The Impact of Blood Sugar Balance on Depression and Anxiety: What You Need to Know

Blood sugar imbalance is a term we should all be familiar with by now. Our body needs a constant supply of glucose to make ATP, the energy molecule that powers our cells.

But did you know that blood sugar imbalance may significantly impact the function of our brain and our mental health? People with depression and anxiety have higher risks of blood sugar imbalances like diabetes, and vice versa, people with diabetes can have an increased risk of mood imbalance, up to twice the risk for depression. So we see a correlation.

As a holistic nutritionist, it is likely a two-way street, where one imbalance can cause another. People that are depressed may not have time or energy to prepare healthy food, and thus blood sugar imbalances can go up. On the other hand, people with an imbalanced blood sugar, due to diet (think lack of fiber, whole foods, etc.) and also lifestyle, this imbalanced blood sugar level may be fueling their depression and anxiety.

This concept of blood sugar imbalance causing depression and anxiety may not stop just there. Other mental health disorders, like ADHD and even dementia, may have a blood sugar imbalance component to them.

When we eat a balanced meal, such as one with about equal amounts of carbs and protein (which works for most of us), or a meal high in fiber and vegetables, most of us will achieve a balanced blood sugar level, allowing for sustained energy over the next few hours.

Avoiding inflammatory foods as well can help support healthy blood sugar levels. Common food sensitivities, such as gluten and dairy, may not only cause blood sugar imbalance due to the high glucose load, but also the inflammatory proteins that trigger a cascade of inflammation which can disrupt blood sugar. How is this happening exactly?

Inflammatory foods can disrupt blood sugar balance by causing insulin resistance, even more so than consuming simple sugars. I think this is partly because energy is being shunted away from metabolism to the immune system to generate the inflammation.

Besides testing markers like fasting glucose, A1c, and Triglycerides, what are some symptoms that you can use to guide you to let you know if blood sugar is disrupted? If you feel hungry or crave sweets after you eat, or you crash and burn after you eat a meal, those are clear signs that you have a blood sugar metabolism disorder, such as insulin resistance or reactive hypoglycemia.

Many people that don’t have diabetes can still have insulin resistance. Insulin resistance can cause not only high blood sugar, but low blood sugar as well. This is known as “reactive” hypoglycemia. You should feel normal after eating. If you don’t, but rather you feel sleepy, you probably have insulin resistance causing blood sugar to go too high, which then causes the hormone insulin to react and bring your blood sugar down too low, causing symptoms like sleepiness. Fortunately, many dietary and lifestyle interventions can correct this.

Going back to the brain, we see how blood sugar can play a role in mental health. Sometimes the answer may not be in just a medication, but rather some simple dietary and lifestyle changes.

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