Is High Blood Sugar Level Common During Menopause? Find Out Here...

High Blood Sugar is not just common but it can be deadly for menopausal women. In the United States, it’s the number 6 killer of women ages 45 to 54 and the number 4 killer of women ages 55 to 64.

So, What Is High Blood Sugar?

It’s a condition which occurs when there’s too much sugar in the blood because the body lacks enough insulin or if your body can’t use insulin properly. Insulin is the hormone that transports glucose into the blood. 

The condition is most often linked with diabetes and has recently been associated closely with menopausal women as well. 

We need to take this condition seriously, as if it’s untreated for long periods of time, you can damage your nerves, blood vessels, tissues and organs. Damage to blood vessels can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, and nerve damage may also lead to eye damage, kidney damage and non-healing wounds. 

How Do I Know If I Have High Blood Sugar?

Some common symptoms you need to look out for are: 

• Thirst or constant dehydration
• Constant headache
• Trouble concentrating
• Blurred vision
• Frequent peeing
• Fatigue (weak/feeling tired constantly)
• Weight loss

If you have had any of these symptoms recently, we recommend you to go and see a doctor immediately! 

What’s The Connection Between High Blood Sugar & Menopause?

The main culprit for high blood sugar level during menopause is the decrease in estrogen level. 

Prior to menopause, our ovaries produced estrogen. However, during menopause, the ovaries stop producing estrogen and instead it comes mostly from body fat. 

In addition to this, progesterone levels also drop after menopause…

And unfortunately, both estrogen and progesterone have an effect on the way insulin works in the body. 

Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas, which helps your body use glucose for energy it needs and then store the remaining. 

Both estrogen & progesterone help to optimize insulin, which means it helps your body use insulin effectively. Therefore, reduction in estrogen & progesterone levels during menopause can lead to insulin resistance, which is when your body does not respond to insulin well and your blood suagr level fluctuates. 

You may notice that your blood sugar level changes more than before, and goes up and down. However, if your blood sugar levels get out of control, you have a higher risk of diabetes complications. 

Other factors other than hormonal fluctuation that affects your blood sugar levels during menopause are: 

• Weight gain
• Hot flashes and night sweats may keep you up at night. In turn, sleep deprivation can make it tougher to manage your blood sugar levels. 

Is There Something I Can Do To Maintain My Blood Sugar Level?

Now that we know it’s a common symptom, instead of waiting for the symptoms listed above - we can start taking precautionary measures that can help us regulate our blood sugar levels during menopause. 

Here are some tips that will help you in the long-run! 

#1 Consume Phytoestrogens regularly.

Phytoestrogens are a natural compound found in plants and plant-based foods. When eaten, they imitate estrogen because their chemical structure is very similar to that of estrogen found in our body. 

When Phytoestrogens enter the body, the body’s estrogen receptors treat them as if they were estrogen. This is why they might be beneficial for women looking to rebalance their hormones and blood sugar levels during menopause. Some common herbs & food with high phytoestrogens include - turmeric, moringa leaf, flax seed and tofu.

#2 Control Your Carbohydrates

Menopausal and postmenopausal women often do well with a low carbohydrate diet, simply because they are not pumping as much glucose into their bodies in the first place. Additionally, low carbohydrate diets tend to help menopausal and postmenopausal women lose weight, which is increasingly difficult as they get older. Losing weight will also help to regulate blood sugar.

#3 Exercise

It’s also important to stay active. Something as simple as walking 30 minutes a day will help with losing weight and regulating blood sugar. When you exercise, your muscles will burn sugar in your body, helping to lower glucose levels. Additionally, when you exercise on a regular basis, your body will learn to use insulin more efficiently.

#4 Control Stress Levels

Controlling stress levels is very important for a variety of health issues, and blood sugar is no exception. When you are stressed, your body will release hormones such as cortisol, epinephrine, and glucagon, which can increase insulin resistance. Meditation, prayers, exercise, sleep, and relaxation are very important to control stress. 

So, even if you haven’t faced the common symptoms of high blood sugar levels - weight loss, thirst or constant dehydration, headache, trouble concentrating, frequent peeing and fatigue…

Once you get into peri-menopause it’s important to start taking care of yourself and taking up measures to help regulate your blood sugar levels naturally before it’s too late. 

PS. There’s a natural way to control your blood sugar level! You can add phytoestrogens to your daily diet…

During menopause, the decline in levels of the hormones estrogen and progesterone affects the way your body uses insulin (hormone that helps regulate your blood sugar levels), leading to insulin resistance, which is when your body does not respond to insulin well and your blood suagr level fluctuates. 

The best way to counteract hormonal imbalance is by replenishing your declining hormones with these 3 phytoestrogens — Curry Leaves, Moringa and Turmeric.

These 3 phytoestrogenic herbs have the ability to mimic estrogen when ingested, which is a natural way to restore hormonal balance in the body.

So, if you want to introduce these 3 phytoestrogenic herbs to your daily regime, why not try Provitalize?

With its unique blend of thermogenic probiotics, all-natural herbs & absorption boosters, Provitalize has helped women worldwide with: 

• Maintaining blood sugar levels
• Mood swings
• Anxiety
• Weight Gain
• Bloating
• Insomnia
• Hormonal imbalance

Don’t believe us?

Check out what our lovely customers have to say about how Provitalize helped them with their hormonal imbalance: