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Foods to Avoid for Low Blood Sugars

Low blood sugar is a condition that can be caused by many things. Diabetes, hypoglycemia, and poor diet can all contribute to low blood sugar. People with low blood sugar become listless and fatigued, as their bodies do not have enough energy to run. Blood sugar should be brought up quickly, but there are foods that should be avoided when your blood sugar is low.

  1. Large Meals

    • ChronicFatigue-help.com states that "A huge meal, even if it contains no sugar, can raise the blood sugar more than a candy bar." Though a large meal may be healthy and nutritious, the pure volume of the food can cause a quick, sharp rise in blood sugar. Though this may seem good, if you are suffering from low blood sugar, a quick rise in blood sugar will actually cause problems such as light-headedness. Blood sugar has to be raised at a slow rate, and a large meal will only exacerbate the problem. It is more important to balance your blood sugar daily.

    Snacks

    • There are many ways to quickly raise your blood sugar. Eating snacks is one of them. However, snacks should be avoided when it comes to treating low blood sugar. The reasons for this are many. The sugars and carbohydrates of snacks are simple. This means they are digested quickly. The effect of the sugar from a candy bar will be shorter lived than the effects of the sugar from a can of beans. This is true even though the candy bar will give you more calories. Snacks to avoid include pastries, cookies, cakes, candy, pies, molasses, honey, table sugar, jellies and jams.

    Caffeine

    • Though caffeine is well known as a quick pick-me-up, it should be completely avoided if you are diabetic or hypoglycemic. This is because caffeine creates energy in an unnatural way. Caffeine is a drug that affects your mind and body and temporarily speeds up your metabolism. This speeding up actually causes the sugar level in your body to decrease, as it is used more quickly by your body. Drinking caffeine lowers your blood sugar, and if you are already suffering from low blood sugar, it can be dangerous to drink caffeine.

    Alcohol

    • Alcohol causes many problems in the body, from liver and kidney damage to the death of brain cells. However, alcohol will also cause a significant drop in your blood sugar. This is especially true if you are drinking on an empty stomach. If you are suffering from low blood sugar, you should avoid any alcohol. If you are diabetic or hypoglycemic, you should avoid drinking altogether, though it may not seem like one drink would hurt you.

    Fruit Juice

    • Though fruit juices normally offer a variety of health benefits, it is best to avoid fruit juices when suffering from low blood sugar. The sugars in fruit juices do come from the more complex sugars of fruits, but sometimes there are simple sugars added for taste. These simple sugars will be of no benefit to your low blood sugar, and may make it worse. Instead of fruit juice, try to eat fruits in your diet. Fruits are high in fiber, which helps slow down the digestion of carbohydrates and sugars. Slowing down your digestion will help more sugar and nutrition get absorbed, which will increase your blood sugar level and your metabolism.

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