Can Sugar Increase Cortisol?

[Mito]

Glucose Ingestion Selectively Amplifies ACTH and Cortisol Secretory-Burst Mass and Enhances Their Joint Synchrony in Healthy Men

In conclusion, glucose ingestion in the morning selectively augments burst-like ACTH and cortisol secretion and markedly synchronizes ACTH and cortisol secretory patterns.

Subjects (n = 58) undertook two 10-min sampling sessions after overnight fasting, beginning at 0800 h. At 0830 h, glucose (75 g) or the same volume of water (10 ounces) was administered orally. Blood sampling continued thereafter for 6 more hours (until 1430 h).

 

[encerent]

They were ingesting pure startch

 

[Mito]

They were ingesting pure startch

I thought glucose should lower cortisol?

 

[encerent]

I thought glucose should lower cortisol?

"Eating starch, by increasing insulin and lowering the blood sugar, stimulates the appetite, causing a person to eat more, so the effect on fat production becomes much larger than when equal amounts of sugar and starch are eaten. The obesity itself then becomes an additional physiological factor; the fat cells create something analogous to an inflammatory state."

As RP says it increases insulin and lowers the blood sugar causing a rise in cortisol. Sugar on the other hand,

"Fructose inhibits the stimulation of insulin by glucose, so this means that eating ordinary sugar, sucrose (a disaccharide, consisting of glucose and fructose), in place of starch, will reduce the tendency to store fat."

 

[Mito]

As RP says it increases insulin and lowers the blood sugar causing a rise in cortisol.

So are you saying that eating pure glucose (or starch) will actually lower blood glucose levels because the large spike in insulin causes the cells to take up the glucose from the blood? But eating sugar which is both fructose and glucose will not lower blood sugar because the fructose will limit the insulin spike so less glucose is taken up by the cells from the blood?

 

[Mito]

@Westside PUFAs
Interested to get your thoughts on this study that seems to suggest glucose causes cortisol to increase?

 

[Westside PUFAs]

@Westside PUFAs
Interested to get your thoughts on this study that seems to suggest glucose causes cortisol to increase?

The subjects were overweight. They said "Blood sampling continued thereafter for 6 more hours." Did they eat anything else in that time? Pure glucose is not the same as eating a root and non flour grain diet with other cofactors and one adapts to being a high starch eater over time. I know I did.

Cortisol is an essential hormone and one important thing it does is ensures we survive by helping to make sugar out of not necessarily important tissue at the moment because we were foolish enough to not eat any sugar or we are in a famine.

"And that’s because cholesterol is next to glucose, probably our single most important protective all-purpose molecule."-RP (HD sugar II)

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[Westside PUFAs]

People always mention the insulinogenic effect of starch but always ignore the insulinogenic effect of protein:

"If protein is eaten without carbohydrate, it will stimulate insulin secretion, lowering blood sugar and activating the stress response, leading to the secretion of adrenalin, cortisol, growth hormone, prolactin, and other hormones. The adrenalin will mobilize glycogen from the liver, and (along with other hormones) will mobilize fatty acids, mainly from fat cells. Cortisol will activate the conversion of protein to amino acids, and then to fat and sugar, for use as energy.”-RP

“Insulin release is also stimulated by amino acids such as leucine, and insulin stimulates cells to absorb amino acids and to synthesize proteins. Since insulin lowers blood sugar as it disposes of amino acids, eating a large amount of protein without carbohydrate can cause a sharp decrease in blood sugar. This leads to the release of adrenalin and cortisol, which raise the blood sugar. Adrenalin causes fatty acids to be drawn into the blood from fat stores, especially if the liver’s glycogen stores are depleted, and cortisol causes tissue protein to be broken down into amino acids, some of which are used in place of carbohydrate. Unsaturated fatty acids, adrenaline, and cortisol cause insulin resistance.”-RP

The insulin response by the pancreas is a normal, physiological and biochemical reaction to amino acids and disaccharides/polysaccharides that pass by the beta cells of the pancreas. It's purpose is to transport them to their appropriate places around the body. They can't get to where they need to go to without insulin. That's why type one diabetics must inject insulin, everyday, multiple times a day for their whole life. Glycogen can not be stored without insulin and amino acids can not be moved around without insulin. The ingestion of protein causes the body to release insulin, in order to direct the amino acids toward muscle tissue, the brain and other organs. But this also removes glucose from the bloodstream. To counteract this effect, the body releases stress hormones that mobilize glycogen from the liver. Eating carbohydrates with the protein will minimize this effect.

