Can your period affect your blood sugar control?
The fluctuating hormone levels of a woman’s menstrual cycle affect diabetes management. Here’s how to keep your glucose levels in balance when your hormones are raging.
Contrary to what we all learned in eighth school, your hormones vary on a daily basis, and you can bet those hormones influence your insulin sensitivity as well.
Trying to find out when your menstrual cycle’s hormones affect your blood glucose and how to adjust your insulin doses to stay inside your goal range may seem impossible. There is no “one size fits all” answer because each woman’s experience and reaction is unique.
We asked Dr. Soumya Hullannavar, a Lead Ayurveda Endocrine Specialist at Diabetes Reversal Clinics & EliteAyurveda Clinics, for tips on how to make diabetes treatment less stressful during “that time of the month” (or, more accurately, the entire month).
Hormones and Blood Sugar Levels
“Every month,” Dr. Soumya says, “the body cycles through hormones that essentially prepare the body for pregnancy.” The follicular phase, ovulatory phase, and luteal phase are the three phases of your body.
“The four hormones that regulate your menstrual cycle are oestrogen, progesterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH),” Dr. Soumya adds. “To a lesser extent, testosterone production is also a factor here.”
Because their levels change over the course of a month, each of these hormones will have a unique impact on your blood sugars and insulin sensitivity. Here’s how it works:
Days 1–10: Generally smooth sailing.
The first day of your cycle begins on the first day of your menstruation. While some women may experience higher blood glucose levels and insulin resistance on this day, your insulin sensitivity should return to “normal” for the remainder of your period. In terms of blood sugar issues, the few days following your period are frequently insignificant.
Typical Erratic Blood Sugars on Days 11-14
Smith defines the “ovulatory phase” as the first stage of your cycle during which you may experience high blood glucose and insulin resistance. Your LH, FSH, and oestrogen levels all rise when your body prepares to release an egg (ovulate), causing a brief but visible increase in blood glucose.
“This phase is generally noticeable in blood sugar levels for no more than two or three days at most,” Dr. Soumya says.
Days 15-20: You can now relax, but only for a limited period of time.
LH and FSH levels quickly revert to normal throughout this period of your cycle. Oestrogen levels will also decline rapidly, but as you reach the next phase of your cycle, oestrogen and, particularly, progesterone levels begin to rise, clearing the way for…
Days 21-28 of Your Cycle: High Blood Sugar Territory
You’re likely to experience significant and long-lasting insulin resistance and increased blood sugar in the three to seven days preceding the start of your next period.
“Oestrogen and progesterone levels peak in the week preceding the first day of your period,” adds Dr. Soumya. “This would be days 21 through 28 of a typical 28-day cycle.”
Your blood sugars become more resistant to “normal” insulin dosages, particularly background or basal rate insulin, when the production of these hormones increases. While the increases in progesterone and oestrogen are moderate, your blood sugar may appear to rise drastically on the day before your period begins.
It’s also worth noting that progesterone is the constantly rising hormone during pregnancy that causes insulin requirements to progressively rise throughout the final two trimesters.
What Other Effects Does Diabetes Have on Your Period?
Diabetes can affect your cycle in ways other than severe blood sugar changes. Diabetes types 1 and 2 are both linked to menstrual cycle irregularities. Diabetes might affect when you initially start menstruating and when you reach menopause. Menopause strikes persons with type 1 diabetes early.
Diabetes types 1 and 2 are also associated with fewer pregnancies and difficulties conceiving. More research is required to fully comprehend how diabetes impacts the menstrual cycle.
Preparing for Insulin Resistance Throughout the Menstrual Cycle
Don’t let your irritation or misunderstanding get the best of you because your hormone levels are constantly fluctuating. Balancing your blood sugars around the hormones of your menstrual cycle is a difficult task, especially since no two cycles are the same length.
Here are a few tips to help you control your blood glucose levels while dealing with those pesky fluctuating hormone levels:
Step 1: Track Your Cycle
Smith suggests tracking your period for three to six months with a period app or even an ovulation kit to determine when you’re most likely ovulating and how long your cycle lasts on average.
If you’ve never looked at your menstrual cycle before, whether to see how it affects your blood sugars or for another reason, this is a fantastic place to start. Most women don’t need to know when they ovulate or how long their cycle is until they decide whether or not to have children.
