Low blood protein - is this a thing?

amother

Mon, Nov 22 2021, 12:05 pm

I've heard of low blood sugar, and the need to keep sugar levels at a regular level. Is there a similar thing with protein?
My dd8 is normally a sweet, calm child. But when she goes too long without protein (like a noodle soup for lunch) she starts acting up which quickly escalates. Like she starts with oppositional behaviors like saying no and copying what I say in a nasty way, then starts running around wildly, then hurting - shoving, grabbing, kicking when I try to hug her to try to help her calm down. If I still cant get food into her, she then has a total meltdown and screams and cries. Eventually eventually she agrees to eat something, and within minutes she's back to her regular calm self (and I'm still reeling from the past hour). Something sweet like a yogurt with almost no protein makes things worse - she calms down for a few minutes but then gets even worse.
When she eats normally on a regular schedule, she's fine. But if she doesnt eat the school lunch, and she wont eat something protein right when she gets home, or wont eat supper, she freaks.
It's been going on for a couple months.
Is this related to growth and is just a stage? Is it a sign of something bigger, idk, something metabolic?
Doctors here arent so into seeing patients still so reaching out on here for some advice.

amother

Chicory

Mon, Nov 22 2021, 12:19 pm

Could be reactive hypoglycemia. Iow, carbs cause insulin spike and then blood sugar crashes too low. But noodle soups can mess with behavior in other ways, she might be reacting to the gluten and msg, both of which have been shown to cause neurotoxicity. I would also look into cortisol and adrenal issues because they are closely tied to blood sugar regulation, and if adrenals aren’t balanced then low blood sugar will cause them to pump out cortisol which will send her into fight flight. The reason protein and fats help is because they keep blood sugar stable. FWIW with yogurt she could also be reacting to the dairy, food dyes if it has, and probiotics. I know your point was high sugar low protein but these issues aren’t always clear cut and it’s good to keep track of what does or doesn’t work, because the pattern we think we see right away might end up being something else upon further scrutiny.