Feeling dizzy is a common experience, but pinpointing the exact cause can be challenging. While dieting, dizziness can be a concerning symptom. This article explores the relationship between dieting and dizziness, examining potential causes and providing guidance on managing this issue.
The Link Between Dieting and Dizziness
Not eating enough is one potential cause of dizziness. When the body experiences a shortage of fuel, your blood sugar may drop, causing you to feel dizzy.
Hypoglycemia: Low Blood Sugar and Dizziness
Blood sugar comes from digesting carbohydrates (carbs), and it’s the primary source of energy for the brain. When the amount of glucose in your blood drops below a value of 70 mg/dL, a condition known as hypoglycemia or "low blood sugar" occurs. Skipping meals or avoiding carbs can cause your blood sugar levels to drop, which may result in a sudden bout of dizziness.
Other warning signs of low blood sugar include hunger, confusion, sweating, and shaking. This combination of symptoms is likely a sign that you need to eat something.
Other Potential Causes of Dizziness
However, dizziness may also entail feeling faint, woozy, weak, or lightheaded. When someone feels dizzy, it does not automatically mean that it’s because they haven’t eaten enough.
Read also: Solutions for Carnivore Diet Dizziness
Serious Medical Conditions
In some cases, dizziness that comes on quickly may be a warning sign of something more severe, like a stroke. If you’re feeling dizzy and begin to notice other serious warning signs of a stroke - including numbness one on side of your body, difficulty speaking or seeing, or a severe headache - call emergency services immediately.
Dehydration
Dehydration can easily be confused with low blood sugar since many symptoms of each are similar, such as feeling dizzy, faint, and lightheaded. Some other symptoms that may help distinguish dehydration from low blood sugar are producing urine that is dark in color and producing less urine than usual.
Ear Infections
In this case, there’s a chance you’ll experience a more specific type of dizziness known as vertigo. Vertigo is a more specific sensation that entails feeling like either you or your surroundings are moving. It could feel like spinning or being tipped over - even when you’re standing perfectly still and upright. Experiencing vertigo is more likely to make you feel nauseous than other types of dizziness and may be a tell-tale sign that you’ve got an issue with your inner ear.
Other Reasons for Dizziness
Dizziness is a commonly reported symptom of many conditions, including:
- Anxiety
- Anemia
- Allergic reactions
- Head injuries
- Migraine headaches
- Medication side effects
- Motion sickness
- Alcohol consumption
- Tobacco use
If you feel dizzy for a prolonged period of time, your dizziness subsides but returns frequently, or you’re concerned about your symptoms, it’s a good idea to talk with a medical professional.
Read also: Is Diet Coke Causing Your Dizziness?
Immediate Steps to Take When Feeling Dizzy
If you’re feeling dizzy, one of the first things you should do is sit or lie down. Do not attempt to drive or operate any type of equipment. Dizziness causes a loss of balance, which can easily lead to falls and injuries - especially in older adults. Therefore, it’s best to avoid standing or walking until the feeling passes.
Addressing Diet-Related Dizziness
If you’re suspicious that your dizziness may have been caused by not eating enough or going too long without eating, try to eat or drink something with calories as soon as possible.
Quick Fixes for Low Blood Sugar
The human body breaks down and absorb carbs for energy quicker than any other nutrients, so if you can find a good source of simple carbs - like fruit juice, bread, a cup of milk, or a bit of honey - eating one of these will help restore your blood sugar levels quickly. In a pinch, even a piece of candy or something else sweet might do the trick, but keep in mind that relying on sweet treats to maintain blood sugar levels and stave off dizziness is not a healthy long-term option.
Sustained Blood Sugar Management
Once the initial bout of dizziness has passed, try having another snack that pairs a fiber-rich complex carb with a lean protein. The combination of nutrients should help to keep your blood sugar levels from falling suddenly.
Some examples of snack combinations that pair complex carbs with lean proteins are:
Read also: Ozempic Meal Plan
- Yogurt with fruit
- Whole-grain crackers with cheese
- Peanut butter toast
- Cut veggies with hummus
Treating Other Causes of Dizziness
If you think that something besides undereating is making you dizzy, be sure to speak with a medical professional like a doctor to pinpoint the exact cause. Seek help immediately if you begin to experience other notable symptoms like numbness, chest pains, any sudden changes in vision, or a fever.
In the meantime, you can try to alleviate the feeling by:
- Drinking water
- Lying down in a cool, dark, quiet place
- Avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco
Home Management and Prevention Strategies
While you can't treat dizziness at home, you can manage it. If you’re feeling dizzy, lie down until dizziness passes. When you get up, be sure to move slowly and carefully.
Dietary Considerations
Some people find specific foods or ingredients trigger attacks of dizziness including those brought on by vestibular migraine and Ménière’s disease. Avoiding things you are sensitive to can often help improve symptoms.
Sodium Intake: It may be even more important to maintain a consistent level of sodium intake. Heath Canada guidelines recommend consuming less than 1500 mg (just over 1/2 teaspoon) of sodium per day. This is called the adequate intake (AI). Watch for foods high in sodium. A good guide to follow is 5% DV (daily value) or less in a serving is a little salt; 15% DV or more is a lot. Food products in Canada considered “sodium-free” must contain less than 5 mg of sodium per serving.
