Menopause, Blood Sugar, and Weight Management (Part 2)

Understanding how menopause affects blood sugar can help you focus on effective strategies to stay healthy and lose weight

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Glucose is an important fuel for the human body. Every individual processes glucose differently, influenced by both physical and environmental factors. During menopause, glucose levels are shown to become significantly more challenging to control, due to shifting and changing hormonal balances.

Insulin Resistance

Insulin is a hormone that helps to control the amount of glucose (blood sugar) in an individual’s blood. Glucose is the main source of fuel in the body. Insulin works to pull glucose from the bloodstream and insert it into the body’s cells. Insulin resistance occurs when the cells in the liver, muscles, and body fat ignore or resist insulin’s signaling attempts.

If the cells in the body don’t respond correctly to signals from the insulin, sugar stays in the blood. The result is high blood sugar, or too much glucose, pumping through the bloodstream.

Estrogen and Its Relationship With Menopausal Weight Gain

Many women experience weight gain as they go through menopause. This is typically due to a lack of estrogen because estrogen helps to optimize insulin. Estrogen and progesterone production slow down gradually over time as a woman goes through each stage of the menopausal process. As this happens, the body has a greater potential to develop insulin resistance.