HYPOGLYCEMIA

By Lawrence Wilson, MD

©Revised, December 2007, LD Wilson Consultants, Inc.

Hypoglycemia is perhaps the most common nutritionally related imbalance in the world today. It ruins families, marriages, businesses and much more. It is also the precursor for many far more serious conditions that shorten lives and cause great misery. This article may surprise the reader because it discusses aspects of this condition that are found in very few other places.

DEFINITIONS

Confusion occurs regarding the definition of hypoglycemia. The standard medical definition is a serum glucose level of less than about 65 mg/ml. However, many patients undergoing a glucose tolerance test experience symptoms of hypoglycemia in spite of "normal" serum glucose levels. I know of one case where a patient ripped her clothes off while her glucose level was “normal” during a 5-hour glucose tolerance test. She ran naked through the streets. In less dramatic examples, I have seen patients with “normal” glucose levels during the test faint right in their chair. Clearly there is a problem with the way this test is used and interpreted.

This can happen rarely because hypoglycemia is far more complex than the level of glucose in the blood. It occurs because, in reality, hypoglycemia refers to symptoms of low energy production at the cellular level. A better description of the syndrome would be a sugar and carbohydrate intolerance or imbalance leading to reduced cellular energy production due to unavailability of adequate raw material for energy production. This definition is purposefully vague because hypoglycemia is a complex set of problems having to do with body chemistry. Let us explore a few of these imbalances before we turn to the symptoms and the correction of these manifestations of low cellular energy production.

MINERALS, GLANDS AND HYPOGLYCEMIA

Cellular energy production requires not only an adequate supply of glucose, but also many other nutrients that act as intermediaries and catalysts in the process known to chemists as cellular respiration. Also, the major glands must function adequately, such as the thyroid and adrenal glands. In fact, other glands such as the pancreas, liver and more have to do with glucose regulation as well.

Let us begin by listing a few of the most important minerals that are required. There are others, however, that are beyond the scope of this article and, in fact, far beyond it because many nutrients must come together to allow the body to produce energy in the most efficient manner. This is a topic for a separate article or even a book. However, the major minerals to include here are:

1. Calcium. Calcium is a major electrolyte that helps regulate the activity of the thyroid gland. It is deficient in most diets today. It is found mainly in dairy foods such as milk products. However, a combination of hybrid cows and even hybrid goats (for goat milk), and processing of the milk such as pasteurization, render the calcium in these products much less usable.

The best sources of calcium, therefore, are vegetables, such as carrots in particular. All the root vegetables, however, are rich sources of biologically available calcium. Cooking these vegetables, such as light steaming for 20-30 minutes, is required to soften the fibers of the vegetables to make the calcium more usable. Otherwise, too much just passes right through the intestines and is wasted.

2. Magnesium. This critical element has an action opposite of that of calcium, but related in many ways. Magnesium, along with calcium, both relax the nervous system. Also, deficiencies of both are very widespread today. Magnesium foods include whole grains, but not flour that is refined and white. Other good sources include nuts, seeds and a few vegetables such as carrots and other roots. Otherwise, there are few sources of quality magnesium. Supplements of magnesium may be needed in many cases for this reason.

Magnesium has a number of properties that make it extremely valuable in cases of hypoglycemia. It is needed for hundreds of critical enzymes involved in energy production. Also, it is a calming nutrient that helps the body process all manner of imbalances. This is why magnesium is so essential, especially for those with hypoglycemia.

Excessive Calcium and Magnesium. With both calcium and magnesium, too much in the tissues is not desirable either. This is unfortunately a common occurrence in what are called slow oxidizers with elevated hair tissue levels of calcium and magnesium. The problem occurs because these individuals cannot keep calcium and magnesium in the blood in sufficient amounts and it moves out into the tissues in a biounavailable form. The phenomenon, when severe, is called a calcium shell. It inhibits emotional expression and it interferes with cell membrane permeability, which in turn affects glucose and hormone transport systems in and out of the cells. This can be a complicating factor, though usually not a primary cause, of hypoglycemia.

3. Potassium. This electrolyte is needed to sensitize the tissues to thyroid hormone. As with calcium and magnesium, potassium is also deficient in the majority of the diets today. It is only found in fresh foods, such as vegetables, meats and some fruits. It is often low or missing in refined foods, as is magnesium and calcium as well. Cooking does not damage the potassium content of foods very much. Often cooking is required to make the potassium more absorbable by breaking down the tough fibers in vegetables and even in meats.

Potassium has many other roles, such as regulating the heart, the muscles and the nervous system. However, its main role in the condition of hypoglycemia has to do with its effect on thyroid glandular activity.

4. Zinc. This incredible mineral helps not only the production of insulin, but it is required to extend the action of the insulin molecule. Without enough zinc, the insulin molecule degrades too quickly and must be replaced instead of being recycled and used again. For this reason, zinc deficiency, which is very common today, places a significant added burden and strain on the pancreas and its insulin production mechanism. This often leads to diabetes if the cause of the low zinc is not corrected.

Many factors contribute to zinc deficiency. Most children are born low in zinc, and this is one cause of Type 1 diabetes. Other causes are stress, the most important single cause. Zinc is used up almost immediately when the body experiences stress of any kind. It cannot be replaced fast enough in these instances.

Low zinc is also due to inadequate amounts in all foods today, especially refined sugars and grains. The soils are extremely low in zinc in many places. Hybrid crops, which includes most today, are deficient in zinc and other trace elements. Other sources of zinc deficiency include getting pregnant, and boys need more at puberty, use of birth control pills and many drugs, and there are others as well.

5. Manganese. This is another vital trace mineral that, as with zinc, is needed for the thyroid gland, for energy production in the mitochondria of the cells and for many other functions having to do with energy production in the body. Almost everyone is deficient in this trace element, which is now refined out of most common foods such as wheat flour.

Manganese is also critical because, when deficient, it forms a toxic condition in the body that allows fungal growth to proceed. This can lead to many cancers, most sinus problems and many other fungal diseases. Manganese is truly a mineral that always needs supplementation, so difficult is it to obtain in nature today.

6. Iron. This exciting mineral is absolutely needed in the electron transport system and the Krebs cycle for the production of energy. However, too much iron, or iron in a biounavailable state, derails energy production tremendously. Also, iron can accumulate in the pancreas, where it can replace the essential element zinc. Most diabetics and many hypoglycemic people have too much iron in their tissues. This is a major cause of diabetes and one cause of hypoglycemic symptoms.

7. Copper. This is another fascinating mineral and we have devoted an entire article to it for this reason. Click here to read about copper toxicity syndrome. Copper is also required in the electron transport system, where most of our ATP comes through. However, as with iron, copper easily becomes biologically unavailable or biounavailable. When this occurs, energy production drops, at times intensely.

8. Chromium. Chromium is another fascinating mineral that is responsible for insulin’s ability to transport sugars across the cell membrane. Normally, the cells keep most glucose outside of the cell because too much inside is as harmful as too little. Insulin, in fact, regulates sugar metabolism in a number of ways, not just lowering blood sugar levels. It also causes the conversion of sugars to fats in the liver, and more. Chromium plays a role in these important transmutations in the liver as well. This is quite complex and is the reason why simply replacing insulin, or worse, using a drug to attempt to lower blood sugar is a very incomplete and dangerous procedure.

The drugs are the worst, as they simply stimulate the insulin-producing mechanism, hastening the day when it fails completely due to nutritional depletion. It is wholly backwards approach to the problem of hypoglycemia and diabetes.

9. Selenium. While this amazing mineral is not central to the energy production process in the cells, it is critical for two other functions that are most important. One is the conversion of the thyroid hormones T4 to T3, the active form of the hormone. The other is for synthesis of glutathione in the liver. This is critical for the detoxification of all toxic chemicals and heavy metals from the body.

VITAMINS AND ENERGY PRODUCTION

Several B-complex vitamins are also critical for energy production. Among them are thiamine, niacin and vitamin B6. In fact, however, many of the B-complex vitamins are required in the steps of the cellular respiration cycles such as the Krebs (carboxylic acid) and glycolysis cycles.

Anti-oxidant vitamins, as well as minerals, are critical for the energy production system of the body. This includes virtually all the minerals and the vitamins, in fact. The most known ones include vitamins A, B, C, D and E. However, otheres are also critical for protecting delicate structures inside the cells and outside from oxidant damage. The vitamins are the main ingredients that function in this manner.

The minerals function as anti-oxidants by combining with oxygen, often to form substances called oxides. While these are toxic to the body, they are much less toxic than singlet oxygen atoms, also called oxygen free radicals. These are so dangerous that the body uses all means at its disposal to rid them from the body. They are a natural byproduct of breathing, however, so they cannot be completely eliminated from the body. Having enough minerals in the body is thus a critical way the body protects itself from singlet oxygen atoms.

