What is Hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia - hy-po-gly-ce-mi-a (n.)
An abnormally low level of sugar in the blood.
What does this mean?
In simple layman's language, hypoglycemia is the body's inability to properly handle the large amounts of sugar that the
average American consumes today. It's an overload of sugar, alcohol, caffeine, tobacco and stress.
In medical terms, hypoglycemia is defined in relation to its cause. Functional hypoglycemia, the kind we are addressing here,
is the oversecretion of insulin by the pancreas in response to a rapid rise in blood sugar or "glucose".
All carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits and grains, as well as simple table sugar), are broken down into simple sugars by the
process of digestion. This sugar enters the blood stream as glucose and our level of blood sugar rises. The pancreas then
secretes a hormone known as insulin into the blood in order to bring the glucose down to normal levels.
In hypoglycemia, the pancreas sends out too much insulin and the blood sugar plummets below the level necessary to maintain well-being.
Since all the cells of the body, especially the brain cells, use glucose for fuel, a blood glucose level that is too low starves
the cells of needed fuel, causing both physical and emotional symptoms.
-an excerpt from The Do's and Don'ts of Hypoglycemia: An Everyday Guide to Low Blood Sugar by Roberta Ruggiero
- fatigue
- insomnia
- mental confusion
- nervousness
- mood swings
- faintness
- headaches
- depression
- phobias
- heart palpitations
|
a craving for sweets
cold hands and feet
forgetfulness
dizziness
blurred vision
inner trembling
outbursts of temper
sudden hunger
allergies
crying spells
|
Whether you are hypoglycemic or think you are hypoglycemic, the first requirement is to EDUCATE yourself. As a knowledgeable
patient, you will then be able to wisely choose a health-care professional who can assist you with your diagnosis and treatment.
What the Experts Say...
"The low blood sugar of today is the diabetes of tomorrow" Seale Harris, M.D.
"I have never, ever seen an alcoholic who wasn't hypoglycemic. It just doesn't occur, it's the same problem." Dr. Douglas M. Baird, HSF Medical Director,
author of The Blood Sugar Hotline
"Warning: as many as 100 million people in this country may be suffering from a disease nobody cares to talk about! Failure to learn
about it could be dangerous to your health." - Dr David Williams, author of Hypoglycemia: The Deadly Roller Coaster
"For one person in every ten, sugar is a deadly food, paving the way toward a hundred distressing physical symptoms, plus all the
tortures of neurotic and even psychotic behavior. For that person a little sugar is akin to a little carbolic acid." - Carlton Federicks, Ph.D., author of New Low Blood Sugar And You
"The sugar-laden American diet has led to a national epidemic of hypoglycemia, an ailment characterized by irrational behavior,
emotional instability, distorted judgement, and nasty personality defects." - Dr. Emanuel Cheraskin, author of The Vitamin C Connection
"It is an alarming fact that countless Americans suffer-unsuspectingly-from the debilitating effects of hypoglycemia, a diet-related
condition caused by low blood sugar. Unless the symptoms are diagnosed, a multitude of mental and physical disorders can go
undetected." - Dr.Harvey M. Ross, author of Hypoglycemia: The Disease your Doctor Won't Treat
home | about us | what is hypo |
hypo quiz | hypo diet | products |
stories |
surveys | contact us | links
Copyright© 2006
The Hypoglycemia Support Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Our deepest appreciation to AdFactorycs.com for donating the maintenence on this website to
support our Foundation. All monies collected through the purchase of our products will go to further the work of the HSF.
*The information contained herein is not intended as medical advice. Its intention is solely informational and educational. It is assumed that the
reader will consult a medical or health professional should the need for one be warranted.
Website co-designed & maintained by AdFactorycs.com
Web Design Houston and hosting Web Hosting provided by NewTechLabs.com
|
