Why your blood sugar could be the missing link in your autoimmune journey

Written By Tina Hancocks

I never thought it was relevant, but when I started linking symptoms back to food it became clear there was a connection.

If you’ve been living with autoimmunity for a while, you’ve probably felt the frustration of bouncing from doctor to doctor, collecting different diagnoses and new medications along the way. You may have been told your pain, fatigue or brain fog are just part of your condition, or even that your symptoms aren’t connected at all. It can feel exhausting, confusing and expensive to keep searching for answers.

Here’s something that might surprise you: one of the most overlooked drivers of autoimmunity is blood sugar dysregulation. It’s rarely spoken about in consultations, yet I’ve found it to be one of the most foundational pieces to helping my clients regain stability, reduce flares and reclaim some control.

In this post, I’ll explain how blood sugar and immunity are connected in ways you may not have heard before, share a real client story and give you practical steps to start balancing your blood sugar today. By the end, you’ll understand why this missing link matters and what you can do differently to feel better.



Sugary foods

Why you might not have heard about this

You’ve likely been siloed by different specialists…an endocrinologist for thyroid, a gastroenterologist for coeliac, a rheumatologist for joint pain. Each one looking at a single piece of the puzzle. Rarely does anyone step back to see the bigger picture. Blood sugar isn’t usually discussed unless diabetes is on the table, so it’s understandable if you’ve never been told it may be relevant to your diagnosis. But I’m going to let you in on a little secret, your immune system runs on energy and energy comes from glucose. That means blood sugar balance is central to how your immune system behaves.

A client’s story: finding relief with blood sugar balance

One of my clients, a 44-year-old woman with Addison’s disease, came to me exhausted and overwhelmed. She was struggling with unpredictable energy crashes and severe stomach pain. She had tried multiple specialists, different medications and lots of advice, but nothing made a lasting difference.

From the outset, we worked on stabilising her blood sugar. That meant simple, practical changes, such as adding protein to every meal, pairing carbs with fibre and healthy fats and avoiding long gaps without food (yes, fasting is definitely not right for everyone). Within just a few weeks, her energy became more reliable and her stomach pain eased considerably. She told me it felt like someone had finally turned down the volume on her symptoms. For her, balancing blood sugar was a foundational game-changer.

How blood sugar affects your immune system

So how does this actually work? Here’s the science-ey part:

  • Immune cells run on glucose. Your immune system isn’t separate from your metabolism, it runs on it. Every immune cell needs energy to function, and glucose is one of its main fuels. But when blood sugar is constantly spiking and crashing, or when it runs high over time, immune cells shift gears. Instead of staying in balance, they become more aggressive, more inflammatory and more likely to mistake your own tissues as the enemy.

  • Increased inflammatory signals. High blood sugar pushes T cells (the soldiers of your immune system) into overdrive, producing more inflammatory signals and promoting Th17 cells - known troublemakers in conditions like multiple sclerosis, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease [1]. 

  • Driving antibodies. B cells (the ones that make antibodies) also get revved up by excess glucose, which means more autoantibodies in conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes [2].

  • High blood sugar creates stress signals. It’s not just about the cells themselves, but elevated blood sugar creates sticky molecules called advanced glycation end products (AGEs). They can damage tissue and even alter your own proteins so your immune system mistakes them as foreign, triggering further autoimmunity [3].

  • It impacts the gut. Blood sugar swings influence your gut microbiota and disrupt tolerance, which is a big deal in autoimmune conditions like coeliac and inflammatory bowel disease [4].

Which autoimmune conditions are most affected?

While blood sugar influences all autoimmune conditions to some degree, it is especially significant in:

  • Type 1 diabetes (autoimmune destruction of insulin-producing cells)

  • Autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s, Graves’)

  • Coeliac disease (gut absorption and glucose swings)

  • Addison’s disease (low cortisol leads to dangerous sugar dips)

  • Pernicious anaemia/autoimmune gastritis (nutrient absorption problems and glucose instability)

  • Autoimmune liver diseases (the liver is key in blood sugar stability)

And research shows that even in conditions like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, blood sugar control can influence symptom severity. 

Everyday life: why flares may follow certain habits

If you’ve ever noticed that your joint pain, brain fog or fatigue are worse after a weekend of indulgent eating, a poor night’s sleep or a few stressful days, it’s not your imagination. Blood sugar instability can directly feed the fire of inflammation. Add in the fact that many people with autoimmune conditions have overlapping diagnoses (like thyroid disease and coeliac) and the blood sugar-immune connection becomes even more important. For many people, just recognising this link is empowering because it explains patterns they’ve experienced but never had words for. 


Practical ways to start balancing blood sugar

By stabilising blood sugar, you give your immune system the steady fuel it needs to function without tipping into overdrive. That means fewer inflammatory signals, fewer autoantibodies and fewer chances for flares to spiral.

Here are some simple, effective steps you can start today:

  • Add protein to every meal (think eggs, fish, beans or nuts).

  • Pair carbs with fibre and healthy fats to slow down absorption (an apple + nuts).

  • Avoid skipping meals if you tend to crash.

  • Build meals from whole, unprocessed foods where possible.

  • Take a short walk after meals to help your body use glucose more effectively.

  • Prioritise good sleep and stress support, because cortisol and blood sugar are closely linked.

These aren’t about dieting or restriction, but more about giving your body steady fuel, so your immune system stays calm and doesn’t overreact.

Picture of a healthy balanced place

What should you do next?

If you’ve been nodding along while reading this, it might be time to take action. You don’t have to keep piecing this puzzle together alone. If you’re tired of confusion, mixed advice and chasing symptoms, let’s work on the foundations together.

If you know a friend, family member or colleague who’s also struggling with autoimmunity, share this with them. Sometimes the missing piece we’ve been searching for is closer than we think.

👉 Click here to book in for a free chat and see how I can support you personally.

👉 Or join my Sugar Shift programme - a 28-day reset to feel sharper, calmer and more in control - starting 29th September 2025. Act quickly to take advantage of the early bird pricing offer.

You’ll learn how to eat, live, and support your body in ways that reduce inflammation, calm your immune system and put you back in the driver’s seat.

👉 Email me: Drop me a line at hello@tinahancocks.com if you’d like more information on functional medicine testing, genetic testing, toxin testing or autoimmune reactivity.

Looking forward to helping you on your journey to better health!

Skipped to the bottom? In summary

If you’re living with autoimmunity and feel stuck with pain, fatigue or brain fog, one overlooked piece could be your blood sugar. Even without diabetes, unstable glucose (spikes and crashes) can push immune cells into overdrive, fuelling inflammation and worsening flares in autoimmune conditions. The empowering part is that you can influence this: balancing meals with protein, fibre and healthy fats, avoiding long gaps without food, moving gently after meals and supporting sleep and stress can all calm your immune system. Small shifts here can create big relief.

My Get Empowered programme offers personalised support using advanced genetic and functional testing to identify root causes, restore balance and help your immune system find stability. Healing isn’t about restriction; it’s about giving your body what it truly needs. If you’re ready to stop guessing and start healing, book a free call today. Let’s get to the root of your symptoms - so you can regain your energy, health and life. Book in for a free chat below.

Tina Hancocks
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The Three Key Ingredients for Autoimmune Conditions - and how to change the recipe