Not just food: Why blood sugar can rise even when you haven’t eaten

Blood sugar levels can rise unexpectedly even without consuming food, according to experts. Emotional stress, anxiety, fear, pain, and intense exercise can trigger the body's "fight-or-flight" response, leading to a temporary increase in blood sugar. This phenomenon affects people monitoring their glucose levels with continuous glucose monitors or glucometers, causing confusion about the cause of the spike.

The primary stress hormone, adrenaline, released during these situations, prepares the body for quick response by ensuring muscles and vital organs have enough energy. It stimulates the liver to release stored glucose into the bloodstream and influences the body's cells' response to insulin. While this response is normal and beneficial in short-term situations, repeated stress-related glucose spikes may have implications for people with diabetes, prediabetes, or other metabolic conditions.

Understanding this process helps individuals interpret their glucose readings more accurately and adopt strategies to manage stress alongside their diet and lifestyle.