How does your blood sugar level affect your hormonal balance during menopause?

The organ responsible for stabilising your blood sugar level is the pancreas. When your blood sugar level rises (for example, after consuming a meal rich in sugar or carbohydrates, such as bread, pasta, or a granola bar), your pancreas produces the hormone insulin to lower the blood sugar level again. Insulin ensures that glucose (sugar) is absorbed from the blood into the body’s cells, where it can be used to produce energy. It’s a beautifully efficient system!

Now imagine you have multiple daily meals that are rich in sugars and carbohydrates. This is not an unlikely scenario in our Western world. Think of a breakfast with granola, a banana, and yoghurt, a granola bar as a snack, a lunch with sandwiches, a few rice cakes as an afternoon snack, and a plate of pasta for dinner.

This might sound healthy, but every time you eat something primarily made up of carbohydrates, you stimulate your blood sugar level. Your pancreas has to work to stabilise it again. The result? Your body’s cells can become insulin resistant, meaning the effectiveness of insulin in the body decreases. As a result, glucose can accumulate in your blood, keeping your blood sugar level high.

Additionally, glucose (or more specifically, the fat cells your body creates from an excess of glucose) stimulates the production of oestrogen, which in turn affects oestrogen levels. The more insulin your pancreas produces, the more oestrogen is generated. This can disrupt hormonal balance during menopause.

Conversely, sex hormones also influence how your body’s cells respond to insulin. When your hormonal balance fluctuates during menopause, it can also cause fluctuations in your blood sugar level, even if you didn’t experience this before menopause.

Moreover, under the influence of insulin, sugars are stored as fat in the liver and muscles (and subsequently as subcutaneous fat). This is an evolutionary mechanism designed as a temporary reserve supply, which helped humans survive during times of food scarcity. Nothing wrong with that!

However, in today’s world, where food is always within reach, this reserve supply is no longer necessary. This means the excess fat remains stored in the liver. Over time, this can lead to fatty liver disease (which impairs liver function), even though a well-functioning liver is crucial for processing and breaking down hormones.

Where should you start if you want to stabilise your blood sugar level? We recommend the following steps:

1. Limit carbohydrate-rich meals to one per day. Gradually reduce your intake by first avoiding carbohydrates at breakfast. For example, opt for a bowl of coconut yoghurt or full-fat quark with fruit, seeds, and nuts (or, if you have time, a fried egg with avocado and asparagus). Once you’ve mastered this, try reducing carbohydrates at lunch or dinner as well. 
2. Avoid sugars and fast carbohydrates. Cut back on added sugars and always choose slow carbohydrates (such as whole-grain products, brown rice, or quinoa), as they have less impact on your blood sugar level. Always choose a piece of fruit over fruit juices and smoothies. 
3. Stick to three meals a day. Gradually reduce the number of daily eating moments to just breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Fewer eating moments give your system more rest, making your body more sensitive to insulin again.

An added bonus: you’ll notice that, in addition to reducing menopausal symptoms like hot flushes, mood swings, and energy dips, this approach also positively affects your weight.