Why Stress is Giving You Diabetes

You may have heard there is a correlation between stress and diabetes (Type 2). Stress affects the autonomic nervous system in profound ways including secretion of hormones. In this blog we’ll explore the mechanism, and what to do about it. 

The autonomic nervous system is divided into 2; the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. The sympathetic system is the fight or flight response. When it is triggered, it secretes cortisol, the stress hormone. 

Cortisol’s main function is to liberate sugar from the muscles and liver. Sugar (glucose) is a quicker energy source than fats. So this is a survival mechanism. The nervous system perceives threat and it is programmed to give you quick energy. And this is a good thing in an emergency. The problem occurs when we are chronically stressed and spiking this system. Insulin does the opposite of cortisol, it pushes the glucose back into cells. Over time, the body becomes insulin resistant and our blood sugar remains higher leading to diabetes.  

When we say stress, we don’t mean just perceived or emotional stress. Stress comes in many forms. There is hormetic stress which is a good type of stress but in the right doses. For example, exercise or an ice bath is a hormetic stressor. This is a stress that we rebound from and become more adaptable. It’s like sun exposure; some sun is good and you get a tan, making your skin more protected from the sun. This is something you build with time. Too much sun and you get burned which is not good. The problem is, we try to combat stress with more stress. So maybe work is tough, you got poor sleep, and you workout out, run on your lunch break, do an ice bath, or whatever your form of self inflicted torture is. It may be too much for you to handle and you won't recover. 

What is happening to you on a physiologic level is that you are constantly in a stimulated, fight or flight mode and you are maintaining high levels of blood sugar. Technically, blood sugar dysregulation is a form of stress so when this system is overactive, it’s a bit of a downward spiral. 

So what do we do about this? We have to seek more parasympathetic activity. This gives the nervous system a break and allows for recovery. It will also stop the pancreas from secreting so much insulin. It will also allow our bodies to burn fats rather than carbs for energy. There are lots of ways to do this, a walk in nature, massage, a relaxing book, breathwork, etc. Here is a video of some tips on the parasympathetic system: 

Life is about balance. You can’t fight fire with fire. It’s also important to note that prediabetes is reversible. However, when diabetes becomes too far gone, cells in the pancreas start to die and then you become dependent on medicine. Prioritize sleep, recovery, and the parasympathetic system, and you will thrive. You’ll also find that if you do this, the times you do want to exercise, you’ll perform better and get more out of it. 

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