Showing posts with label Type 2 Diabetes. Show all posts

Monday, 7 December 2020

What Is the Best Diet for PCOS? We Asked the Experts What Foods to Eat

Asked the Experts What Foods to Eat:

Nadine Primeau

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal imbalance that interferes with ovulation, increases production of testosterone and often causes insulin-resistance. Though the condition is incurable, one of the best ways to manage it is through the PCOS diet, which includes healthy eating habits and regular physical activity.

Celebrity trainer and fitness expert star Jillian Michaels knows this first hand. She was diagnosed with PCOS as a teenager and recently discussed how changing her diet made living with the condition more bearable, even keeping symptoms at bay for more than 20 years.

“No fake sugars, no processed sugars, no processed grains—things that drive insulin to the roof,” Michaels told Yahoo Lifestyle in September. “And over time, I pretty much had the situation under control.”

So, how does diet actually affect PCOS? And, if you have the disorder, what lifestyle changes can help you manage the conditions? We asked nutrition experts to weigh in.

PCOS and weight loss

PCOS is an endocrine condition that affects an estimated one in 10 women, but there are many misconceptions about the disorder among both patients and the medical community, says reproductive endocrinologist Jennifer Glueck.

One misconception is the relationship between PCOS and weight gain, she says, “Weight gain does not cause PCOS; PCOS does not cause weight gain.”

But, weight can impact the severity of PCOS symptoms.

“Weight loss is absolutely the cornerstone of treating PCOS because it is important to reduce the insulin-resistance not only to help symptoms but to prevent progression to Type 2 diabetes,” Glueck says. “Just as symptoms tend to get worse with weight gain, they do tend to get better and easier to control with weight loss.”

Glueck counsels her patients to make changes to their diets to reduce insulin-resistance—for example, eliminating added sugars and processed foods, reducing simple carbohydrates and increasing exercise.

Focus on lifestyle changes, not diets

Nutrition and the foods you eat are a “first-line treatment of PCOS,” says registered dietician nutritionist Angela Grassi, founder of The PCOS Nutrition Center.

“Food and the nutrients in food can help fight inflammation, reduce the risk for diseases that people with PCOS are more prone to, like Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, and can even improve fertility,” she says.

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But, too much focus on diets and weight loss may be counterintuitive and not sustainable, so Grassi urges her patients to make lifestyle changes to manage PCOS long term.

“What I am finding is that diets don’t work for people with PCOS because of the elevated levels of insulin, which puts them in a fat-storage mode,” Grassi explains. “They may lose some weight but without sustainable lifestyle changes, it can be quickly regained. Weight cycling can potentially make PCOS worse in the long run and impacts quality of life, and could lead to more mood and eating disorders.”

PCOS symptoms vary from person to person, so an individualized approach to nutrition works best.

“I help them develop a more balanced nutrition plan and challenge their distorted thoughts and judgments around food,” Grassi says. “I also help patients to become intuitive eaters. So many of them have lost the disconnect with hunger and fullness because of diets. Helping patients to add in enjoyable movement and finding the right supplements to help them is also part of it.”

What is the best nutritional plan for PCOS management?

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ recommendations for PCOS patients include eating more whole grains, fruits, vegetables, lean meats and low-fat or fat-free milk, cheese and yogurt to lower blood sugar, improve how the body uses insulin and regulate hormone levels.

The academy also suggests eating four to five meals or snacks a day, and not skipping meals. Meals should feature some kind of protein, like nut butters, lean meats, fish, tofu, beans or low-fat dairy. Healthy fats, including olive oil, avocados and almonds, can be incorporated in moderate portions.

Unless someone with PCOS also has a food allergy or intolerance, there is no reason to necessarily avoid specific foods, Grassi says.

“The important thing though is to notice how these foods affect you,” she says. “A balanced plate is a good place to start: half veggies, one quarter protein and another quarter whole grain carbohydrates along with fat.”

This approach prevents glucose and insulin surges and keeps you full longer. She says foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, like fatty fish and olive oil, lowers triglycerides, androgens like testosterone and overall inflammation.

Exercise reduces PCOS symptoms

Physical activity can relieve many PCOS symptoms. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recommends 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days, with strength training at least twice a week.

