Can diabetes occur from nerves? How do stressful situations affect the diabetic body?

Can stress trigger diabetes?

Diabetes often occurs due to stress, poor nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle. In a stressful situation, all the body’s forces are concentrated on the changes taking place. This leads to suppression of the gastrointestinal tract, decreased sex drive and insulin release.

Under stress, a hyperglycemic state and insulin deficiency develop, as it reflexively inhibits basal insulin secretion and promotes the release of sugars.

Chronic stress can cause a decrease in blood glucose, so a person automatically tends to eat foods that can quickly increase sugar. Excessive indulgence in fatty and sugary foods results in weight gain. Against this background, insulin enters the blood in greater quantities than necessary. This negatively affects the condition of the pancreas and can provoke diabetes.

Another factor that proves the relationship between stress and diabetes is increased hormonal release, which provokes increased activity of the thyroid gland. If a person is constantly in a stressful situation, then his level of glucocorticosteroids increases. A complication in this case can be not only diabetes, but even a heart attack or stroke.

Stressful situations can lead to diabetes. In some cases, pathology is provoked by chronic stress, in others – one episode is enough.

Why is diabetes dangerous?

The content of the article

Patients with type 2 diabetes have a 2- to 4-fold increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), peripheral vascular disease, retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy.

The main risk factors for diabetes are obesity, low physical activity, old age and heredity. The exact causes of diabetes are not yet completely clear. However, already in the 17th century it was believed that emotional stress could influence the development of this disorder.

More than 400 years ago, the famous English physician Thomas Willis (1621–1675) noticed that diabetes develops in people who have experienced prolonged stress, sadness, or have been involved in prolonged scandals. He argued that "nervous fluid" is important for the development of CD.

In the 19th century, William Osler repeated the same claim. And later, doctors recognized stress as a risk factor for developing diseases. Finally, science has shown that stress can both trigger diabetes and worsen its control. Epidemiological studies have shown an association between chronic emotional stress and the development of CD.

New prospective epidemiological studies clearly show that emotional stress, anxiety, anger, poor sleep and hostility increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Emotional stress

How it works?

It's all about the body's response to stress, which is called “fight or flight”. This reaction was first described by the American psychophysiologist Walter Cannon. It includes many aspects, but let's focus on one of them.

• Worry and anxiety cause the brain to release cortisol from the adrenal glands.
• The next stage is the production of sugar in the blood (glycogenesis), which leads to its increased content - hyperglycemia.

In this condition, the body's energy resources are released, and normally they are used for further enhanced muscle work.

It is natural for us to experience stress when faced with critical situations - this is a rational way to use the body's reserves. But what if anxiety and worry overwhelm you not just every day, but every few hours?

Epidemiological studies

Unlike experimental studies, epidemiological observational studies are based on data from individual surveys and questionnaires. They assess a variety of psychosocial stressors experienced, including major life events, financial or work insecurity, social isolation, and psychological stress at work.

This makes it possible to assess the effects of long-term stress. Some studies use objective methods to measure/assess stress.

One of the latest meta-analyses, including 8 studies involving more than 47,000 patients, clearly showed that work stress increases the risk of diabetes regardless of other factors such as age, gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and obesity.

Interesting results were obtained when analyzing data from the Whitehall II study. Psychosocial stress at work was found to increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in women, but did not increase the risk in men. It is important to note that in women, these side effects are exacerbated by obesity.

This association between gender, stress and type 2 diabetes was observed in 4 other studies conducted in Canada, Serbia, Sweden and Australia.

Can stress trigger diabetes and why?

Under stress and emotional stress, there is an increased production of stress hormones: cortisol and adrenaline. The latter, in turn, cause an increase in blood glucose levels. This is due to the need for energy to overcome stress. In order to reduce blood sugar, compensation reactions must occur in the body, which are very weakened in people prone to diabetes.

Glucose is necessary to combat stress.

Negative health processes occur against the background of stress. The body is forced to mobilize all resources to overcome its influence. The main source of energy needed to overcome stress is glucose. As a result, the level of glucose and insulin in the blood will increase. It is enough to observe your body in various states yourself, measuring your sugar level with a regular glucometer. You can analyze how the glucose level will increase in a state of stress and how much the sugar level can rise, as well as how the indicator changes when using relaxation techniques.

