains that the body gets glucose from the foods you eat, especially those high in carbohydrates (sugars and starches). When you have not eaten for a while, your liver can release some glucose to maintain blood glucose levels and energy.

How to reduce blood sugar spikes?

Small changes to your diet and physical activity habits can help prevent blood sugar spikes and decreases. Take smaller portions of high-carb foods, such as bread, pasta, potatoes, desserts, soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages, and rice.

Can blood sugar go up or down?

Then…the crash. “The higher they fly, the harder they fall,” is spot-on for blood sugar. If it went up, up, up, it will go down, down down, possibly below normal levels and into ...

How long does it take for blood sugar to drop after eating?

But for some people, eating makes them feel worse, due to a drop in blood sugar that occurs within one to three hours after they eat certain types of meals, according to Frank Jackson, M.D. of Jackson/Siegelbaum Gastroenterology.

What causes blood sugar to rise?

The sudden influx of glucose causes the release of large amounts of insulin, which removes too much glucose and causes blood glucose to drop. Eating foods with a low glycemic index helps avoid dropping blood sugar levels after eating. Glycemic load, which considers the amount of carbohydrates in a food along with its glycemic index, determines a food's effect on your blood sugar.

Why does insulin cause blood sugar to drop?

People with insulin resistance have higher than normal amounts of circulating insulin because their cells have become resistant to the effects of insulin; it takes a larger amount of insulin to get the cells to respond and remove glucose from the bloodstream .

Why is it important to eat foods with low glycemic index?

Eating foods with a low glycemic index helps avoid dropping blood sugar levels after eating. Glycemic load, which considers the amount of carbohydrates in a food along with its glycemic index, determines a food's effect on your blood sugar. Advertisement.

Why is glucose important for energy?

Glucose is essential for energy; your body breaks down the foods you eat into glucose, which must be absorbed into the cells. When glucose enters the bloodstream, your body releases insulin to facilitate its absorption into the cells. In some people, too much insulin is released in response to glucose. The insulin removes too much glucose from the bloodstream, and blood sugar levels drop. People with insulin resistance have higher than normal amounts of circulating insulin because their cells have become resistant to the effects of insulin; it takes a larger amount of insulin to get the cells to respond and remove glucose from the bloodstream.

What to eat when you have hypoglycemia?

When you first feel symptoms of hypoglycemia, eat a protein-based food such as cheese or a piece of meat along with a small amount of carbohydrate, such as a piece of fruit. Do not eat a piece of candy, as is often recommended for diabetics with hypoglycemia, Larson warns.

Why does my blood sugar spike in the morning?

The sugar surge could be related to an inadequate dose of insulin the night before or eating too many carbs before bed . But the spike might also be related to natural body fluctuations that occur during sleep. During the night, newly released hormones might increase your body’s resistance to insulin, which ultimately impacts your body’s ability to absorb sugar into the cells, resulting in high sugar levels in the blood.

Why does sugar spike during sleep?

During the night, newly released hormones might increase your body’s resistance to insulin, which ultimately impacts your body’s ability to absorb sugar into the cells, resulting in high sugar levels in the blood.

Why is insulin resistance a problem?

Insulin resistance is a daily problem for people with diabetes. Insulin is responsible for pushing sugar out of the bloodstream and into the cells to be used as energy. But when the cells are resistant to insulin’s action, the sugar gets stuck in the bloodstream and the cells starve.

Can you get high blood sugar before eating?

Getting one random fasting blood sugar result that's high before you eat probably isn’t a significant concern. However, if you tend to notice a frequent pattern of high pre-meal blood sugar readings, call your doctor. Along with your blood sugar test times and results, your physician will also probably ask about your symptoms, eating and exercise habits, recent stressors, illnesses and medication usage.

Can you take your glucose levels before or after a meal?

Since your fasting blood sugar is taken before eating a meal and your postprandial blood sugar is taken after the meal, your fasting level should be lower ...