Research suggests that regular exercise also led to a lower BMI and reduced the risk of depression in women with PCOS.

PCOS-related depression and nutrition

PCOS is an incurable condition. PCOS symptoms—irregular periods, hair growth on the body, acne and sometimes struggles with fertility—require daily management, which can increase the risk of depression and anxiety. Research shows about 40% of women with PCOS experience depression.

As a result, emotional eating is a “big problem” for women with PCOS, Grassi says. Eating disorders, including bulimia nervosa, are more common among women with PCOS, and can impact treatment of PCOS, research suggests.

Also contributing to the anxiety around PCOS and the diet is the overwhelming amount of sometimes-inconsistent nutritional information available. That’s why working with a registered dietician or other health care provider can help you get on track.

“The most common issues are confusion on what to eat,” Grassi says. “There is so much conflicting nutrition information available on the internet, with research showing the majority of it is false. Most people with PCOS aren’t getting enough information from their health care provider on how to manage PCOS and they turn to the internet.”

Find out how Lea Michele copes with PCOS and other celebrities with PCOS.

Thursday, 26 July 2018

Air Pollution Triggers Millions of Cases of Diabetes Each Year

Air Pllution - A great Danger

Story at-a-glance

Air pollution has been named the “largest environmental cause of disease and premature death in the world today” as it is generated around the world and travels without respect for borders
Diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S.; links between outdoor air pollution and the emergence of Type 2 diabetes have been established, but this study was the first attempt to quantify the connection
In the largest study of its kind, researchers determined 14 percent of cases of diabetes could be attributed to air pollution and an estimated 8.2 million years of healthy life were lost globally in 2016 due to air pollution-induced diabetes
Indoor air pollution develops from outgassing from furniture and building material and is associated with negative health conditions; by keeping your indoor air clean, you may create a safe haven from outdoor air pollution
By Dr. Mercola
Air pollution has been named the "largest environmental cause of disease and premature death in the world today" by a collaboration of more than 40 researchers looking at data from 130 countries.¹ The problem is insidious and travels without respect for borders. Air pollution created in Asia affects people living on the California coast.
Fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) is the most studied type of air pollution and refers to dust, dirt, soot, smoke or other particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. These particles of air pollution are so fine they may enter your system through your lung tissue and trigger chronic inflammation, which in turn increases your risk of health conditions.²
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 92 percent of the world's population is breathing polluted air³ and nearly 7 million deaths are attributed to air pollution each year.⁴ Overall, a toxic environment is responsible for at least 25 percent of all deaths reported worldwide, and air pollution is the greatest contributor.
The idea that air pollution is a source of toxic exposure often leading to ill-health should come as no surprise. In a previous study,⁵ American researchers found exposure to as little as one or two months of air pollution may be enough to increase your risk of diabetes, especially if you are already obese. In a recent global study,⁶ a new link has been made between air pollution and Type 2 diabetes.

Air Pollution May Be Responsible for Damage Leading to Type 2 Diabetes
According to the American Diabetes Association,⁷ 30.3 million Americans, or 9.4 percent of the population, had diabetes in 2015. Type 2 diabetes is the more common form of the condition, accounting for nearly 99 percent of cases⁸ and is the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. In 2015, 4.1 million Americans over 18 were diagnosed with prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes.
Individuals with prediabetes have an increased risk for developing Type 2 diabetes, heart disease and stroke.⁹ Previous studies^10,^11,^12,¹³ have looked at links between outdoor air pollution and the emergence of Type 2 diabetes, but the featured study is a first attempt to quantify the connection.
Researchers tracked 1.7 million U.S. Veterans¹⁴ for almost a decade in order to assess risk, using data from other global studies evaluating diabetes risk, along with air quality data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and NASA.
The researchers then created an equation to analyze the connection between exposure to air pollution and the risk of diabetes globally. The study, published by The Lancet Planetary Health, concluded that air pollution was responsible for 3.2 million newly diagnosed cases around the world in 2016 alone. Assistant professor of medicine at Washington University and author of the study, Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly, commented on the overall effects of breathing air pollutants, saying:¹⁵