Regular emotional shocks and elevated insulin levels lead to the pancreas being in a state of systematic “shock.” With associated factors, this condition significantly increases the risk of diabetes mellitus. Often systematic stress may be quite enough to trigger the mechanisms of disease development.

• Is diabetes transmitted through blood or saliva, inherited from parents?

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How to avoid diabetes, 13 ways

This leaves many wondering how to minimize the risks of developing diabetes. Prevention is the best way to preserve both your own health and that of your loved ones. This aspect is especially important given that many people are predisposed to the disease. This means that sugar is high, but has not yet reached the level when the patient is diagnosed with diabetes.

Prevention of diabetes

Seventy percent of people with a predisposition to this disease may develop type 2 diabetes. However, by taking certain steps, this can be avoided. It will not be possible to influence age, genes, or lifestyle prior to the moment when a person decides to pay increased attention to his health, but everyone can eliminate certain bad habits and acquire useful ones that help minimize the risks of developing the disease.

#1 Avoid refined carbohydrates and sugar

Reviewing your diet is the first step towards preventing diabetes. Foods in which sugar and refined carbohydrates are present in large quantities can give a significant impetus to the development of the disease. Sugar molecules formed as a result of the breakdown of such products enter directly into the circulatory system. This causes a sharp increase in blood sugar levels and the synthesis of insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that performs a “transport” function, as a result of which sugar from the blood enters other cells.

Insulin is not accepted by the body of people with a predisposition to diabetes, and, instead of being distributed, sugar obtained from “junk” food remains entirely in the blood. The pancreas, trying to restore balance, begins to produce insulin even more actively. This does not lead to normalization of sugar, but, on the contrary, increases it even more. In addition, the amount of insulin begins to go off scale. Such a scheme becomes the impetus for the development of diabetes.

The existence of a connection between the consumption of foods rich in refined carbohydrates and sugar and an increase in the likelihood of illness has been proven in various studies. If you refrain from eating such foods, this risk is significantly minimized. Of the thirty-seven studies conducted to date, all have confirmed that people who eat fast carbohydrates are forty percent more likely to develop diabetes.

#2 Exercise regularly

Physical activity increases the sensitivity of cells to insulin, which allows the pancreas not to produce this hormone in large quantities, and, therefore, maintaining sugar levels becomes much easier. Doesn't necessarily become a professional athlete. The main thing is to simply do various exercises. Scientists have found that high-intensity exercise increases the body's sensitivity to insulin by 85 percent, and moderate-intensity exercise increases the body's sensitivity to insulin by 51 percent. The effect, unfortunately, only lasts on training days.

Engaging in various types of physical activity lowers sugar levels not only in people predisposed to diabetes, but also in obese people. Strength, high-intensity and aerobic training gives this result. If you make sports a part of your life, insulin will begin to be produced without any disturbances. This result can be achieved by increasing the number of calories burned during exercise to two thousand per week. To make this easier to achieve, you should choose exactly the type of activity that you like most.

#3 Make water the main source of fluid intake

You should not get carried away with various drinks. They, unlike ordinary drinking water, especially store-bought ones, contain sugar, preservatives and other additives not always known to the buyer. Drinking carbonated drinks increases the likelihood of developing LADA, that is, type 1 diabetes, which affects people 18 years of age and older. It begins to develop in childhood, but without any pronounced symptoms and rather slowly, requiring complex treatment.

The largest study on this aspect covered about 2,800 people. In people who drank two bottles of carbonated sweet juices per day, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes increased by 20 percent, and type 1 diabetes by 99 percent. It should also be taken into account that fruit juices can also become a provoking factor. Water has a completely different effect on the body.

Unlike other sweet and carbonated liquids, water has many positive qualities. It not only quenches thirst, but allows you to keep insulin and sugar under control. A similar effect was revealed experimentally when a group of people suffering from excess weight, instead of soda, were given plain water to drink during a diet. All participants noted not only a decrease in sugar levels, but also an increase in insulin sensitivity.

No. 4 Bring your weight to the optimal level

Diabetes affects not only people with excess body weight, but they make up the vast majority. And if there is a predisposition to the disease, then fat accumulates around the liver and abdominal cavity. Its excess becomes the main reason that the body becomes less sensitive to insulin, which increases the risk of diabetes.

Considering this fact, even a few lost kilograms cause significant improvements and disease prevention. The more weight lost, the better. In one experiment with about a thousand participants, it was found that losing one kilogram of weight reduced the risk of developing the disease by 16%. The maximum achievement that was identified during the study was an impressive 96%.

