Blood Sugar Primer
Anyone who is obese or overweight and who starts to work with a doctor begins to learn about their blood sugar, or blood glucose levels, and in some cases begins to track how stable their numbers are. Doctors tell us that maintaining these levels are an important part of our overall health. But just what [...]
Anyone who is obese or overweight and who starts to work with a doctor begins to learn about their blood sugar, or blood glucose levels, and in some cases begins to track how stable their numbers are. Doctors tell us that maintaining these levels are an important part of our overall health. But just what is your blood sugar, and why is it important?
Very simply, doctors measure blood glucose in terms of the glucose density in the blood. In the USA, that is typically expressed in terms of milligrams per deciliter. An average man may have 5 liters of blood, so a level of 100 mg/dL would amount to about 5 grams of glucose in the blood. Given that a typical restaurant sugar pack may have 2.5 to 3g of sugar, this doesn’t sound like much.
However, we are a fickle lot when it comes to the systems our bodies regulate. After all, a 2% temperature elevation is a fever, a 5% elevation means you are very sick. So our bodies use hormones to regulate the amount of glucose in our blood. It rises after a meal and, ideally, is controlled in a tight band of about 80 to 120 mg/dL. If it gets too low or too high, sickness or disease can result.
Since glucose is a critical source of energy for your cells, having low glucose levels is much worse than high levels, at least in the short term. Too low blood sugar can lead to disorientation, fatigue, or, in more serious cases, loss of consciousness. Having too high blood sugar results in your hormones working overtime to control the glucose. In time, too much of this can result in insulin resistance or diabetes.
I hope this primer has helped you understand a bit more about the role that blood sugar plays in your body. Remember to seek the advice of a qualified medical professional if you have any medical concerns. My Natural Supplements provides this information without intending to offer any medical advice of any kind.
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