The pregnancy is a very important moment in the life of a woman, and yet can be tricky. The gestation of a baby involves many changes in the normal functioning of the body, so it becomes more important than ever to take care of our health in detail both for our own good and for the future baby.
One of the novelties that a pregnant person may notice is the appearance (or increase in frequency) of dizziness, fatigue and weakness when fasting. This can be caused by spikes in insulin in the blood.
It should be noted that it is a very different condition from gestational diabetes , which causes large increases in glucose in the baby’s blood that can be dangerous.
What are insulin spikes?
Insulin is a hormone that the body uses to allow glucose from food to enter cells, which in turn use it as a source of energy. It is a substance that all non-diabetic people produce without problem.
Insulin peaks, except in exceptional cases, occur after a short time after eating. This is because the digestion of food causes an increase in blood glucose, to which the body reacts by generating more insulin so that it can be used by the cells.
When this increase in glucose is abrupt (which can occur, for example, by consuming foods very rich in glucose) the insulin spike can be equally pronounced, then causing a sudden drop in the blood glucose level.
This drop (known colloquially as “sugar crash” ) can cause the sensations we described earlier (sudden tiredness, hunger, nausea, dizziness, vertigo, tremors, sweats, palpitations, paleness, fainting …).
What happens to insulin spikes during pregnancy?
Pregnancy causes several hormonal changes in the body that also affect insulin. For this reason, in some women these peaks and the associated symptoms can become more pronounced.
However, this should not be a cause for concern. As annoying as it may be at the moment, there is no scientific evidence that insulin spikes during pregnancy affect the health of the baby , and they are not dangerous to the health of the mother.
In any case, the incidence of these insulin peaks can be minimized by adopting some habits such as eating frequent and less copious meals, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, avoiding fasting, consuming foods high in protein with meals, staying hydrated or not staying too long in hot places.