SYMPTOMS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA

Most symptoms of hypoglycemia involve the central nervous system. The brain is completely dependent upon circulating glucose as a fuel. It has no way to store glucose, as do the muscles.

Cellular energy starvation produces symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, confusion, tremors, irritability, fainting, headache, hunger, and even psychosis or violence.

However, many other symptoms may occur due to sugar starvation of various organs and tissues of the body. These range from generalized fatigue to physical wasting or weight loss, and weight gain due to fat deposition, especially in the belly. The symptoms can be so varied as to mimic almost any disease at one time or another. This is because hypoglycemia can and does affect all areas of the body to differing degrees.

SLOW OXIDIZER HYPOGLYCEMIA

Dr. Paul Eck and Dr. George Watson found that the oxidation rate affects the nature of hypoglycemic symptoms. Basically, slow oxidizers often have a chronic low blood sugar level. Meanwhile, fast oxidizers are more likely to experience wide fluctuations in their blood sugar, ranging from very high to very low. The differences have to do with the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, as they interact with hypoglycemic tendencies. The distinction is important because it affects the nutritional regimen that best controls the symptoms.

Let us address slow oxidizer hypoglycemia first. The adrenal hormones, cortisone and cortisol, raise serum glucose levels by converting amino acids and fats to glucose. Thyroid hormone is also required for the burning of glucose at the cellular level.

These hormones are lower than ideal in the slow oxidizer. As a result, glucose levels tend to be chronically low. As an analogy, the metabolic 'fire' is sluggish in slow oxidizers, and this contributes to chronic hypoglycemic symptoms. Often these people crave sweets or salty foods to replenish sodium and potassium, which are lost too easily. They also do not crave other food too much because elevated copper in these people reduces available zinc and this interferes with their normal appetites.

Slow oxidizers benefit from eating protein three times or more daily because it helps stabilize their adrenal and thyroid gland activity and therefore helps stabilize their glucose levels.

If the diet is too low in protein, slow oxidizers often strongly crave sweets. This is an attempt to compensate for their low blood sugar levels.

FAST OXIDIZER HYPOGLYCEMIA

In fast oxidizers, the oxidation or burning process is accelerated. Thyroid and adrenal activity tend to be high. Excessive conversion of glycogen to glucose occurs. This results in low glycogen reserves. If the body is placed under any stress at all, a reactive hypoglycemia occurs. There is simply no stored glucose or glycogen to deal with the emergency need for glucose. The stressor or emergency can be as simple as fatigue, exercise, hunger or any other kind of stress that occurs commonly during the daytime hours. It can occur at night as well, causing lack of sleep, or impaired dreaming.

When a stress occurs, fast oxidizers can experience severe reactive hypoglycemic episodes. This is made much worse if one eats sweets, which in themselves can be a powerful stress factor because they upset the blood sugar, among many other reasons. Like a large engine that burns fuel quickly, one can almost literally and suddenly run out of fuel. Their glycogen reserves may be too low to handle their need for glucose. They may develop severe symptoms such as confusion, shaking and even violent behaviors are not uncommon. Also, they may develop strong, almost irresistible cravings for sweets and alcohol at these times.

Fast oxidizers are helped by protein in the diet, and even moreso by fats. Fats digest and burn slowly. They also provide more calories per gram, helping to avoid the fuel-deficiency situation. In fact, many fast oxidizers are somewhat aware of this and prefer fatty foods such as steak and potatoes with sour cream. On lighter foods they may develop 'chinese restaurant syndrome'. That is, they may become very hungry within an hour or two of eating. Oriental food is lower in fats and often lower in protein.

HAIR ANALYSIS INDICATORS OF HYPOGLYCEMIA

The following indicators on a hair analysis in which the hair is not washed at the laboratory are associated with a trend for hypoglycemia

* A calcium/magnesium ratio less than 3.3:1 or greater than 10:1.

* A sodium/potassium ratio less than 1.6 or so.

* A potassium level less than about 5 mg%.

* Low levels of chromium, manganese or zinc and/or elevated copper, manganese, iron, lead, mercury, cadmium or aluminum. These are not as strong indicators of hypoglycemia as are the first three above.

In addition, hair analysis levels and ratios may be all within normal limits with hypoglycemia. This occurs because minerals can compensate for one another. This can be confusing, and is one of the less obvious parts of hair analysis interpretation. For this reason, symptoms are very important to identify hypoglycemia, and are often enough to make the assessment. Usually the client has trouble with sugary meals, is irritable before meals and feels better after eating something sweet.