"We tell people all the time, if you eat bad stuff, it affects your health. You are what you eat, you are what you drink and, really, you are what you breathe. What you breathe really, really affects your health."
This was one of the largest and most unique studies of its kind. In all, 14 percent of newly diagnosed cases of Type 2 diabetes could be attributed to air pollution in 2016.¹⁶ The study also estimated 8.2 million years of healthy life were lost globally in 2016 due to air pollution-induced diabetes.
The pollutants tracked and examined in the study were PM 2.5, 30 times smaller than a human hair. The study makes a strong case that the current EPA limits on air pollution are set too high. The threshold on particulate matter deemed safe by the EPA is 12 ug/m3 (micrograms per cubic meter of air) and the study found the risk of diabetes started at 2.4 ug/m3.
During the study, 21 percent exposed to between 5 ug/m3 and 10 ug/m3 of particulate matter, developed diabetes. At the current "safe" level established by the EPA, 24 percent develop diabetes.

Rule Creates Loophole to Evade Improvements in Water and Air Quality
While this and other studies have demonstrated a significant detrimental effect on the health of U.S. citizens from air pollution, a rule proposed by the Trump Administration¹⁷ suggests all studies used by the EPA to determine water and air regulations must make their underlying data publicly available. Unfortunately, studies like the featured study and others are based on confidentially held health data. This greatly undermines the potential for regulations to improve air quality.
In the face of this and other data, the Trump administration¹⁸ is seeking to boost the nation's manufacturing sector by creating industry-friendly air quality regulations, which environmentalists warn will damage the health of U.S. citizens.
In one directive, he proposed the EPA work with states whose metro areas are failing to obtain clean air standards, by helping them submit plans to show how the city will confront the problem — a review process that can take years. This represents a clear effort on the part of the administration to assist manufacturers, which the president made clear in his accompanying statement:¹⁹

"These actions are intended to ensure that EPA carries out its core missions of protecting the environment and improving air quality in accord with statutory requirements, while reducing unnecessary impediments to new manufacturing and business expansion essential for a growing economy."

Pollution Contributes to Obesity
The journey started nearly 60 years ago when an environmental disaster in southwestern Pennsylvania forever changed the way America thought about industrial pollution.²⁰ In 1948 the people of Donora, Pennsylvania, awoke to a thick blanket of smog that darkened the valley for five days before lifting when a storm swept through. By this time, one-third of the population had become ill, 20 people were dead and another 50 died in the following months.²¹
It was later learned cold air had trapped a mixture of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and metal dust over the valley, recorded as the worst air pollution disaster in U.S. history. It was this disaster that prompted the federal government to begin regulating industrial pollution.
Previous studies have looked at respiratory conditions and cardiovascular disease associated with inhaling air pollutants but more recent studies have found compelling evidence suggesting air quality can also contribute to weight gain and obesity. In one study²² examining over 3,000 children in California, researchers found an association between traffic density and higher levels of body mass index (BMI) by the age of 18.
Another study²³ analyzed BMI in children exposed to traffic-related air pollution over a five-year period, during which those exposed to the most pollution, compared to those exposed to the least, had a 14 percent larger increase in their BMI. Another from Harvard Medical School looked at whether adults living in areas with constant exposure to traffic were more likely to be overweight, and found more fat tissue in those who lived 60 meters (197 feet) from a busy road than those who lived 440 meters (1,443 feet) away.²⁴
The relationship has also been found in animal studies. Chinese researchers²⁵ compared two groups of pregnant rats, one raised in a filtered air-scrubbed room and the other breathing outdoor air from Beijing. The animals were fed the same diet, but those living in Beijing air were heavier at the end of their pregnancy as were their offspring. Autopsy findings found the rats exposed to pollutants had higher levels of inflammation, which may have contributed to weight gain and metabolic disruption.
An EPA study found mice exposed to ozone pollution developed glucose intolerance, a precursor to diabetes.^26,²⁷ In a study evaluating the physiological response in 314 overweight or obese children in Los Angeles, children who lived in neighborhoods with the highest concentration of nitrogen dioxide and particulates were found to have the greatest decline in insulin sensitivity.²⁸

Multiple Molecules Make Up Air Pollution
Multiple types of molecules make up the fine particulate matter your body is able to absorb through lung tissue. Top pollutants include:

