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Why Would Coconut Oil Give Me A Reaction?

F

fronty

Member
Messages
5
Type of diabetes
Reactive hypoglycemia
Treatment type
Diet only
I'm currently on the keto diet due to reactive hypoglycemia. I haven't seen significant improvement over my last low carb (under 80 carbs a day) diet.

I noticed I get a reaction to some things that I wouldn't think I would. For example, if I eat sardines in olive oil, I seem to get a reaction The sardines just contain sardines, olive oil, and salt. I've tested coconut oil twice now and got a severe reaction. I just take 2 tablespoons of coconut oil by itself. I then get really lightheaded almost immediately and then I get a brain fog sensation for about an hour after. I thought fat doesn't initiate an insulin response. What do you think is happening to my body when I eat the coconut oil?
 
Hi,

Firstly, are you checking your blood glucose when you feel like this?
It may be these symptoms are an allergy/intolerance rather than a hypo.

It would certainly be extraordinary for oils to trigger raised/lowered insulin like that, but I couldn’t say whether or not an allergy/intolerance (regardless of whether the food is fat, protein or carb) might mess your blood glucose up (or down), or just give symptoms that are similar.
 

Hi and welcome to the forum,
I get them sort of reactions to other plant based oils, vegetable oils and as you say olive oil, I have asked but have not or got an answer. It may be you get a high insulin response without the hyper, it could be an allergy thing.
I have decided quite a while ago to only use animal based fats to cook with.
It is always trial and error, and until you avoid them.
I just can't eat fish out of a Tin, (yuk!)

I believe that you aren't getting significant results from the amount of carbs you are taking daily, it may be too high. I found that avoiding all carbs, as much as possible, was the only way to improve my health and start getting rid of the symptoms and fluctuating blood glucose levels, and the hypos.
Start the day, avoiding as much carbs as possible, see how that goes, then if you do feel the benefits. Can you tell me which carbs you are eating in that 80g? It could also be what those gms of carbs are, for me, if it was spuds, wheat or dairy, it would have me feeling awful, because my intolerance to these particular foods are high.

It took me quite a long time to find what I should not eat and of course which food was healthy for me. Regardless of medical advice or dietary advice, this condition is unusual, so called healthy food, will not be healthy for us. Our bodies need to have our energy derived from producing ketones rather than carbs. The overshoot of insulin is triggered by carbs. No overshoot, no hypos!
 

Interesting. By most account virgin coconut oil should help to provide mental clarity...as it has low levels of MCT that can help fuel the brain.
 

I had gastric bypass surgery and due to complications carbs and certain fats make me go hypo. I also have to be careful of certain sauces or processes foods like tuna, yogurt, mayo, ketchup, soy sauce as some of them contain starches, rice, wheat which drop my glucose. Even fruit makes me go hypo and gives me dumping syndrome. I would re-read the ingredients on the cans of sardines and coconut oil just to make sure it doesn't contain corn flower, modified food starch or a fructose syrup that might be making you go hypo. Test your glucose at intervals before you eat, 30 mins after, and again until 3hrs have passed so every 30 mins until 3hrs have passed just to see what your glucose levels are doing. If glucose is fine then you could be having an allergic reaction to these products. Try a few meals avoiding carbs and using these fats for a better gauge if you can. Good luck
 
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