While you may think of food as the primary influence on your blood sugar levels, there are actually other lifestyle factors, such as stress, that can also modify blood sugar levels. While stress does not cause diabetes, stress can affect diabetes by impacting your blood sugar levels, which in turn can affect diabetes management.

Stress can come in many different forms, whether it’s from losing a job, getting an impactful health diagnosis, or being chased by a bear. Stress triggers a combination of signals from both hormones and nerves in your body. Cortisol is one of these important hormones. Cortisol is produced in the adrenal glands, which are located on top of the kidneys. It is typically released in response to particular events such as waking up in the morning, exercising, and acute or sudden stress. Cortisol is part of the fight-or-flight response and temporarily increases energy production. The resulting imbalances then resolve once the stressor is eliminated. 

For example, if an animal starts chasing you, it will set in motion the stress response. The adrenals secrete cortisol, which prepares the body by flooding it with glucose from the liver for a quick form of energy. Cortisol also inhibits insulin production in order to prevent glucose from being stored so that it can be immediately used as energy to respond to the chasing animal. Additionally, cortisol narrows the arteries, while another hormone epinephrine increases the heart rate, both of which force blood to pump harder and faster. Once the animal runs in the opposite direction, the hormone levels then return to normal.1

As you can see, this mechanism is designed to help get you through a sudden stressful situation and we all will have high cortisol from time to time. However, when cortisol levels are chronically elevated, it can have a negative impact on weight, immune function, and chronic disease risk. 

As mentioned earlier, the release of cortisol triggers the release of stored glucose from the liver. This is meant to supply the body with energy to temporarily handle the perceived stressor. This means that someone with type 2 diabetes when under stress will experience an additional increase in blood glucose levels. Someone with type 2 diabetes is already affected by elevated blood glucose.3 Additionally, another function of cortisol is to suppress the effect of insulin, which in turn keeps glucose in the bloodstream. This increased need for insulin can be difficult for the pancreas to keep up with and therefore can lead to continued high levels of glucose in the bloodstream.2 Although this reaction from cortisol is actually a helpful process, in a person with diabetes, this puts even more pressure on the pancreas. 

Getting the diagnosis of diabetes can often be a cause of stress itself. That big life change impacts many day-to-day tasks such as what you eat, when you eat, and how you eat. There can be a lot of new information to learn and pay attention to and it can feel overwhelming at times. That feeling of overwhelm can often get to be too much on top of everything else.3

Like any other type of stress, it is important to manage your stress to the best of your ability. Managing your stress is part of diabetes management and is equally as important. Since everyone will likely have different coping mechanisms that work for them, it is helpful to find ways to manage stress that work for you! 

Coping mechanisms to try:

-Yoga and meditation: Research has shown that practicing yoga or meditation can improve the inflammatory and stress response.6

-Walking: Movement such as walking can be beneficial to reducing stress. Keep the movement light to moderate during times of high stress to ensure you’re not further elevating stress. 

-Journaling: Writing down your thoughts can be a great way to unload feelings of stress rather than letting them harbor. Journaling can also help you clarify and process what you are feeling.

-Talking to a loved one: Having a strong social support system has been shown to increase stress resilience.7 Give your friend or family member a call and see if that can help you reduce some stress. 

-Ask for help: When your coping mechanisms aren’t enough, remember to ask for help from a professional such as a psychologist or other mental health provider. They can address your specific needs and provide you with additional tools to manage your stress. 

We will all encounter stressful situations from time to time. During those times where stress is high, it is important to do what you can to manage your stress to protect yourself from an increased risk of adverse health conditions. 

Did you know that your genes can also help you get a better understanding of what stressors you are more likely to respond to, as well as how you are likely to respond? GenoPalate now offers the comprehensive Stress Insights Report which provides genetic insights on your stress triggers and responses with even more detailed information on how these can impact your overall health and what you can do about it. By gaining a deeper understanding of how your genes impact your stress, as well as small but effective ways to optimize your foods and dietary habits, you can begin to protect your body from the negative impact of stress and even potentially improve your overall mood and stress levels. You can purchase the Stress Insights Report from inside your GenoPalate account on the web app! 

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