Ammonia Carbon monoxide

Fine particulates Lead

Nitrogen oxides Sulfur dioxide

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) Ozone

While car emissions contribute one source of air pollutions, another significant source is released into the atmosphere from synthetic nitrogen-based fertilizers at rates higher than previously believed.²⁹ California has some of the strictest car emission standards in the U.S., but is continued to be plagued by nitrogen oxide pollution.
Scientists have known soil microbes convert nitrogen-based fertilizers to nitrogen oxides and then release them into the air. However, it was assumed the amount of gas would increase linearly, or at 1 percent of the amount of fertilizer used. These predictions turned out to be conservative,³⁰ as emissions were measured at up to 5 percent of the fertilizer used, explaining some of the increased rates of nitrogen oxides emitted in large agricultural areas.
Unfortunately, when nitrogen oxides and VOCs combine on a sunny day, it increases the amount of ozone at ground level. VOCs are emitted by cars, power plants, refineries and chemical plants. Ozone in the upper atmosphere, called stratospheric ozone, provides a protective shield against the ultraviolet rays of the sun.³¹ This beneficial ozone has been partially destroyed by man-made chemicals.
However, ground level ozone, tropospheric ozone, is not admitted directly into the air but created through a chemical reaction and is a harmful pollutant. This bad ozone is the main ingredient in smog and has a higher likelihood of reaching unhealthy levels on hot sunny days, as sunlight triggers the chemical reaction between nitrogen oxides and VOCs.³² "Nitrogen oxides" is a catch-all term used to designate nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide, both of which react with oxygen and sunlight to produce ozone in the lower atmosphere.

Nanoparticles Responsible for Vascular Damage
In a study published in Environmental Pollution,³³ researchers found silica nanoparticles have the ability to trigger mitochondrial dysfunction in endothelial cells by entering the mitochondria, causing swelling and increasing the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species. This eventually results in the collapse of the mitochondrial membrane and impairment in ATP synthesis.³⁴
Silica nanoparticles were found to trigger endothelial toxicity using mitochondria as the target, which may in part explain some of the cardiovascular dysfunction triggered by PM 2.5 air pollution. Silica nanoparticles are used³⁵ as an additive in rubber and plastics, to strengthen concrete and as a platform for biomedical applications, such as drug delivery. In other words, drugs bound to silica nanoparticles may create endothelial damage as you take prescribed medications.
However, nano-particulate damage is not new information.³⁶ A study published by the American Chemical Society found evidence of how particles inhaled may affect your blood vessels and heart muscle.³⁷ Air pollution has shortened the lives of nearly 40,000 people in the U.K.,³⁸ which is often attributed to the part it plays in worsening or triggering heart and lung disease. Using humans and several mouse models, the researchers studied the effect of inhaled gold nanoparticles.
Within 24 hours after inhalation, particles were detected in the blood and urine of the participants and appeared to have an affinity for accumulating in damaged or inflamed areas of the vascular system,³⁹ suggesting nanoparticles have the ability to access the bloodstream from your lungs and reach susceptible areas of your cardiovascular system.
In some participants, the nanoparticles were still detectable in the urine three months after testing, leading researchers to theorize air pollutant nanoparticles may have the potential to make a similar journey in your body.
Researchers then asked participants scheduled for removal of damaged blood vessels to inhale gold nanoparticles.⁴⁰ Following surgery the researchers analyzed the plaques and found an accumulation of nanoparticles from the prior 24 hours. Although some criticized the design of the study, it is clear air pollution damages heart and lung tissue. Coauthor of the study, Dr. Nicholas Mills, commented on the results saying:⁴¹

"We have always suspected that nanoparticles in the air that we breathe in could escape from the lungs and enter the body, but until now there was no proof. These findings are of wide importance for human health, and we must now focus our attention on reducing emissions and exposure to airborne nanoparticles."

Mind Your Indoor Air Quality as Well
Your risk of breathing polluted air does not end when you go indoors. Indoor air pollution is also associated with a remarkable number of conditions, including worsening asthma, poor sleep, high blood pressure and reduced cognitive function. Primary sources are the materials used to construct your home and everything in it, including your furniture, as well as chemical products you bring into the home for cleaning or DIY projects.
Modern buildings are also airtight for energy efficiency purposes, and need to be properly ventilated to prevent the buildup of indoor pollution. One way to reduce your exposure to damaging outdoor air pollution is to keep your indoor air as clean as possible and stay indoors when pollution levels are high. For a list of strategies you may consider to improve your indoor air quality and protect your health see my previous article, "Reduce Indoor Air Pollution."

