Managing diabetes is often focused on tracking your glucose levels and making lifestyle choices that support blood sugar regulation. However, your hormones can also play a significant role in these factors. Hormones like insulin, glucagon, cortisol, and adrenaline work behind the scenes to keep your blood sugar balanced. When these hormones fall out of sync, your body can struggle to maintain stable glucose levels, making diabetes management more challenging. Here, we'll discuss these hormones along with some recommendations for diabetes supplies to help gain real-time insight into how your hormones and daily habits affect blood sugar.
In this article, you’ll learn:
- Why hormones matter for blood sugar control and how they act as chemical messengers that keep glucose levels stable.
- The role of insulin in lowering blood sugar by helping cells absorb and store glucose.
- The role of glucagon in preventing low blood sugar by triggering glucose release from stored glycogen.
- How cortisol and adrenaline raise blood sugar during stress, and can lead to hyperglycemia when elevated too often.
- How growth hormone affects glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity, especially during fasting or sleep.
- How sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone influence insulin response and blood sugar control.
- What causes hormonal imbalances, such as stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, or certain medical conditions.
- When to talk to your doctor if you notice unexplained fatigue, weight changes, or frequent blood sugar fluctuations.
- How reliable diabetes management tools like continuous glucose monitors and insulin pumps can help you track patterns and stay balanced.
Why Hormones Matter for Blood Sugar Control
Hormones are the body’s chemical messengers, and when it comes to blood sugar regulation, they act as the control system that keeps glucose levels within a healthy range. Every cell in your body depends on glucose for energy, but maintaining the right balance is critical; too much or too little can have profound effects. Hormones help achieve this balance by orchestrating how glucose is used, stored, and released throughout the day.
All of the various hormones affect the body differently, and they form a feedback network that's constantly responding to your needs. When hormone regulation or balance is disrupted, it can result in unstable conditions that, if left untreated, can increase the risk for several complications.
How Does the Body Regulate Blood Sugar?
Glucose is the main source of energy for your cells, and it typically needs to stay within a narrow range. To keep this balance, your body relies on a finely tuned system involving several organs and hormones that work together around the clock. If the system becomes unbalanced, blood sugar can stay too high, which can lead to insulin resistance or diabetes. For those who are already diagnosed with diabetes, hormones affect blood sugar levels similarly, aside from insulin. Diabetes, therefore, requires diabetes medications or insulin to help stay in homeostasis. To better understand the main hormones and how they affect your blood sugar, consider the following.
Insulin
Insulin is the primary hormone that helps with blood sugar management. It's produced by the beta cells in the pancreas and works to lower blood sugar by promoting uptake into the cells. After you eat, your glucose levels rise, especially when carbohydrates are consumed. When this happens, insulin acts almost like a key, unlocking the cells so that they can absorb glucose from the bloodstream to be moved into muscles, the liver, and other organs. It also signals your liver and muscles to store excess glucose as glycogen for later use.
People with diabetes may struggle with insulin regulation in the body, depending on the type of diabetes they have. When insulin production is low (as in type 1 diabetes) or when cells don't respond as effectively to it (as in insulin resistance often seen in type 2 diabetes), blood sugar levels remain elevated and may result in hyperglycemia. Over time, unregulated high blood sugar levels can contribute to the development of several different types of complications. Diabetes management with insulin or other medications can help keep glucose balanced and reduce the risk of long-term effects of high or low blood sugar levels.
Glucagon
Glucagon is secreted by the alpha cells in the pancreas and is insulin's natural counterpart, making sure you don't reach low levels of blood sugar. When you do experience lows, this hormone helps raise blood sugar by triggering glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis. For example, if during periods where blood sugar naturally drops (such as between meals, overnight, or during a fast), glucagon will send out a signal that triggers the process of glycogenolysis, the conversion of glycogen into glucose. It can also trigger gluconeogenesis, or the production of new glucose molecules from proteins and fats. High glucagon levels also promote the breakdown of fat cells into ketones, so your body can use fat for energy if the glucose in your blood falls too low.
Glucagon and insulin work closely together to help maintain the regulation of blood glucose levels. When this relationship is out of balance, it can result in hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which can make you feel weak, shaky, or confused, and can be dangerous when not treated.
