Kava and blood sugar

[Edward]

A while ago I stopped drinking sugary drinks after kava but recently one time I had nothing else to hand and so went with something cold and fizzy to refresh the palate and add at least a little hydration. I noticed that I felt pretty good after, no nausea, etc. I typically only eat a fair size breakfast and a large lunch then nothing after 2 pm. I drink kava in the evening and don't eat anything after. Could it be that I should be eating at least a little something in the evening to keep my blood sugar up a bit higher? Does kava have any effect on blood sugar at all?

 

[Kojo Douglas]

Never heard of any connection between Kava and blood sugar. But my life has been so much better since I stopped eating sugary foods and drinking sodas. I used to feel the need to take long naps during the day, but once I cut sugar out of my diet it ended. I am really pretty hardcore when it comes to controlling sugar intake for myself and my kids. Humans didn't evolve to consume the epic amounts of sugar that we do now.

 

[chandra]

Totally agree with avoiding empty sugars like sodas being a good idea. In general eating smaller meals throughout the day helps keep your blood sugar stable and keeps your metabolism up. I would suggest eating a light dinner.

 

[Edward]

That makes sense, thanks.

 

[kavadude]

Paging dr @violet .

 

[verticity]

I don't drink sugary drinks, however I do find that if I am feeling a bit nauseated from overindulgence in kava, sometimes some carby food (like crackers) can help settle my stomach.. It seems that fatty foods potentiate the effect, but carby foods kind of put the brakes on it..

 

[verticity]

I think the effect is not related to blood sugar, but more to slowing the absorption of kava in the digestive tract.

 

[sɥɐʞɐs]

I checked my blood sugar everyday for week while drinking kava a while back...didn't have an effect on my results, and everything was in healthy range.

 

[violet]

Ha ha @kavadude

I don't think kava has any effect on blood sugar, it didn't for me anyway.There is a thread, topic I think "resistant starch," where this came up. I'm pretty diligent about knowing how foods affect my blood sugar levels, kava included. Several occasions I've tested before, during, and for several hours after a kava session and saw no fluctuations in my blood glucose.

If drinking something sweet makes you feel "pretty good" after not having eaten for a little while you might be experiencing some reactive hypoglycemia (feeling off once blood sugar levels have been lowered by insulin).

There's more than one way to look at it. You can eat more often, which technically keeps your blood sugar fluctuations in a more narrow range and you won't feel the dips as much. But this results in an overall greater amount of insulin being present in the body, which is conducive to various undesirable metabolic issues over time. Average blood glucose remains more elevated as well.

Another approach would be to consume foods that have very little to no impact on blood sugar. Blood sugar and insulin levels normalize, eliminating crashes. The body also becomes more sensitive to insulin, allowing the pancreas to function more efficiently. Sometimes there are feelings of reactive hypoglycemia until the body gets used to its new normal constant blood sugar level. When blood sugar levels remain constant despite food intake it becomes very easy for one to go without eating for long stretches of time if needed.

 

[Edward]

Ha ha @kavadude

I don't think kava has any effect on blood sugar, it didn't for me anyway.There is a thread, topic I think "resistant starch," where this came up. I'm pretty diligent about knowing how foods affect my blood sugar levels, kava included. Several occasions I've tested before, during, and for several hours after a kava session and saw no fluctuations in my blood glucose.

If drinking something sweet makes you feel "pretty good" after not having eaten for a little while you might be experiencing some reactive hypoglycemia (feeling off once blood sugar levels have been lowered by insulin).

There's more than one way to look at it. You can eat more often, which technically keeps your blood sugar fluctuations in a more narrow range and you won't feel the dips as much. But this results in an overall greater amount of insulin being present in the body, which is conducive to various undesirable metabolic issues over time. Average blood glucose remains more elevated as well.

Another approach would be to consume foods that have very little to no impact on blood sugar. Blood sugar and insulin levels normalize, eliminating crashes. The body also becomes more sensitive to insulin, allowing the pancreas to function more efficiently. Sometimes there are feelings of reactive hypoglycemia until the body gets used to its new normal constant blood sugar level. When blood sugar levels remain constant despite food intake it becomes very easy for one to go without eating for long stretches of time if needed.

Ok so there's a lot in there but effectively it's good for me to not eat for extended periods rather than occasional snacking but going from 2 pm one day through til breakfast the next day probably isn't a good idea and I am better off having a small amount of food after my kava? That way I won't need the sugary drinks to make me feel ok?

 

[Edward]

The thing is sometimes I find plain water can make me feel fine after drinking kava, no need for ginger, etc, but sometimes it doesn't work so good. I do rehydrate properly with electrolytes but not always straight after drinking kava. I'm yet to find a perfect after kava drink that doesn't contain sugar. I want something that will refresh the palette a little and something fizzy helps dispel any trapped air which can make me feel a little funny. I'll keep working on it. Thanks to all for replies.

 

[chandra]

I have issues with low blood sugar. Kava doesn't seem to affect it, but it does make me not want to eat. For me I know I need a few snacks and meals throughout the day to keep my sugar levels stable. Something with carbs and protein or fats will help stabilize it. Like trail mix or a sandwich. I always try to pair my carbs with something else. My blood sugar dropped to the point I went into a coma when I was pregnant. The doctors never figured out what happened. It had been that way for days, but I was eating so I didn't take it seriously. They literally told me 30 more minutes and I wouldn't have made it.

 

[violet]

Ok so there's a lot in there but effectively it's good for me to not eat for extended periods rather than occasional snacking but going from 2 pm one day through til breakfast the next day probably isn't a good idea and I am better off having a small amount of food after my kava? That way I won't need the sugary drinks to make me feel ok?

It really depends on what and how much you eat. If you consume more than a small amount of carbs with meals/snacks, you're probably going to feel lousy if you aren't grazing throughout the day.

You could technically consume an entire day's worth of calories in a single meal and just eat once a day and feel totally okay until true hunger sets in (not that I'm recommending that to you). Known as intermittent fasting, it offers many benefits to health.

(False) hunger signals and other physiogical reactions are triggered once insulin clears glucose from the bloodstream. While western society has normalized it, being able to feel the drops in blood sugar really isn't all that healthy, IMO.