home
RSS
What the Yuck: Do sugar cravings signal diabetes?
January 14th, 2011
02:10 PM ET

What the Yuck: Do sugar cravings signal diabetes?

Too embarrassed to ask your doctor about sex, body quirks, or the latest celeb health fad? In a regular feature and a new book, "What the Yuck?!," Health magazine medical editor Dr. Roshini Raj tackles your most personal and provocative questions. Send 'em to Dr. Raj at whattheyuck@health.com.

Q: I've been craving sweets lately - could that mean I have diabetes?

A: Nope. Craving sugar is not one of the symptoms of diabetes, or hyperglycemia (too much blood glucose). Symptoms to look for are frequent urination, excessive thirst, fatigue, weight loss, and blurry vision.

If you skip meals often you may be experiencing hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. When your blood sugar starts to dip, you naturally long for a sugary snack to get it back up. But the body processes sugar fast, so the energy surge quickly wears off and you're left craving another cookie.

Another common culprit? Low levels of serotonin, the brain chemical responsible for making us feel happy. If you have chronically low levels, your sugar yen could be your body's attempt to fix the problem - studies suggest that sugar increases the absorption of the amino acid tryptophan, which the body uses to make serotonin.

The good news: You can break the cravings cycle. First, stick to three or more healthy meals a day - no skipping! Blowing off a meal can cause your blood sugar to drop and your body to seek a solution - like a hit of chocolate or pint of coffee ice cream. Instead, choose good-news fare that keeps you satisfied.

Take a test to see how well you're managing your diabetes

And when you've just gotta have a little something sweet, just go right ahead. If you are at a healthy weight and not under a doctor's instructions to limit your sugar intake, there's really no reason you can't indulge - in moderation, of course!

Copyright Health Magazine 2011


soundoff (1,383 Responses)
  1. RV Repair Shops Near Me

    After I initially commented I seem to have clicked on the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and now each time a comment is added I receive four emails with the exact same comment. There has to be a means you can remove me from that service? Thanks a lot!

    https://www.dartn.de/redirect/?url=http://www.ocrvempire.com

    June 30, 2021 at 04:06 | Report abuse | Reply
  2. Sprinter Repair Near Me

    Iím amazed, I must say. Rarely do I come across a blog thatís equally educative and interesting, and without a doubt, you have hit the nail on the head. The problem is something which not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I'm very happy I found this during my search for something concerning this.

    http://marketplace.salisburypost.com/AdHunter/salisburypost/Home/EmailFriend?url=https://www.ocrv.xyz/

    June 30, 2021 at 05:56 | Report abuse | Reply
  3. buy cbd gummies

    Fantastic blog article.Really looking forward to read more. Will read on...

    https://bit.ly/3x2ZiGJ

    June 30, 2021 at 07:35 | Report abuse | Reply
  4. Mercedes Sprinter Repair Near Me W Ratings

    Itís difficult to find knowledgeable people for this subject, but you sound like you know what youíre talking about! Thanks

    https://onlineticketseller.com/count/?mode=banner&id=35&url=https://www.ocrvfleetservices.com/

    June 30, 2021 at 09:32 | Report abuse | Reply
  5. pharmacepticacom

    sildenafil 40 mg https://www.pharmaceptica.com/

    June 30, 2021 at 09:52 | Report abuse | Reply
  6. Mb Sprinter Repair Shop

    Very nice write-up. I definitely appreciate this website. Thanks!

    http://www.matrixplus.ru/out.php?link=https://campervanrepairshop.com

    June 30, 2021 at 12:40 | Report abuse | Reply
  7. Google Marketing Agency

    I was pretty pleased to discover this website. I need to to thank you for your time just for this wonderful read!! I definitely really liked every bit of it and I have you bookmarked to see new things on your site.

    http://news-matome.com/method.php?method=1&url=https://bjsnearme.com

    June 30, 2021 at 14:08 | Report abuse | Reply
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28

Leave a Reply to Sprinter Repair Shop Near Me


 

CNN welcomes a lively and courteous discussion as long as you follow the Rules of Conduct set forth in our Terms of Service. Comments are not pre-screened before they post. You agree that anything you post may be used, along with your name and profile picture, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the license you have granted pursuant to our Terms of Service.

Advertisement
About this blog

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love.