Can Stress Raise Blood Sugar? What You Need to Know

"When you're stressed -either physically or emotionally-your brain activates a built-in alarm system called the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. This pathway ends with your adrenal glands releasing cortisol, the body's primary stress hormone. Cortisol signals the liver to release glucose into your bloodstream, giving you a quick burst of energy to fight or flee from a threat. In the short term, this can be useful. But when cortisol stays high long-term, it can interfere with how your cells respond to insulin."

"Cortisol tells the body to prioritize quick energy over storage, so it temporarily reduces insulin's ability to move glucose into cells. Over time, this repeated interference can make cells less sensitive to insulin, causing blood sugar to stay elevated long-term. However, cortisol isn't the only factor in stress's effect on blood sugar. Recently, researchers discovered a direct brain-to-liver pathway linking the amygdala-a key stress center-to glucose production."

Stress activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, causing adrenal glands to release cortisol, which signals the liver to release glucose into the bloodstream. Short-term cortisol release supplies quick energy for fight-or-flight responses. Chronic elevation of cortisol reduces insulin effectiveness, temporarily prioritizing energy over storage and gradually making cells less insulin sensitive, leading to sustained high blood sugar. A direct brain-to-liver neural pathway from the amygdala can increase glucose production by as much as 70% even before hormones are released. Repeated stress-induced glucose spikes worsen insulin resistance and, combined with poor diet or inactivity, can contribute to type 2 diabetes and its complications.

Read at Natural Health News