How Stress and Diabetes are Interlinked : The Hidden Connection

Stress and Diabetes are interlinked and have a deep connection. Many studies have found that behavioural changes cause biological changes in our bodies. Chronic Stress can lead to Type II Diabetes, which is evident from various studies, but it has to be noted that stress can not be the only factor in Type II Diabetes.

Now let's understand the biological link between Stress and Diabetes

 

If our body experiences a lot of Stress, it causes many areas of the body to work which leads to the hormones being released. Our body takes on stress by boosting sugar levels in our blood due to adrenaline (epinephrine) and cortisol. During stress, hormones and blood sugar both increase and as long as we still feel stressed, our body keeps both raised. This keeps happening since under stress, our body works in fight or flight mode and sugar levels also go up. If our blood sugar climbs too high and stays high, the result is hyperglycemia and if our bodies do not manage it appropriately, hyperglycemia may become Type II diabetes.

You may now wonder why our body cannot handle high glucose levels when we are stressed out.

Let us look at what Cortisol does in our bodies. This hormone, cortisol, gets its common name “the stress hormone” since it’s released into our system when we are under stress. Both proteolysis, glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis are influenced by the cortisol hormone.The body needs these pathways to maintain the proper amount of glucose. If we experience stress, these metabolic processes start to struggle which results in higher blood sugar levels.  

It is also very important to know how the increased levels of cortisol lead to increased levels of blood sugar, which further leads to an increase /release of insulin in our body, mainly in adipocyte tissue, which leads to centripetal obesity in our body.  

Not only this in times of chronic levels of stress, the cortisol levels are so high in our body that it leads to beta cell pigmentation in the pancreas

Now, you may have the question of how cortisol levels cause damage to our pancreas.

This is because the cortisol hormone, which is released during stress, spikes our blood sugar levels in our body to manage that insulin levels also rise, and insulin is released from the beta cells of the pancreas. So it has been thought that the excessive release of insulin may lead to the hyperpigmentation of the pancreas. This is mainly caused due to calcium involved in the insulin pathway.

So stress is not always observed, and it is not always necessary that mental stress, which can be felt by us is the cause. The physical stress that we put on our bodies in our daily lives is also a reason for diabetes.

Physical Stress can be caused by :

• Lack of  Sleep or Insomnia
• Overeating
• Eating a lot of fried foods or junk food 
• Not having a balanced diet and a healthy diet.
• Diurnal variation ( The diurnal variation can also lead to the release of cortisol hormone in increased amounts, so it is recommended to have a specific sleep and wake time)
• Lack of Exercise in daily routine.

Stress is a matter of concern in today's world, and it has to be noted that with diabetes, it becomes a more major concern. When both of these happens to happen, the person gets stuck in a vicious cycle where stress gives rise to diabetes and the poor management of the diabetes leads to more stress, which leads more higher levels of blood glucose.

Therefore, the management of both Diabetes and Stress is very important, and it is important to break this vicious cycle.

We can break this vicious cycle by a few modifications in our lifestyle. 

First, we should try to reduce the mental stress which can be done by

• Doing Meditation Daily: Meditation helps calm our minds, which decreases stress
• Drinking lots of water: Water helps our brain function properly because our brain mainly derives its oxygen from the water we consume, so it is recommended to consume 3 to 4 litres of water daily.

But if the stress continues to persist, always consult a psychiatrist or a professional. Make sure you pay attention to mental health because it also keeps us healthy.

You can manage physical tension by exercising every day, making sure you sleep enough and eating well, since this will decrease physical stress in our systems. 

At last, it is important to know that stress plays a major role in diabetes but it may or may not be the sole reason for that. Diabetes can be caused due to a lot of other things also. So it is highly recommended to consult a medical professional. 

FAQs

1. Might stress be linked to developing diabetes?

High stress levels over time may help lead to insulin resistance which might increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.

2. Does anxiety make someone’s blood sugar levels go up?

Yes. When we feel anxious, cortisol is released and levels of blood glucose rise because of it.

3. How can diabetics lessen their stress?

Among the best ways are mindfulness meditation, exercise, therapy and finding a supportive group.