March 24, 2025
How Your Immune System Might Be Controlling Your Blood Sugar
For years, we’ve thought about the immune system as our body’s defence squad—fighting off infections and keeping us safe from invaders.
For years, we’ve thought about the immune system as our body’s defence squad—fighting off infections and keeping us safe from invaders.
For years, we’ve thought about the immune system as our body’s defence squad—fighting off infections and keeping us safe from invaders. But what if it’s doing much more? A groundbreaking study suggests that immune cells native to the gut actually travel to the pancreas to help regulate blood sugar levels. This surprising discovery challenges traditional thinking and highlights why Functional Medicine (FM) looks at the body as an interconnected system rather than isolated parts.
In this study, researchers found that certain immune cells—called group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s)—migrate from the intestines to the pancreas when the body needs more glucose. Once there, they stimulate the production of glucagon, a hormone that helps raise blood sugar levels when energy is low.
For Functional Medicine practitioners, this discovery is exciting because it reinforces the gut’s role in metabolic health. We already know that gut bacteria influence insulin sensitivity and inflammation, but now we see that the immune system is also a key player in blood sugar balance.
If immune cells are regulating glucose levels, it raises important questions about conditions like diabetes and metabolic disorders. Could gut inflammation or poor immune function contribute to blood sugar dysregulation? Could chronic stress (which affects immune cells) also impact glucose balance? These are exactly the kinds of questions FM seeks to answer when treating chronic disease.
This research also opens up new possibilities for managing blood sugar naturally. If your gut health and immune function are connected to metabolism, then optimising digestion, reducing inflammation, and supporting your immune system could improve glucose control without relying solely on medication.
Functional Medicine looks beyond the traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. Instead of just managing symptoms like high blood sugar, we ask deeper questions:
Using advanced testing, we assess gut health, inflammatory markers, hormone balance, and immune function to create personalised strategies for blood sugar regulation. This could include dietary changes, stress management, targeted supplements, and even biofeedback to regulate the nervous system.
This study is just the tip of the iceberg. Immune system dysfunction has been linked to everything from chronic fatigue and autoimmunity to cognitive decline. Understanding how different systems in the body interact is crucial for long-term health.
In my practice, I’ve seen firsthand how addressing gut health and inflammation can lead to significant improvements—not just in blood sugar, but in energy levels, mental clarity, and overall wellbeing.
We often think of blood sugar control as purely a hormonal issue—focused on insulin and glucagon—but this research tells us otherwise. If immune cells are involved in glucose regulation, then taking care of your immune system and gut health could be key to preventing metabolic disorders and improving overall health.
This is why Functional Medicine takes a holistic approach, considering every aspect of your health to get to the root cause of chronic conditions. If you’re struggling with blood sugar imbalances, fatigue, or inflammation, it may be time to look beyond the surface and consider how your immune system and gut health could be playing a role.
Want to learn more about how Functional Medicine can support your health? Let’s start the conversation.