Nicotine may cause blood sugar levels to rise or fall, and its changes the way the body uses sugar. Blood sugar is the glucose in the blood, which provides energy to cells.
Nicotine can increase the chance of developing type 2 diabetes and can also make it worse. On the other hand, nicotine may also cause severe hypoglycemia in people with diabetes who are using insulin.
Altering cellular chemistry
Nicotine alters the chemical processes in the cells that make them unresponsive to insulin and inhibit insulin from entering the cells, a condition known as insulin resistance.
Cells need insulin in order to take glucose out of the bloodstream and use it to produce energy. When cells cannot use glucose, it stays in the bloodstream, which raises blood glucose levels.
Nicotine also stimulates the body to produce more triglycerides, a type of fat associated with insulin resistance. Nicotine raises levels of insulin-fighting hormones. Just 1 hour after smoking, your body may show signs of insulin resistance.
This is a problem that cannot be ignored, and high blood sugar that lasts for years can lead to heart disease and damage to the kidneys, nerves, and eyes.
Causes hypoglycemia
Studies have shown that people with diabetes who smoke need to use larger doses of insulin to control their blood sugar. Hypoglycemia is a common complication when people with diabetes receive insulin therapy.
Low blood sugar is also bad for your body; it can make it impossible to concentrate, faint, or even have a seizure, depending on how much your blood sugar drops.
These conditions can be very dangerous, for example, when driving or going down stairs. When this happens often, there is also a risk of brain damage.
Scientists are not yet sure why nicotine lowers blood sugar, but they think one reason is that nicotine keeps insulin around longer.
How nicotine is ingested
Smoking is the most common form of nicotine intake, and the more you smoke, the more likely you are to develop type 2 diabetes, with people who smoke having a 30% to 40% chance of developing the disease.
Smoking more than 20 cigarettes a day almost doubles the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.
Nicotine intake in other ways can also raise blood sugar:
- Passive smoking or secondhand smoking (inhaling smoke from someone else’s cigarette);
- Chewing tobacco (by dipping, pinching, or chewing);
- Nicotine gum;
- Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes, vapor cigarettes).
Weight control when quitting smoking
Insulin resistance may become worse in the first few weeks after stopping nicotine exposure if you gain weight, but hang in there. By the end of the 2nd month, insulin will start to work more normally.
People who have not had diabetes are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes after quitting smoking. The highest risk of developing the disease in the first 2 years after quitting is mainly due to weight gain, so talk to your doctor about how to avoid weight gain.
After 2 years of quitting, the odds start to decline, and after 12 years, the odds of developing type 2 diabetes are the same for people who quit as they are for people who have never smoked.