Thursday, 22 March 2018

What 15 Almonds A Day Can Do For You

15 Almonds A Day For Good Health

Almonds are a healthy snack and a good alternative to sweet, calorific hunger stoppers.

Written By:

GreenMedInfo Research Group

This article is copyrighted by GreenMedInfo LLC, 2018
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Almonds are familiar to many people as a healthy food, but how exactly do they affect our health? Rich in many compounds that can be lacking in a Standard American Diet (appropriately abbreviated S.A.D.), almonds can be a tasty solution to many of the chronic health conditions and diseases seen today.

Almonds are one of those nutrient-dense foods that can be hard to stop munching on once you’re crunching on the first one or two. Whether you’re sipping on a glass of creamy homemade almond milk, taking your first bite of strawberry-topped almond meal pancakes, or enjoying stir fry sprinkled with slivered almonds, you’re not just satisfying your appetite, you’re deliciously optimizing your health.

Seeds carry all of the nutrients and genetic information required to grow and develop, so too does the almond bring vital health knowledge in the form of antioxidants, heart healthy fats, protein, and inorganic compounds like minerals, which are crucial to life as we know it. How can something so small have effects so large when it comes to addressing serious health concerns? While we may never know the full biochemical explanations behind each way the almond fulfills its triumphant quest for homeostatic health, we can continue to sing its praises and enjoy a handful a day without remorse.

With the debate about fat consumption finally siding in favor of adding more poly- and monounsaturated fats in our diet, we can begin to focus on how these fats have won our hearts by saving them from disease. According to the CDC, over 600,000 people succumb to heart disease every year, which accounts for roughly 25% of the total annual deaths. So why don’t doctors prescribe a daily handful of almonds instead of a pharmaceutical for cholesterol issues?

High cholesterol has been demonized as a primary cause of heart disease and is often treated with a class of drugs called statins. While statins shut down the enzyme pathway that synthesizes cholesterol, they also wipe out the highway to producing CoQ10 (an essential enzyme for producing energy in the body), and sometimes that damage is irreversible. But naturally there is a much safer solution that can be grown at home, purchased at the local grocery store, or health food store. One of the clinical studies on almonds and improvements in HDL cholesterol used only 10g of almonds per day, which is roughly 12-15 almonds, and this study was in patients who had pre-existing coronary artery disease. Not only did HDL cholesterol improve, but there were reductions in triglycerides, total cholesterol including LDL cholesterol and VLDL (very low density lipoprotein), and the atherogenic index, which is strongly correlated with chronic inflammation and the development of vascular diseases [Jamshed, 2015].

Another health crisis emerging onto the global stage is type 2 diabetes, which is justly titled a pandemic [Hu, 2015]. The number of people worldwide projected to have type 2 diabetes by 2035 is almost 600 million, what a staggering statistic, and that’s not even considering the health care costs associated with diabetes. While an imbalanced diet can be a causative factor in type 2 diabetes, nutritional improvements can reverse some of the harmful changes. Diabetes is a disease of improper glucose (sugar) metabolism, and is generally preceded by a cluster of conditions called metabolic syndrome. While the pharmaceutical model may target a disease from one pathway or direction, the almond has innumerable approaches to countering imbalance and restoring homeostasis. Consuming just 60g (about 2 ounces) of almonds daily for four-weeks showed reductions in insulin resistance, fasting insulin and glucose . Other health outcomes that demonstrated improvements were cholesterol ratios, body fat percentage, and nutritional status (magnesium, fiber, fatty acid profile, etc.) [Sing-Chung, 2011].