How long after eating can you have high blood sugar?

These are: Fasting hyperglycaemia, which is blood sugar levels higher than 130mg/dL (that’s milligrams of sugar per decilitre of blood) after not eating or drinking (other than plain water) for eight hours. Postprandial (after-meal) hyper glycaemia, which is blood sugar levels higher than 180 mg/dL two hours after you eat.

Why Do I Have A Higher Fasting Glucose Level Than The Post Prandial Level?

I have been to various doctors. They got me checked for blood glucose, thyroid and stool and urine examination, which always came normal except minor stool infection. My father is a type-II diabetic. I have got my fasting and PP blood glucose checked around 4 times during the last 4 years and it has always been fasting (around 10-11 hours) between 70-80 mg/dl and PP around 90-100 mg./dl. For the PP blood glucose testing I took normal breakfast with some more sugar in tea. Once I took 75 grams of glucose in one glass of water in addition to the normal breakfast. Now again my doctor got me tested from Lal Path Labs, New Delhi. But now the fasting glucose is 87 mg/dl and PP is 70 mg/dl. I was on a fast for around 10 hours. For PP glucose I took normal breakfast of two chapatis with some vegetable and one sweet item. I also took 75 gm of glucose in one glass of water. My query is what is the reason for fasting glucose level to be more than PP gluco se level. Is there any problem or is it normal? A:Your blood glucose levels are within normal limits and do not indicate that you currently have diabetes. It is a little difficult to explain why your most recent PP blood glucose is lower than your fasting blood glucose. I can tell you that one does see this from time to time. Should you repeat it (I don't suggest you do), you are likely to find that the reading is higher than the fasting level. I might mention that some authorities think that a response such as yours may be an early indication of diabetes because the glucose control system is beginning to show abnormalities. Not everyone agrees with this hypothesis. So I would recommend nothing further be done at this time other than checking your blood glucose on Continue reading >>

Why Is My Blood Glucose So High In The Morning?

I am not on any medications. My morning fasting blood sugar is always the highest of the day—between 120 and 140 mg/dl. The rest of the day it is in the normal range. Why does this occur? Continue reading >>

Why All The Morning Highs?

What’s up with that? You’d think that not eating for those seven or eight hours would give you lower blood glucose, right? Such morning highs are common in people with diabetes, but one of the reasons has a particular name: the dawn phenomenon. The dawn phenomenon is a natural rise in blood glucose between 4 and 8 a.m., which happens because of hormonal changes in the body. All people have the “dawn phenomenon,” whether they have diabetes or not. People without diabetes would never notice it happening, as a normal body’s insulin response adjusts for this. However, because people with diabetes don’t have normal insulin responses, they may see an increase in their fasting blood glucose. This is primarily because people with diabetes produce less insulin and more glucagon than they need. The less insulin produced by the pancreas, the more glucagon the pancreas makes as a result. Glucagon, in turn, signals the liver to break down its storage supplies of glycogen into glucose. This is why high fasting blood glucose levels are commonly seen in patients with type 2 diabetes. The effects of dawn phenomenon vary in each person, and your blood glucose may be higher on some mornings than on others. But not to worry—there are steps you can take to get those numbers down and start your days more comfortably in your target blood glucose range. Treatment for dawn phenomenon depends on how you treat your diabetes. If you take insulin, you may be able to adjust your dosing so that peak action occurs closer to the morning rise in your blood glucose. If you have type 2, diabetes pills provide options as Continue reading >>

What happens when blood sugar levels are low?

When blood sugar levels are low, the liver, kidneys, and intestines can, through a process we will discuss shortly, convert proteins into glucose, but very slowly and inefficiently. The body cannot convert glucose back into protein, nor can it convert fat into sugar.

Why do we taste sugar?

One reason the taste of sugar—a simple form of carbohydrate—delights us is that it fosters production of neurotransmitters in the brain that relieve anxiety and can create a sense of well-being or even euphoria.