Cortisol
Cortisol is one of the hormones primarily responsible for how your body responds to stress. It's released by the adrenal glands and helps ensure that the brain and muscles have steady amounts of glucose during periods of heightened stress or illness, when you may need to be on high alert (such as during a fight-or-flight situation). Cortisol also slows down the production of insulin to ensure that there's plenty of glucose available for use.
However, for many people, the stress experienced is disproportional to the actual event (i.e., the stress we experience doesn't actually require the additional energy provided by increased glucose). When glucose isn’t immediately burned as fuel or regulated by insulin, concentration levels in the blood rise.
When chronic stress keeps cortisol levels elevated, it can result in chronic hyperglycemia, may increase fat accumulation around the abdomen, and, in some situations, can increase the risk of insulin resistance.
Epinephrine (Adrenaline)
Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, is released from the nerve endings and the adrenals. It's one of the hormones responsible for driving the fight or flight response, and it increases blood glucose levels in the body. During periods of stress, adrenaline spikes can lead to elevated heart rate, faster breathing, and a higher rate of oxygen delivered to the muscles and brain. Epinephrine also signals the liver to release stored glucose and to start burning fat for even more energy. Ultimately, elevated adrenaline spikes can increase the risk of hyperglycemia.
Growth Hormone
Growth hormone, produced by the pituitary gland, plays a vital role in metabolism and blood sugar regulation throughout life. While it’s best known for promoting growth during childhood, it also helps the body manage energy use, especially during fasting, sleep, and exercise, when glucose levels naturally fluctuate.
Growth hormone is considered a counter-regulatory hormone, meaning that it works in opposition to insulin; it reduces how much glucose muscle and fat cells absorb. Instead, it encourages the body to burn fat for energy and stimulates the liver to produce glucose. In individuals who have high levels of growth hormone, insulin resistance may occur.
Estrogen and Progesterone
Sex hormones like estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone can influence blood sugar and diabetes management. Estrogen helps improve insulin sensitivity, allowing cells to use glucose more efficiently, while progesterone can temporarily reduce insulin sensitivity, sometimes causing higher blood sugar. These changes are especially noticeable during the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, or menopause.
Testosterone also plays a role by supporting muscle glucose use and fat metabolism. Low testosterone is often linked to insulin resistance and a higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
How Can Hormonal Imbalances Affect Blood Sugar?
Hormonal imbalances can disrupt how your body uses and stores glucose, leading to unstable blood sugar levels. For example, too little insulin or too much cortisol, growth hormone, or thyroid hormone can cause high blood sugar, while low cortisol or excessive insulin can lead to low blood sugar. These imbalances in hormonal regulation can be caused by a variety of factors, some of which include:
- Chronic stress elevates cortisol and disrupts other hormone levels.
- Poor diet or nutrient deficiencies, especially those lacking in healthy fats, protein, and key vitamins.
- Lack of sleep interferes with hormone regulation and insulin sensitivity.
- Medical conditions such as thyroid disorders, diabetes, or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).
- Certain medications, including steroids, birth control pills, or hormone therapies.
- Aging naturally alters hormone production over time.
- Lifestyle factors like excessive caffeine, alcohol, or inactivity.
When to Talk to a Doctor or Endocrinologist
If you’re living with diabetes, keeping your hormones and blood sugar in balance is essential for long-term health. However, if you notice changes such as unexplained fatigue, weight gain or loss, frequent low or high blood sugar readings, or increased stress sensitivity, it could be a sign that your hormones are affecting your glucose control. In certain circumstances, your doctor or endocrinologist may recommend hormone replacement therapy, especially if you've recently gone through menopause, have a history of gestational diabetes, are diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, or have a thyroid condition. The best way to ensure you receive the proper treatment is to schedule an appointment and have a discussion with your diabetes care team.
Managing diabetes relies on having the right tools and support, which is why Byram Healthcare provides a full range of diabetes management products, including continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), insulin pumps, and testing supplies, all with convenient home delivery and insurance coordination. To learn more, contact Byram’s diabetes helpline: 1-877-902-9726, ext. 43397, today.
