How Hormonal Imbalances Can Affect Your Diabetes

August 4, 2024

Hormones are like many other aspects of our bodies – mostly ignored until something goes wrong. These crafty chemical messengers are vital for good health – especially for anyone with type 2 diabetes. Although the hormone insulin is the condition’s primary hormonal component, others have a role to play as well.

Successfully managing type 2 diabetes symptoms means understanding how an hormonal imbalance can affect the condition. So if you or a loved one have diabetes read on to learn about recent discoveries about hormones and the role they play in managing the condition.

Hormonal Imbalances and Type 2 Diabetes

Glucose is life. Without this energy-providing sugar, our cells couldn’t exist. Every cell in our body – in our brain, our heart, other organs, muscles – every cell depends upon glucose. This vital sugar is produced as we digest, traveling across the bloodstream’s super highway. Insulin is the traffic cop protecting a road crew. When there’s too much blood sugar circulating, insulin accelerates absorption by the cells; too little and it puts the brakes on cell absorption.

Blood sugar’s peaks and valleys are usually dictated by carbohydrate consumption. A plate of broiled chicken won’t affect your blood sugar levels; a plate of buttered bread will. Produced by the pancreas, insulin regulates how carbs are metabolized. It also keeps glucose in a state of equilibrium.

Ideally, the pancreas is constantly delivering insulin in small quantities. Problems arise when blood sugar levels spike and the organ produces excess insulin in response. Over time, this can lead to insulin resistance. This is when glucose becomes less responsive and isn’t absorbed by the cells as quickly. This causes the pancreas to produce more insulin.

Sugar isn’t just stored in cells. When the blood sugar level rises beyond the point where cells can swiftly absorb it, it’s converted from glucose to glycogen. This gets stored in the liver. When the body demands more because of increased activity, the glycogen gets reconverted to glucose.

When we understand the importance of glucose absorption, it’s easy to see how vital insulin is for the healthy regulation of human activity. When blood sugar levels rise and then fall too quickly, the warning signs are unmissable. Hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, often leads to irritability, dizziness, and fatigue. Hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar, also causes fatigue along with numbness, excessive thirst, and persistent infection.

Unmanaged blood sugar often leads to insulin resistance – a precursor to type 2 diabetes – often the first step toward diabetes. Just as insulin resistance is a contributor to diabetes, one of the treatments for the condition is also insulin. However, with type 2 diabetes the condition can often be managed with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise.

Diabetes is the most common endocrine disease in the U.S.. The primary driver of this is the rapid increase in the percentage of Americans considered overweight or obese. The body mass index (BMI) offers a rough approximation – with around three out of four Americans above a BMI of 25, which the CDC considers overweight. The rate of adult obesity is approaching half – with some 42% of the adult population over a BMI of 30. These rising numbers are the main reason that the number of people with type 2 diabetes has more than doubled since 2000.

Insulin is just one of the many hormones produced within the endocrine system. These hormones trigger a wide variety of responses across the body. An endocrine disease occurs when your body is making either too much or not enough of a specific hormone. A hormonal imbalance is an endocrine disease.

When the body produces too little insulin, it results in type 1 diabetes – once called juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes. With type 2 diabetes, insulin production may be sufficient but the hormone isn’t being used efficiently.

A hormonal imbalance is an endocrine disease that results from the body producing too much or too little of a particular hormone. This can lead to a wide variety of health issues. Cortisol is a good example. Released along with adrenaline as part of the body’s fight-or-flight response, cortisol delivers a short-term energy boost. Along with dilated pupils, accelerated heart rate, and intense focus, cortisol also elevates blood sugar levels. That’s because cortisol signals the liver to release glycogen. This can be a problem for anyone managing type 2 diabetes as it will be harder for insulin to do its job.

Cortisol plays a beneficial role by improving memory, regulating the immune system and blood pressure. Short bursts of cortisol even help us wake up. Unfortunately, when stress or anxiety motivates an overproduction of cortisol it can lead to a host of health problems. This type of cortisol imbalance has been linked to weight gain, insomnia, and increased risk of infection.

Over time, people suffering from an untreated cortisol imbalance may even display type 2 diabetes symptoms. However, for those who have already been diagnosed with the condition, excessive cortisol production might do more than just inhibit insulin’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels. Recent research suggests a cortisol imbalance might also permanently damage the pancreas’ insulin-producing cells. Plus, stress may affect your ability to successfully manage the condition at least as much as diet and exercise habits.

Whether you have type 2 diabetes or are just worried about your cortisol levels, there’s a simple way to find out the information you need. Instead of driving to the doctor’s office, with Kyla Clinics you can learn your levels from the comfort of your couch. The first step is to take an easy, online health quiz. This will help you decide on the right test for you.

If you’re looking to learn if you have a cortisol imbalance, then the male or female hormone panel may be perfect. For just $99, you’ll not only learn about your cortisol levels but other hormones, blood sugar levels, inflammation markers, and much more. After ordering the test, you’ll receive a kit in a few days with easy-to-follow directions for sample collection.

After taking a blood test, mail it back to Kyla Labs. Soon you’ll get the results that will help you discover if you have a cortisol imbalance, unhealthy blood sugar levels, and so much more. Plus, you’ll be able to discuss the results with a Kyla doctor who will help you make choices to improve your overall health and life.

Estrogen and Diabetes Prevention

Estrogen plays a surprising role in type 2 diabetes symptoms. The female sex hormone, which is present in both men and women, acts as a blood sugar level regulator. One reason that the risk of having type 2 diabetes increases with age is because hormone production decreases – especially estrogen and testosterone.

Doctors have known for some time that estrogen can protect against type 2 diabetes. They’ve seen this with female patients going through menopause or having similar estrogen-reducing surgery such as removal of the ovaries. When women produce less estrogen, they are more likely to display type 2 diabetes symptoms. Men with inactive estrogen receptors are also more likely to get the condition.

Research conducted at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center shows that “estrogen stimulates cells that line blood vessels to deliver insulin to muscles, lowering blood sugar and protecting against Type 2 diabetes,” notes a recent article on the research. As study leader Philip Shaul, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Pediatric Center for Pulmonary and Vascular Biology at UT explained, “This study in mice reveals a new mechanism that enhances the delivery of insulin to the muscles, where 80% of glucose in the body is disposed of.”

The recent study explored new territory by documenting how estrogen affects the cells that line blood vessels. It demonstrated how when estrogen stimulates the estrogen receptors on these cells, insulin is easily delivered from one side of the cells to the other before moving into the bloodstream where it lowered blood sugar levels. Those involved with the study are hopeful that it could lead to a new way of treating or even preventing type 2 diabetes. The study also provides even more proof that hormonal imbalances can raise the risk for the condition.

It’s important to know that whether you’re concerned about a hormonal imbalance, type 2 diabetes, or a host of other conditions preventing you from living your best life, you are not alone. Along with at-home tests, Kyla Clinics and their highly trained medical professionals can help you improve by developing a routine with measurable goals and objectives.

Relying on AI-driven data and personalized recommendations, it’s possible to not only proactively manage chronic conditions including hormonal imbalances and type 2 diabetes but also to extend not just your lifespan but your healthspan as well. That means decades of healthy, happy life could be just around the corner. Download Kyla app today.

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