Tracking your cycle for a few months can allow you to determine when those days of persistently high blood glucose are due to hormones rather than a sudden inability to accurately measure carbs. Other useful monitoring apps to try include One Drop, mySugr, and Clue.
Step 2: Examine Your Blood Sugar Pattern
“Watch your blood sugar for two months to establish a pattern and identify just how much your blood sugar rises during the two phases of your cycle that cause insulin resistance,” Smith advises. Again, insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels will be noticeable around the time you ovulate and in the days preceding your period.
Step 3: Modify Your Insulin Doses (With the Help of Your Provider)
After tracking your period and blood sugar for a few months and seeing a trend, Smith suggests experimenting with changing your insulin doses with the help of your certified diabetes care and education expert, certified diabetes educator, or endocrinologist.
“Whether they use a pump or injections, most women find that they need an increase in their background insulin during the days before their period starts and around the time they ovulate,” Smith adds. Generally, women notice their fasting blood sugar levels rising and remaining elevated throughout these times, she adds. To compensate for this, the quantity of background insulin required can range between 25% and 50%.
Some women may need to progressively increase their insulin doses during meals as well.
What to Eat for Better Blood Sugar Balance
If you have diabetes, you should eat the same things during your period that you do the rest of the month to keep your blood sugar levels consistent. However, there are a few nutrients that can aid with symptom control and blood loss compensation.
Most importantly, minimise your intake of refined sugar and simple carbohydrates. This can be challenging because carb cravings are common during your period. To avoid blood sugar spikes, choose healthier, complex carbs if you crave carbs.
Fruits high in fibre can also aid in desire control without boosting blood sugar levels. Some tasty and healthy treats include mixed berries topped with a small amount of homemade, sugar-free whipped cream; apples dipped in one or two tablespoons of peanut, cashew, or almond butter; a handful of prunes or dried apricots and a slice of cheese; sliced avocado on whole grain toast; or pomegranate seeds.
Beans, lentils, and whole grains are similarly high in complex carbs. Although not as exciting as cookies or brownies, the blood sugar spikes (and drops) aren’t worth a few moments of pleasure.
Eat foods high in omega-3 fatty acids (like fish), calcium (dairy products), and magnesium (nuts, seeds, and legumes) to minimise mood swings, cramps, and bloating.
Finally, eating more iron-rich foods can help your body cope with the blood loss and fatigue associated with menstruation. Iron concentrations are highest in shellfish, red meat, liver and other organ meat, and a few vegetarian meals such as legumes, dark leafy greens, and pumpkin seeds.
“These are just starting points,” Dr. Soumya says. It’s critical to track for a few months before making any major changes to your insulin doses. Be patient, look for patterns, and if all else fails, do your best while keeping in mind that no one controls diabetes perfectly.
Our Prospects – How Can We Completely Treat Diabetes?
Diabetes is known in Ayurveda as “Madhumeha,” which means “sweet urine.” Diabetes manifests itself through thirst or urine. According to Ayurveda, this is related to an excess of Vata Dosha. Vata dosha builds up in the large intestine and passes to the pancreas, impairing its function.
Pitta Dosha can also cause diabetes. Pitta accumulates in the small intestine before going to the liver, potentially causing pancreatic damage. Because Agni is the major constituent of Pitta, it burns out the pancreas, resulting in Diabetes.
If the aforementioned factors are considered, Ayurvedic diabetes therapy begins with thorough cleaning of the body and dosha balance. The treatment involves herbal mixtures created based on individual Prakruti and Vikruti analyses. Ie. The treatment is based on a person’s bodily composition and which dosha is prominent. Diabetes is reversed with medicines such as Dhara, Udwarthanam, Thalam, and others. The treatment also incorporates Panchakarma and Yoga techniques to address the underlying cause of the disease. Many individuals have successfully reversed Diabetes and are again living a healthy life.
Unlike other therapy methods, which focus solely on symptom management, we target the underlying cause of the condition. Our Diabetes treatment has demonstrated a near-cure and symptom-free state. We emphasise diet, the use of powerful herbs, meditation, herbal oil massage, and yoga. These traditional Ayurvedic practises have shown and demonstrated long-term effectiveness in our Diabetes Treatment.
Dr. Soumya Hullannavar, a Lead Ayurveda Endocrine Specialist at Diabetes Reversal Clinics and EliteAyurveda Clinics, examined the medical information. With more than 15 years of experience treating endocrine and diabetic problems,
For further information, please visit diabetes reversal clinic