The doctrine of signatures, dating back to the first century AD, is upheld in the carrot and almond’s uncanny resemblance to the human eye. While carrots may be the best-known food that benefits the eyes, almond’s have their own pedestal to stand on. Not just an adjective for eye color, almonds are incredibly important for proper functioning of our eyes. Our eyes are exposed to numerous chemicals and toxins that evade our five sense detection. The vasculature of our eyes contains some of the smallest blood vessels in our body, and when damage occurs, repair can be difficult, if not impossible. Rich in vitamin E, almonds can help prevent abnormal changes to the lens, which can accelerate the development of cataracts. A study conducted in Finland concluded that, “a low plasma vitamin E level (lower quartile) was associated with a 3.7-fold excess risk (95% confidence interval 1.2-11.8) of the progression of early cortical lens opacities compared with the highest quartile (p = 0.028)” [Rouhiainen P, 1996].

We know the old adage, “an apple a day, keeps the doctor away”, but imagine what an apple covered in almond butter would do to the pharmaceutical industry. In a 2015 study, eating ⅓ cup of almonds (43g) with breakfast, lunch, dinner, or as a standalone snack reduced blood sugar, and the snacking group of participants actually showed the largest decrease.

“DISCUSSION: Snacking reportedly increases the risk for weight gain, but such a broad generalization may mask differential responses to selected foods. This study compared the acute post-ingestive and the short-term effects of incorporating almonds in a meal or consuming them alone as snacks. It also allowed the assessment of possible physiological adaptations to almond consumption that could accentuate or diminish behavioral responses after 4 weeks of daily ingestion [Chen, 2015].”

Because raw almonds in the US harbor a dirty secret, it’s best to find imported Italian or Spanish almonds and sprout them for several hours or overnight (read more here). Depending on which health outcome you’re searching for, a mere 10-60g of almonds (the range used in the aforementioned studies) incorporated into your diet can ameliorate type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, eye issues, and many other health conditions. Food should taste good, but more importantly it should relay valuable biological information that with each bite can positively affect our state of being. So keep almonds in your desk, purse, backpack, cupboard, and close to your heart, because they’ll be protecting yours.

Saturday, 20 January 2018

8 Signs You Are Eating Too Much Sugar

Too Much Sugar?

Helpful facts about sugar intake

8 Signs You’re Eating Too Much Sugar

by DailyHealthPostJanuary 18, 2018

Whether you have a sweet tooth or not so much, sugar in some form is added to almost every packaged food you buy. You are probably getting more sugar—even too much sugar—without even knowing it. The question is: how much sugar is too much?
Refined sugar (and its substitutes) is the bane of human existence, causing all sorts of illness, disease, and general malaise. A packaged food may not say “sugar” in the list of ingredients but it may be called by something else, like:

Corn syrup/sweetener
Dextrin
Dextrose
Diglycerides
Disaccharides
Evaporated cane juice
Fructose
Glucose
High fructose corn syrup
Hydrolyzed starch
Malt syrup
Maltodextrin
Maltose
Rice Syrup
Sorbitol
Sucrose

With all these sources of sugar, how do you know how much sugar is too much? If you experience the symptoms below, it’s high time you cut out sweets from your diet.

1. Cravings for Sugar/Carbs

Sugar is addictive. It’s as addictive as cocaine and its effects are similar. Sugar stimulates the production of dopamine, a pleasure hormone. Without even thinking about it, we may crave sweets and simple carbohydrates to give ourselves a “fix”. And, like other addictions, the body builds up a tolerance for sugar so the more you eat, the more you want—even if you’re not hungry. (1)

“The theory is formulated that intermittent, excessive intake of sugar can have dopaminergic, cholinergic and opioid effects that are similar to psychostimulants and opiates, albeit smaller in magnitude. The overall effect of these neurochemical adaptations is mild, but well-defined, dependency,” writes a study published in Neuroscience Biobehavioral Reviews. (2)

See also: Reversing diabetes Type-2
Watch the short video below for an interview with Dr. Mark Hyman discussing a groundbreaking study that explains the physiology behind sugar addiction.

2. Lack of Energy and Tiredness

Orexins are a type of neuropeptide (an amino acid chain that forms protein in the brain). These neurotransmitters in the hypothalamus are responsible for the sleep/wake cycle, among other things. They are sensitive to sugars and respond to glucose levels in the body. (3) Even small increases in blood glucose inhibit orexins’ transmission of neural signals, thereby inducing a sleep state. (4) So while you experience a sugar “high” shortly after eating/drinking, the “crash” that follows is how you experience the shut-down of neurotransmitters: you feel tired.

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