A lot of people underestimate the importance of blood sugar regulation for good health. Unless you or someone you know suffers from diabetes, you probably don’t think much about it. However, stable blood sugar levels are critical to maintaining good energy levels, reducing stress on the body, lowering inflammation, and managing chronic health conditions like autoimmune disorders, and not just diabetes. Luckily, CBD can also offer assistance for blood sugar regulation. It does so by helping with hormone balance in order to support a healthy metabolism and prevent insulin resistance.
CBD and Hormones
The two hormones that are responsible for blood sugar regulation in the body are insulin and glucagon. Insulin gets released from the pancreas when blood sugar levels rise following the consumption of a meal rich in simple carbohydrates. Carbohydrates in any form will break down into glucose or sugar. The purpose of insulin is to shuttle sugar from the blood into the cells for use and storage.
Glucagon does the complete opposite and gets released from the pancreas when blood sugar levels are low. This hormone triggers the liver to burn stored energy in the form of glycogen from the liver and from fat reserves within the body. It is important to note that low blood sugar or hypoglycemia is often caused by a spike in blood sugar levels, which is caused by consuming a meal high in simple carbohydrates.
CBD works by bringing hormone levels back into balance and can moderate blood sugar levels by lowering insulin levels, shown by one study. CBD has also shown promise in reducing insulin resistance by lowering inflammation in the body. Improving insulin sensitivity can help regulate metabolism and contribute to weight loss.
CBD and Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, or blood sugar, gets too high. Reasons for developing these conditions are different depending on Type 1 or Type 2. Type 1 diabetes occurs when the immune system attacks and destroys the cells in the pancreas that produce insulin. Type 2 diabetes is the most common and comes from lifestyle factors and genetics. It is considered to be an inflammatory condition meanwhile CBD offers anti-inflammatory properties so these together are a natural combination. Inflammation is a key factor in the development of other chronic health conditions too. So CBD can help prevent the development of further issues like heart disease, autoimmunity, and even cancer.
CBD has also shown promise in reducing insulin resistance and moderating blood sugar levels for people not taking insulin. CBD is believed to buffer insulin sensitivity rather than inhibit it. This means that if you are taking any prescribed medication or insulin to manage your diabetes you should NOT rely on CBD to solve your problem.
In addition, this means that CBD is not only for blood sugar regulation but also for people with low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. CBD could support blood sugar metabolism by regulating the hormone glucagon which is responsible for increasing blood sugar levels. Hypoglycemia is a condition associated with low blood sugar levels and is usually attributed to poor lifestyle habits.
CBD and Weight Loss
CBD can help to balance out the hormones ghrelin and leptin which are responsible for hunger and satiety, respectively. It is a great complement to this process since it can help to regulate blood sugar levels and possibly even decrease appetite. This can make it easier to ingest fewer calories throughout the day when hunger signals are working properly. In addition, by balancing insulin levels, CBD can further contribute to weight loss. Excess insulin promotes the conversion of sugars into stored fat resulting in weight gain and obesity.
A Quick Word on Obesity
Obesity is linked to leptin resistance. This is a condition where people show high levels of the hormone leptin, the satiety hormone, but the signal does not work properly. It can lead to feelings of hunger more often while slowing down metabolism. Leptin is produced by fat cells in the body, and the more fat they hold, the more leptin they produce. Leptin signals the brain to send a signal to the hypothalamus. This organ controls when and how much you eat. This becomes a feedback loop since the fat cells use leptin to tell the brain how much body fat they should hold.
Long story short, when you eat, your body fat goes up, and your leptin levels also go up. Therefore, you eat less and burn more. There are some preliminary studies being done to see the effects of CBD on leptin resistance further contributing to weight loss.
So Can CBD Oil Help You Manage Your Blood Sugar?
CBD oil is a great option for those wanting support with blood sugar regulation and diabetes. The reasoning behind this is that CBD helps buffer insulin sensitivity thereby lowering insulin resistance and balancing sugar metabolism. CBD also acts on inflammation which is a major implication in any chronic disease like diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. However, this would only apply to those who are not currently taking insulin.
Interested to try out CBD oil? We suggest getting started with ICARIA’s most popular THEIA product. This oil comes with no taste making it great for consistent use over a longer period of time. It is also easy to implement into your daily routine to help balance blood sugar levels.
Balance Blood Sugar with Diet – Tips From a Nutritionist
There are also a lot of things we can do with diet in order to help with blood sugar regulation. Since we are nutritionists at ICARIA, we do like to offer a holistic approach, since we know that CBD oil is not a magic pill and will not resolve health problems overnight. We can certainly benefit from some extra help with diet and lifestyle.
First off, eating fewer processed foods high in simple carbohydrates and sugars can help significantly. Any processed grains, or products made with white flour, are going to spike your blood sugar quickly causing an overproduction of insulin. A spike in insulin is often followed by a crash in blood sugar levels. Too much insulin stores too much sugar, thus lowering the amount of sugar, or glucose, in the blood.
You also want to focus on eating foods that are higher in fibre (both soluble and insoluble) like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes. Fibre slows down the rate of absorption of sugar into your blood and can also help to bind to any excess toxins to be excreted from the body.
You also want to incorporate more protein and healthy fats into your diet. This can even further slow down the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates. Protein and fats help you remain fuller for longer so you do not end up reaching for carbohydrates for that quick energy hit and insulin spike. Great protein options are fish, eggs, nuts, and seeds. Great fat options are avocados, coconut and olive oil, as well as nuts and seeds.
The key to eating a healthy well-balanced diet is J.E.R.F. – Just Eat Real Food. Ask yourself, how much was your food processed. Most often, the less processed the food is, the healthier it is for you.