EMOTIONS AND HYPOGLYCEMIA

In some instances, excessive emotions, especially pretence, play a role in hypoglycemia. This was a research finding by Dr. Paul Eck. It is true that certain emotions weaken the body so much, or add so much stress, that they can easily trigger a hypoglycemic episode in those prone to this problem. However, I am not sure I would limit the offending emotion to pretense, which is not truly an emotion. I would say any strong emotion, even joy, could trigger a hypoglycemic attack in some people.

CORRECTION OF HYPOGLYCEMIA

Hypoglycemia is not easy to correct permanently in many cases. This is because the problem is so complex, and it may involve a number of toxic metals, nutrient deficiencies, imbalanced oxidation rate and other biochemical problems.

Rest. It is possible, however, to control the problem quite easily in most cases with adequate rest and an excellent diet. Rest is a key for any condition, as it takes energy to accomplish healing and replenishing the enzyme system. Everyone needs at least 9 or 10 hours of sleep nightly for maximum healing to occur. The hours before midnight are of greater value, so going to bed by 9 PM at the latest is best.

Diet. We have elaborated above that slow oxidizers do well on four or up to six small meals daily that contain some protein. Fast oxidizers do well on a few meals with fats and/or oils in them as well. Others do well on well-rounded meals, but none do well on sugars or even sweet foods. These may include fruit juices, honey, maple syrup or other sweet items of diet. Even sweet fruits are a problem at times, although their higher levels of fiber can help mitigate their effect on blood sugar in most cases.

To begin correction, diet is an excellent first step. It takes the major stress from the adrenal glands and pancreas, and allows these organs to begin to rebuild. The next step is to increase the body’s intake of certain minerals, including zinc, chromium, selenium, manganese and others. This can be done with foods, although most foods are quite deficient in trace elements. A diet rich in vegetables is therefore essential. Whole meals of vegetables may be eaten to increase the quantity eaten. Whole grains are also excellent unless one does not tolerate them.

Juices And Supplements. Other sources of minerals are items such as kelp, dulse and other sea vegetables are rich sources of many minerals, though they may contain some toxic metals as well. “Green foods”, also sometimes called superfoods, are also good sources, but should not be the only source.

Juices of vegetables such as carrot, celery, beet and others are other wonderful sources of minerals. Do not overdo on juices, however, as they are very “yin” or expanded in Chinese medical terminology. Four to six ounces of juice, no more than once or perhaps on occasion twice daily is plenty. Otherwise other problems slowly develop.

Nutritional supplements may also be used. We do not find them a problem if they are of a natural source, preferably a food-based source, and if they are not overdone. Take no more than eight or nine different supplements at a time. More definitely overloads the body and can be confusing for the system. Many people overdo on supplements, which are in themselves healthful, but the combinations are not. These may include selenium chrdomium, manganese, zinc, B-complex vitamins, vitamins C, E, A, D and others.

Sauna therapy. This is excellent to begin to expel toxic metals and toxic chemicals. This will take several years of using the sauna daily. We much prefer the near infrared light sauna over the other kinds, although the far infrared type is also acceptable. Traditional saunas may be used, but are too hot and do not penetrate into the body, so the effects are less.

Nutritional Balancing Science. This uses hair testing and may be of great benefit for balancing the electrolytes. It increases safety and can hasten progress by reducing stress and improving energy production at the cellular level. It may also be an excellent way to monitor progress in the elimination of toxic metals. To read more about this, click here. Another article is here.

Reduce All Stress. Reducing other stressors and any negative items such as drug use, both recreational and prescription and over-the-counter are also helpful or even essential if your life is full of activity and especially if some or most of it is not in your best interest. Many people take all manner of medications or use other toxic household products, cosmetics and skin care items, and many others. The fewer the better of any toxic substances in your immediate environment, the faster healing will occur.

CONCLUSION

This short article summarizes briefly many facets of the incredible and common condition we erroneously call hypoglycemia. Through stress reduction, diet, nutritional supplementation and ideally with hair mineral testing to evaluate the metabolic type and much more, hypoglycemia may be overcome in many cases. In others, we must settle with controlling this very destructive precursor for diabetes, cancer and other serious diseases.

Originally published as the Eck Institute Bulletin, Volume 12, October 1996, Number 10

Original Copyright 1996, The Eck Institute. Material is for educational purposes only. Updated © 2007.

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