To get rid of excess body weight, you should adhere to a diet. You can follow a Mediterranean, vegetarian or any other diet that does not harm your health. It is important not only to lose weight, but also to maintain the results achieved. Along with the returning kilograms, old problems will make themselves known when the concentration of both insulin and sugar in the body increases again.

#5 Quit smoking

Smokers are at risk of developing many health problems, including type 2 diabetes. This applies to both active and passive smoking, that is, inhalation of tobacco smoke. As studies have shown, covering over a million smokers, the risk of disease in people who smoke a moderate number of cigarettes per day increases by 44, and from 20 or more cigarettes - by 61%.

There is also evidence of how giving up this bad habit affects a decrease in the manifestation of the disease in a middle-aged person. 5 years after stopping smoking, the likelihood of developing the disease decreases by 13%, and after 20 years this figure does not exceed that of people who have never smoked.

It is necessary to understand that quitting smoking will have a positive effect on both normal and overweight people. A person who quits a bad habit and then gains weight will always have much lower risks than if he continued to smoke.

#6 Try a low-carb diet

A low-carbohydrate diet is also called a ketogenic diet. It is the most effective and efficient for those who want to lose weight without any consequences or harm, since they should worry about their general condition, and not just about high sugar and insulin. This diet is recommended as a preventive measure both due to its good results in losing kilograms and because it reduces insulin resistance.

A three-month experiment during which people ate a low-carbohydrate diet found a 12% decrease in sugar levels and a 50% decrease in insulin levels compared to those on a low-fat diet for the same period of time. The indicators of the second group turned out to be much more modest and amounted to a 1% drop in sugar levels and a 19% drop in insulin levels. This best demonstrates the benefits of a low-carb diet. An artificially created carbohydrate deficiency allows you to maintain sugar levels both before and after meals almost the same. Thus, the pancreas will not produce large amounts of insulin, which is a prevention of diabetes.

This is not the only experiment on the relationship between carbohydrates and the concentration of insulin and sugar in the body. Another study showed that following a ketogenic diet in people prone to diabetes, blood sugar dropped to 92 mmol/L, which is down to normal, although it was previously at 118. Other health improvements were noted, as well as weight loss.

#7 Eat small portions

This applies to both dietary and regular nutrition. Portions of food placed on a plate should be small. This is fundamentally important for overweight people. The more food you eat at a time, the higher your sugar and insulin rise. And if you eat food in small portions, you can avoid sudden surges.

The study lasted for two whole years, which proved that the volume of food intake affects the likelihood of developing diabetes. An experiment found a 46% reduction in the risk of diabetes after switching from large to small portions. If you don’t change anything in your diet, you won’t have to count on such changes. Another experiment proved that thanks to small portions, after three months you can notice a difference in the level of both insulin and blood.

#8 Switch from a sedentary to an active lifestyle

You can’t practically stay still and prevent the onset of diabetes. Lack of movement, as scientists have found out, plays an important role in the development of the disease. There were about 47 different studies, but all of them showed a connection between a sedentary lifestyle and an increase in risk factors by 91%.

Of course, changing this is a completely feasible task. It’s enough to just get up and walk around once an hour. The main thing is to overcome your own habits, which, as has been proven, is very difficult. Young people who took part in a year-long lifestyle change experiment returned to a similar lifestyle after the study ended.

The power of habits is sometimes stronger than even the best intentions. And to avoid a “breakdown”, you should not overpower yourself, but rather set realistically achievable goals. If it is difficult to get up from your desk every hour and walk around your study or office, then walking up the stairs rather than taking the elevator, or talking on the phone while standing rather than sitting is much easier.

#9 Eat fiber-rich foods

High-fiber foods are healthy and help maintain both insulin and sugar levels at optimal levels. Depending on its ability to absorb water, fiber can be soluble or insoluble.

The peculiarity of the first is that, when it absorbs liquid, it forms a kind of jelly mixture in the digestive tract, which slows down the digestion process, which affects the slower flow of sugar into the blood. Insoluble fiber also prevents sugar from spiking, but the exact mechanism of action of this substance is not fully known.

Therefore, foods high in fiber, regardless of type, must be included in the diet, given that the maximum concentration of plant fiber is found in food when it has not been heat-treated.