Where is glucose stored in the body?

The body tightly regulates blood glucose levels as a part of metabolic homeostasis. [2] . Glucose is stored in skeletal muscle and liver cells in the form of glycogen; [2] in fasted individuals, blood glucose is maintained at a constant level at the expense of glycogen stores in the liver and skeletal muscle. [2] .

When combining keto and 5:2 intermittent fasting on fasting days, do you still follow the macro guidelines for keto?

On the two days of fasting, should the 500 calories consumed be of the same macro proportions as followed on the normal keto days? Or can you consume 500 calories of any food without going out of ketosis?

Is it hard to fast?

Yes, the psychological part of fasting is hard. Fasting is supposed to be a part of everyday life – that is why we have the word ‘break-fast’. Most people think they can’t do it, but the truth is that people have fasted throughout history. We only think we can’t. As with anything else, it is about getting the right education and the right support group. From a physiological standpoint, fasting allows you to burn body fat, which is a storage form of food for your body when no food is available. This is what most people want.

Does fasting raise blood glucose?

Mindy. Fasting can definitely raise blood glucose. This is due to the effect of insulin falling and the rising counter-regulatory hormones including increased sympathetic tone, noradrenaline, cortisol and growth hormone, in addition to glucagon.

Does fasting burn fat?

From a physiological standpoint, fasting allows you to burn body fat, which is a storage form of food for your body when no food is available. This is what most people want. Dr. Jason Fung. DD+ MEMBERSHIP.

Do you count calories when fasting?

I don’t generally recommend people to count calories. Fasting means not eating anything at all, so there is no ‘counting macros’. Dr. Mosley’s 5:2 diet allows 500 calories of whatever you like. But that’s his diet, not mine. I advocate intermittent fasting, with no calories.

How to lower blood sugar levels?

Reduce your carbohydrate intake. Choose ‘better’ carbohydrates. Reduce your carbohydrates. A large number of people on this forum have chosen to reduce the amount of carbohydrates they eat as they have found this to be an effective way of improving (lowering) their blood sugar levels.

Which carbohydrate has the most effect on blood sugar levels?

The carbohydrates which tend to have the most pronounced effect on blood sugar levels tend to be starchy carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, bread, potatoes and similar root vegetables, flour based products (pastry, cakes, biscuits, battered food etc) and certain fruits.

Why are carbohydrates important for diabetes?

The role of carbohydrate. Carbohydrates are a factor in diabetes because they ultimately break down into sugar (glucose) within our blood. We then need enough insulin to either convert the blood sugar into energy for our body, or to store the blood sugar as body fat.

How long after a meal should you test for glucose?

A test 2 hours after the meal gives a good idea of how your body has reacted to the meal. However, those that are able to, may wish to keep blood sugar levels below the NICE after meal targets. Therefore both structured education and self-monitoring of blood glucose should be offered to people with type 2 diabetes.

What is the term for people who have blood that is sweeter than normal?

Diabetes is the general term to describe people who have blood that is sweeter than normal. A number of different types of diabetes exist. A diagnosis of diabetes tends to be a big shock for most of us.

Does low GI help with diabetes?

The low glycaemic index diet is often favoured by healthcare professionals but some people with diabetes find that low GI does not help their blood sugar enough and may wish to cut out these foods altogether.

Can insulin cause blood sugar to rise?

If the amount of carbohydrate we take in is more than our body’s own (or injected) insulin can cope with, then our blood sugar will rise. The bad news. Research indicates that raised blood sugar levels over a period of years can lead to organ damage, commonly referred to as diabetic complications. The good news.

Signs and symptoms

• Reactive hypoglycemia (postprandial hypoglycemia) refers to low blood sugar that occurs after a meal usually within four hours after eating. This is different from low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) that occurs while fasting. Signs and symptoms of reactive hypoglycemia may include hunger, weakness, shakiness, sleepiness, sweating, lightheadedness and ...

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