Does intermittent fasting cause low blood sugar?

Ah, the joys of intermittent fasting. It’s a wonder how delaying your mealtime can have such positive effects on our weight, physical health and even productivity. However, there’s one issue that continues to dominate our minds : will intermittent fasting cause my blood sugar levels to dip? Well friendo, today we discuss whether or not this is true!

What Is Intermittent Fasting?

Before we delve into the question let’s go over what exactly is meant by ‘intermittent fasting’ (or IF for short). Essentially it means setting a schedule for when you eat and don’t eat; and in most cases the former comes first after an extended period without food. It requires self-discipline because any time there’s perceived hunger pangs, ThE LuRe oF Snacks cAn bE hArD tO rEsIsT 😉

There are numerous kinds of IF – alternate day fasts where no eating happens every other day / one entire day of consuming nothing but H2O each week / daily eating schedules eg 16/8 wherein you don’t consume anything except water or non-calorie drinks whilst abstaining from eating solid food until your specific eight hour window within each twenty four hours etc.

Even with so many choices available, some folks believe that shunning foods entirely would lead towards plummeting sugar levels significant enough enough to influence their well-being.

The Biochemistry Of The Hunger-games

So how does this work? Glucose is swiftly removed from carbohydrates consumed through food items & ultimately converted into energy in the human body via insulin which regulates blood sugar concentrations. After ingestion ceases then glycogen reserves within muscles/livers furnish some sugars needed by cells as fuel alongside lipids elsewise known as fats also aren’t forgotten as they make wonderful backups if required too.

Should prolonged fas†ing indeed reduce blood sugar so much? Seems off since the hormone that’s responsible for such a decline (namely insulin) functions best as nutrients are ingested. That being said, in some people, it is possible!

How Intermittent Fasting Can Cause Low Blood Sugar

Believe it or not, there are many plausible reasons why an IF diet may yield to low blood glucose amounts.

Possible Contributing Factors

Here’s a few possibilities:
– Utilizing medication which reduces sugars eg metformin will intensify hypoglycemic effect of too little food.
– Having poor eating habits could equally foster hypoglycemia; unnecessarily avoiding specific foods metabolised into sugar steadily over time impairs hormonal management results into irregularities and dips with time.
– Implementing intensified changes abruptly spikes cortisol production within your body resulting towards glycogen burning amidst various physiological complications eliciting health risks.

Generally Safe Though!

Despite these concerns occasional IM (intermittent pain -jk 😉 ) would typically pose negligible adverse effects (if any at all), thanks to the manner bodies function physiologically.

The liver stores away extra carbohydrates obtained from digested meals during normal everyday life periods. These precious resources ensure glucose & insulin concentrations remain stabilized + seamlessly support energy levels whenever meal intake timing shifts long-term fasting wouldn’t make too much difference here provided you’re consuming enough variety/nutrient-filled foods in other times.

Occasionally however initial symptoms like light-headedness or lethargy may occur upon changing your eating schedule around until your bod adapts but feels natural thereafter.

So, whilst we can’t speak for everyone’s physiology throughout their personal history using science plus common sense approaches towards overall wellbeing can guide informed decisions on whether or not this approach toward nutrition via extending out periods sans consumption feels appropriate.

Conclusion: Is It Bad For You?

In conclusion my friendo, IF can indeed cause low blood sugar levels due to prolonged periods of no eating. However, this doesn’t happen for most individuals unless suffering from relevant health complications or poor habits.

It is essential though that if on medication, seeking professional guidance should be practiced beforehand as further difficulties might exist making unintentional risks likely. Starting an Indiana Jones-inspired journey into the wilderness of IF probably better gradually rather than abruptly – at least then you’ll get a healthy dose of Adventure (insert movie theme music).

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