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I once had severe pitting edema—pressing my ankle left a deep dent. I was young, healthy, and on no meds, so the swelling and my puffy face were alarming. The cause? A blood sugar imbalance affecting my body’s sodium-potassium pumps. These pumps regulate fluid in and out of cells.

A high-sugar diet can impair them, causing fluid to leak into tissues and leading to swelling. You don’t need to be diabetic—refined carbs alone can trigger this through a process called glycation, which damages circulation and nerves.

The fix? Support the pumps with three key nutrients: potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B1 (especially benfotiamine). I cut out sugar and processed carbs, added more leafy greens, seeds, avocados, and nutritional yeast—and the swelling vanished in two weeks.

Bottom line: Edema can be a sign of poor blood sugar control. Addressing it at the cellular level—through diet and proper nutrients—made all the difference.