Tyramine: Eating foods containing tyramine triggers vestibular migraine in some people. Aged and fermented foods are particularly high in tyramine. These include strong or aged cheeses; smoked, processed or cured meats and fish; Asian-style sauces such as soy sauce, fish sauce, miso, and teriyaki sauce; dried or overripe fruits; meat tenderizers; Marmite® and brewer’s yeast; yogurt; sourdough bread; red wine; and some beers.
Nitrates and Nitrites: Some people may have higher levels of microbes in their guts that turn foods containing nitrates into nitric oxide by-products. These by-products may trigger vestibular migraine. Foods containing nitrites may have a similar effect.
Caffeine and Alcohol: Some people with dizziness and balance problems find caffeine and alcohol trigger or worsen their symptoms. If you think they may be triggers, try avoiding caffeine and alcohol and see if your symptoms improve.
Gluten Sensitivity: Research suggests a potential relationship between vestibular migraine and gluten sensitivity. There is limited evidence to suggest a gluten-free diet reduces imbalance in people with Ménière’s disease. Gluten-containing foods and ingredients include barley, bulgar, couscous, durum, einkorn, emmer, faro, kamut, malt, rye, semolina, spelt, triticale, wheat, wheat bran, wheat germ, and wheat starch.
Aspartame and MSG: The artificial sweetener aspartame has an adverse effect on the inner ear in some individuals, causing symptoms including nausea, headache, vertigo (spinning sensation), tinnitus, and hearing loss. Some people have headaches and dizziness after eating food that has the flavour enhancer MSG added as an ingredient.
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 is a water-soluble vitamin that helps your body maintain proper blood sugar levels. A sudden drop can lead to dizzy spells.
Vitamin B12: Over time, nerve cells can be damaged and poor balance may result if you do not get enough vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 deficiency affects about 20% of the elderly population. Vitamin B12 deficiency can be caused by insufficient production of intrinsic factor (IF), a protein produced in the stomach. Your body needs IF to absorb vitamin B12.
Calcium and Vitamin D: Health Canada recommends 1000 mg/day for females 19-50 years and males 19-70 years, and 1200 mg/day for females over 50 and males over 70. Vitamin D deficiency may lead to bone loss, impaired muscle function, and an increased risk of falls and fractures in older people.
Potassium: Most Canadians do not get enough potassium. Being deficient may contribute to low blood pressure and feelings of dizziness or faintness that can result in a fall.
Iron: A diet deficient in iron-rich foods can lead to anemia. If you are anemic, you have a shortage of red blood cells resulting in an insufficient supply of oxygen to the body.
General Strategies
Hydration: Having regular meals at regular times and staying well hydrated seems to help most people with their balance and dizziness issues. Water carries nutrients and oxygen to cells in the body via the blood, converts food into energy, and helps lubricate joints.
Protein Intake: It is best to balance your protein intake across all 3 meals. If you usually just have tea and toast in the morning, for example, try adding an egg, a piece of cheese, yogurt, or whey protein powder.
Carbohydrate Management: Managing carbohydrate (sugar) intake can have a positive impact on managing balance and dizziness disorders. It helps to choose food that are nutrient-dense and naturally lower in carbohydrates such as beans, legumes, most vegetables and berries, as well as most nuts and seeds.
Dizziness After Eating: Postprandial Hypotension
Do you sometimes feel dizzy or lightheaded after eating a meal? Digestion is a complicated job that requires precise coordination between the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems. An early task is rerouting extra blood to the stomach and small intestine. To compensate for this diversion, the heart beats faster and harder while blood vessels far from the digestive system narrow. In some people, the heart and blood vessels don't respond as they should. That causes blood pressure to decrease everywhere but the digestive system.
Factors Contributing to Postprandial Hypotension
- Larger meals
- Fewer rapidly digested carbs
- High blood pressure
Prevention and Management of Postprandial Hypotension
- Smaller meals.
- Fewer rapidly digested carbs.
- Sitting or lying down for an hour or so after eating
Dizziness Before Eating
Many people experience dizziness before a meal. Low blood glucose can make a person feel light-headed or exhausted, especially if it has been a long time since their last meal.
Complications and Risks of Untreated Dizziness
Dizziness may not seem as if it’s a symptom of a serious issue, but you should still talk to a healthcare provider if you’re frequently dizzy:
- Dizziness may be a symptom of medical conditions that could get worse if left untreated.
- Dizziness is a balance issue, increasing your risk of falling and possibly being injured.
- Dizziness may make it unsafe for you to drive vehicles.
- Sometimes, dizziness may make it hard for you to work or manage your daily tasks and responsibilities.
When to Seek Medical Attention
A person who repeatedly gets dizzy after a meal should consult their doctor. People with diabetes who experience post-meal dizziness may need to adjust their medication or their eating schedule.
A person who has symptoms of a stroke should go to the emergency room or call 911 or the local emergency number:
- Numbness or weakness on one side of the face or body
- An inability to smile or move the mouth normally
- A drooping face
- Confusion
- A severe headache
- Difficulty walking
- Vision problems