If you’re dealing with an autoimmune condition, you may already know how important diet is. But here’s the thing: it’s not just about avoiding gluten or grains. While eliminating certain food proteins can help, what’s often overlooked is the role of blood sugar stability in managing autoimmune disease and promoting remission.

Think of your blood sugar like an airplane. If it climbs too high, it can be dangerous. If it crashes, the impact is just as harmful. The goal is to keep it steady, maintaining an optimal level—much like a plane cruising at the right altitude.

When blood sugar swings between hyperglycemia (too high) and hypoglycemia (too low), it can create chaos in your body, triggering inflammation and immune system dysfunction, both of which contribute to autoimmune flares. Let’s break down why this happens and why stabilizing blood sugar is crucial in putting autoimmune conditions into remission.

The Blood Sugar-Autoimmune Connection

Fluctuating blood sugar levels can drive inflammation, which is the root cause of many autoimmune conditions. When your blood sugar spikes, it activates the immune system, triggering an inflammatory response. On the flip side, when your blood sugar crashes, it can lead to adrenal stress and cortisol release, which also promotes inflammation and exacerbates autoimmune symptoms.

Hyperglycemia (high blood sugar) results in the production of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), which can damage tissues and cause inflammation. This inflammation can worsen autoimmune symptoms and promote tissue damage, making it harder for your body to heal.

Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) is equally problematic. When blood sugar drops too low, the body releases cortisol, the stress hormone, to compensate. Chronic cortisol release increases inflammation and can suppress your immune system’s ability to function properly, further contributing to autoimmune flares.

How to Achieve Blood Sugar Balance for Autoimmune Healing

1. Eat Balanced Meals: Focus on meals that include healthy fats, proteins, and complex carbohydrates (like vegetables, legumes, and some grains). This combination helps regulate blood sugar and prevents spikes and crashes.
2. Avoid Sugar and Refined Carbs: Foods like sugary snacks, sodas, and white bread lead to rapid blood sugar increases. Consistent spikes in blood sugar can contribute to chronic inflammation, making it harder for your body to control autoimmune symptoms.
3. Prioritize Fiber: Fiber-rich foods, such as leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and legumes, help slow the absorption of glucose and keep blood sugar levels steady.
4. Snack Smart: If you’re hungry between meals, choose snacks that combine protein, fiber, and healthy fats, like a handful of nuts with some avocado or carrot sticks with almond butter. This will keep your blood sugar levels steady and prevent the mid-afternoon crash.
5. Consider a Low Glycemic Index Diet: Foods that have a low glycemic index (GI) release glucose slowly into the bloodstream, keeping blood sugar levels stable. Think sweet potatoes, quinoa, and berries over processed carbs and refined sugars.
6. Time Your Meals Right: Eating smaller, balanced meals every 3-4 hours can help keep blood sugar from spiking or crashing. Avoid long periods of fasting, as it can cause blood sugar to drop too low.
7. Manage Stress: Stress, especially chronic stress, plays a huge role in blood sugar imbalances. Stress activates the release of cortisol, which can elevate blood sugar levels and promote inflammation. Techniques like meditation, yoga, and deep breathing exercises can help manage stress and maintain balanced blood sugar.

The Takeaway: It’s Not Just About Food Proteins

While food sensitivities, such as gluten or dairy, can indeed trigger autoimmune flares, dietary stress isn’t just about avoiding the dietary proteins found in these foods. A big part of healing from autoimmune disease lies in stabilizing blood sugar levels. Blood sugar imbalances can cause inflammation, stress your body, and worsen autoimmune symptoms. To promote remission, you need to focus on maintaining steady blood sugar levels—not only through diet but through managing stress, sleep, and lifestyle.

Achieving blood sugar balance is one of the most important things you can do to support your immune system and take control of your autoimmune health. By balancing blood sugar, you’re helping your body reduce inflammation, support immune function, and ultimately create an environment that encourages healing.

If you’re struggling with blood sugar imbalances or autoimmune symptoms, working with a functional medicine practitioner can help you create a personalized plan to stabilize your blood sugar and support long-term remission.