#10 Avoid vitamin D deficiency

Cholecalciferol is one of the most important vitamins directly involved in blood sugar control. And if a person does not receive enough of it, then the risks of developing the disease increase significantly. The optimal level of its content is considered to be at least 30ng/ml.

Studies have shown that due to the high concentration of vitamin D in the blood, the likelihood of developing type 2 diabetes is reduced by 43%. This applies to adults. In Finland, a study of the health of children taking cholecalciferol supplements showed that their risks of developing type 1 diabetes decreased by 78%.

Vitamin D, scientists believe, has a positive effect on cells that synthesize insulin, normalizes sugar, and reduces the likelihood of diabetes. The daily requirement of 2000 to 4000 IU can be replenished by exposure to the sun, consumption of cod liver and fatty fish.

#11 Minimize the amount of processed food

The method of preparing food directly affects a person's health. It is believed that additives and vegetable oils used in cooking have a negative effect on the process of obesity and the development of diabetes.

Eating plant foods, vegetables, nuts and fruits—that is, whole foods—prevents these risks. The main thing is that they are not exposed to heat. Prepared foods increase the likelihood of illness by 30%, while “raw” foods, on the contrary, reduce it.

No. 12 Drink tea and coffee

Along with water, it is necessary to include coffee and tea in your daily diet. Numerous studies show that coffee can reduce the risk of diabetes from 8 to 54%. The variation is due to the amount of consumption of this invigorating drink. Tea has a similar effect, especially on overweight people and women.

Tea and coffee contain antioxidants called polyphenols. They resist diabetes, protecting the body from this disease. Another antioxidant component, but present only in green tea, is EGCG or epigallocatechin gallate, which lowers sugar and increases the body's sensitivity to insulin.

#13 Include curcumin and berberine in your diet

Curcumin

It is one of the components of turmeric, a spice that is the basis of curry. It exhibits powerful anti-inflammatory properties and is used in Ayurveda. This substance perfectly helps to cope with arthritis and has a positive effect on many markers responsible for the occurrence and progression of diabetes. These properties of the substance have been proven experimentally.

The study, which lasted 9 months, involved 240 people. All of them were at risk, that is, they had a predisposition to diabetes. During the entire experiment, participants took 750 mg of the substance per day, as a result, everyone experienced zero progression of the chronic disease. In addition, each participant had an increased degree of insulin sensitivity, and the functions of the cells responsible for the production of this hormone improved.

Berberine

is part of some herbs traditionally used in Chinese folk medicine for several millennia. It, like curcumin, reduces inflammation, but also helps get rid of bad cholesterol. The uniqueness of the substance is that it lowers sugar even in those who suffer from type 2 diabetes.

There are about fourteen scientific studies that have confirmed the fact that berberine has properties similar to metformin, the most famous of the ancient drugs for the treatment of diabetes, that is, it lowers sugar. However, it should be understood that no direct studies have been carried out to test the effect of the substance on people who are at risk.

The supposed benefits of berberine are based on its ability to increase insulin sensitivity and lower sugar concentrations. This is quite enough to draw appropriate conclusions and recommend the component for inclusion in the diet of both patients and those with a predisposition to diabetes. However, if you decide to take berberine, you should first consult your doctor, as it is a potent substance.

Conclusion

It is impossible to completely eliminate the risk if there is a predisposition to diabetes, but it is possible to control the factors that can lead to the development of this disease. If you analyze your daily routine, bad habits, nutrition, physical activity, and make changes to your already habitual lifestyle, then it is quite possible to prevent the development of the disease. The main thing is to make every effort, since your health depends on this.

How to deal with and control stress?

How to set yourself up in a positive way.
It is impossible to completely eradicate the risks of emotional turmoil in modern life, but minimizing the risk of emotional turmoil is quite possible. Methods for relieving stress are simple, and anyone can apply them in modern life.

Fact! A healthy and active lifestyle will help you overcome the effects of stress. The patient must learn to let go of problems rather than accumulate.

It is worth remembering that various forms of activity will help you better cope with any negative factors. Leading psychologists recommend combining several techniques, for example, meditation, active sports and drawing. In your free time from work, calm musical compositions will help you to abstract yourself from problems; it can even be pop music, if the patient likes it.

Diabetes and stress are closely related. In order to minimize the impact of negative factors, you need to provide your body with proper rest, including sleep at night.