Have you experienced weight gain, fatigue, an afternoon slump?  It probably doesn’t surprise you to hear that the most common cause of all three of these inconveniences is blood sugar dysregulation.  Call it hypoglycaemia, hyperglycaemia, metabolic syndrome, syndrome x, type two diabetes all are on the spectrum of blood sugar dysregulation.  For any situation in which blood glucose is having a hard time getting into the cells or is on a bit of a rollercoaster there are a few factors to consider:

1.  Genetics – about a quarter of people can’t develop this problem no matter what they do.  Everyone else can enjoy the blood sugar rollercoaster, situation dependent.

2.  Nutrient deficiencies – four of which are Chromium, Magnesium, Omega 3 fats and B1 (we’ll leave the rest for now)

3.  Lifestyle – stress, sleep, fun, drinking water, EXERCISE

4.  Diet – but you knew that

Today we are going to go further into these four nutrient deficiencies and some important ways that gut bug imbalances can contribute to them.

Let’s look at Magnesium and Chromium first.  What might cause a deficiency in these minerals?  A diet of processed foods and sugars will put a drain on them because they are used for blood sugar management.  Foods that have been grown in nutrient deficient soils will also not have these nutrients.  It is really important to know that a pumpkin seed without much magnesium looks the same as one with plenty.  For those of us who don’t buy food with labels, the dirt is our label.

But let’s say we are eating mineral rich foods as part of a balanced diet.  Are we absorbing those minerals?  Bacterial imbalances in our small intestines or stomach bugs such as H. Pylori will get in the way of our mineral absorption.  For example H. Pylori can lower stomach acid which is normally used to break the minerals apart in order to ready them for absorption in the small intestine.  If the minerals don’t get broken down by our stomach acid there is very little else that our digestive systems can do.  Having the right bacteria in the small intestine ensures a healthy mucosal layer through which nutrients are captured and carried through the digestive barrier.  The wrong bacteria in the same place can change the pH of the digestive lining making this less effective.  Not good.

Bacterial imbalances can also alter our nervous systems directly and contribute to stress and adrenal fatigue.  This increases the body’s need for these minerals and exacerbates blood sugar issues.

So many minerals (really all of them) are dependent on this absorption and when minerals are low many of our endocrine systems such as our thyroid hormones and our digestive hormones can suffer.  This can slow digestive motility and lower cellular metabolism and reduce blood sugar tolerance.

It sounds like a total nightmare when I write it like this but… the solution is mind-blowingly simple.  Eating more fresh green foods and drinking clean water can help to balance bacteria along with great quality probiotics, the right varieties of course will depend on the individual.  For those with a large enough imbalance to be classified as SIBO more time may be needed and a customized approach may help but in the end, even after killing the bad bugs, it is through maintaining the good community of bacteria through fresh foods, sleep, water and physical activity that you can protect your minerals.

Many people supplement with blood sugar balancing minerals including the ones mentioned here, but I don’t see a lot of people addressing the most common root cause of why the minerals are not being absorbed in the first place, digestive imbalances.  I want to get my magnesium from food and I bet you do too.  Sometimes supplementation is necessary for sure but if you want to get off the supplement train you must work on balancing the bacteria within.

Essential fats.  Just like in the mineral example above anything that interferes with stomach acid production like H. Pylori or any bacteria changing the environment in the small intestine will affect the signalling of the liver to produce bile.  Bile from the liver is essential for digesting fats.  Tthe liver doesn’t receive its signal to start working without adequate stomach acid and the liver won’t have what it needs to produce bile without minerals which – wait – can be depleted by the same bacteria that are causing this problem.

OK last but not least, B1.  B1 is important for our brains and nervous systems and also for blood sugar management, the topic of the day.  Our suspect here is Candida.  Candida can deplete B1 in the body by creating toxins that we have to clean up.  Candida produces something called acetylaldehyde which is actually really hard on the body and is a priority for our detoxification pathways to get rid of.  In order to rid ourselves of this acetylaldehyde our livers use molybdenum and B1.  Coincidentally our bodies also really need B1 to bring glucose into our cells.  So coincidentally candida uses up all our B1 and then gets to feast on our extra sugar.  Those jerks.

Definitely a long term solution is necessary and cannot be achieved with grumpy yeasts and bacteria running the show. For now consuming some B1 rich foods such as asparagus, broccoli, nettle, burdock and dulse can be a start.  Check out this weeks’ Broccoli Soup and also Cheesy Asparagus Soup for an easy B1 snack.

Can we blame Candida?  Let me know in the comments below 🙂