The "glyciymic index" is another big misunderstanding health/nutriton. Your blood glucose is supposed to rise after eating. That is the whole point of eating; low blood glucose. High fat diets in combination with having excess body fat result in excess free fatty acids and intramyocellular lipids which block glucose from being transported properly resulting in high blood glucose. Blood glucose is supposed to rise and then go down the the right level when it’s being used properly.

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[Mito]

The subjects were overweight. They said "Blood sampling continued thereafter for 6 more hours." Did they eat anything else in that time? Pure glucose is not the same as eating a root and non flour grain diet with other cofactors and one adapts to being a high starch eater over time.

Thanks. Good point. I don't think they ate anything after the initial 75 grams of glucose. And then "There were visually prominent increases in ACTH and cortisol 2.5–4 h after glucose ingestion." So cortisol initially decreased on ingestion of the glucose. It then started rising after 2.5 hours of not eating. That makes sense as the ingested glucose probably was mostly metabolized by then and blood sugar started to drop.

 

[ddjd]

@ecstatichamster

 

[jitsmonkey]

if you increase metabolism with ANY agent
and have a shortfall of necessary resources you are creating documentable stress.
There is no escaping the law of supply and demand

 

[Sourdoughbanana]

if you increase metabolism with ANY agent
and have a shortfall of necessary resources you are creating documentable stress.
There is no escaping the law of supply and demand

What would you call a shortfall of necessary resources? I’m using cronometer and every single micronutrient is HIGH. I don’t really feel a stress response but the lack of consistent sleep says otherwise.

My girlfriend also has solid micronutrition but is only eating 2000kcal / is 5’10 lean and active / drinks coffee / is hit HARD by stress. Hairloss etc.

I think her problem is purely calories but mine is...? 300% all nutrients needed?

 

[jitsmonkey]

What would you call a shortfall of necessary resources? I’m using cronometer and every single micronutrient is HIGH. I don’t really feel a stress response but the lack of consistent sleep says otherwise.

My girlfriend also has solid micronutrition but is only eating 2000kcal / is 5’10 lean and active / drinks coffee / is hit HARD by stress. Hairloss etc.

I think her problem is purely calories but mine is...? 300% all nutrients needed?

That is not something I could answer for you with the information provided with any level of certainty.
at 5'10" your girlfriend could very well be underfed but I don't know.
your activity level may be outstripping your supply depending on how much training you do or how much stress you're under
you may have an issue with assimilation of certain nutrient(s)

a grotesque example would be amphetamines or cocaine or the like
ask anyone who's use them... they are AWESOME but it is impossible to fuel them at ANY level of nutrition
use them enough and you WILL outstrip your fueling capacity (I'm only speaking in terms of shortfalls, obviously there are other brain centered
ramifications too).

So some of the questions to ask once you put your detective hat on are

a. is this assumption about "adequate" supply correct when pressed against my activity/training/stress level?
b. do I have an assimilation problem?
c. if not a. and not b. have I provided "adequate" nutrition for long enough?
d. am I using any supplements that could be contributing to my poor sleep? Either through direct sleep disruption or through metabolic stim
that's outstripping my resources.
e. am I eating too much protein compared to the amount of carbohydrate I'm consuming?
f. am I not eating enough protein?
g. am I eating too much/too little fat?
h. do I have any history not noted in this post that could contribute to this issue?

there are many other questions you could pose, these are some of them.

 

[General Orange]

 

[stargazer1111]

Sucrose is associated with significantly lower cortisol levels. Sucrose is fructose + glucose. This has been well established in the literature. Pure glucose is irrelevant because, from a Peat perspective, sucrose/fruit sugar is superior to starch anyway.