How blood sugar levels can affect your health
Exactly what is blood sugar level?
A person’s blood sugar level (otherwise known as serum glucose level or plasma glucose level) is essentially the volume of glucose (sugar) within their blood at any time.
Exactly why is glucose vital?
Glucose (otherwise known as dextrose) is a simple sugar that’s generated by the body from the carbohydrates that individuals eat. It’s necessary for a number of necessary bodily functions. In particular, it’s very important as it provides energy to our body tissues, nervous system and also the brain.
Glucose is carried from the intestines or liver to body cells through the blood flow, and is made available for cell absorption by way of the hormone insulin, made by the pancreas.
Glucose that’s not directly used as a source of energy by brain cells, intestinal cells and red blood cells is sent to the liver, adipose tissue and muscle cells, where it is actually absorbed and stored as glycogen. This glycogen can be transformed back to glucose and returned to the bloodstream any time insulin is low or absent.
How is blood sugar level measured?
Blood sugar is commonly measured in molecular count, the unit for which is mmol/L (millimoles per liter). Equally, it is at times measured as a weight in grams, the unit for which is mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).
Just what is a healthy or typical blood sugar level?
Normally, your body maintains its blood glucose level at a reference range of between 3.6 and 5.8 mmol/L (or 64.8 and 104.4 mg/dL).
The mean regular blood glucose level in human beings is around 4 mmol/L (or 72 mg/dL), though the level obviously varies throughout the day. As perhaps you may expect, glucose levels are usually lowest early in the day, just before the first meal of the day and spike immediately after eating for one to two hours by a few milliMolar. However, when it comes to diabetes sufferers, blood sugar fluctuates more broadly – see further below.
How does blood sugar / glucose levels have an effect on your health and well-being?
As stated before, glucose supplies a person’s body with the energy that it needs to undertake very important bodily functions. Insufficient sugar / glucose (a low blood sugar level) or too much sugar / glucose (a high blood sugar level) may bring about considerable health hazards and blood sugar levels outside the normal range may perhaps be a signal of a medical condition.
Hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia
A persistently high blood sugar level is technically referred to as hyperglycemia, while low levels are known as hypoglycemia.
Hypoglycemia is a life-threatening condition. Indicators include listlessness, impaired mental performance, frustration, shaking, twitching, weakness in arm and leg muscles, pale colouration, sweating, paranoid or hostile mentality and passing out. In rare instances, brain damage is a possibility.
By comparison, hyperglycemia can involve the appetite being suppressed for the short term, with longer term health issues including cardiovascular illnesses, diabetes and eye, kidney, and nerve damage.
Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is characterised by persistent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels) either because the body fails to generate a sufficient amount of insulin, or because cells do not respond to the insulin which is produced. It happens to be the most prevalent disease related to malfunction in blood sugar regulation.
For anyone with diabetes, it is particularly important to hold blood sugar levels within normal ranges, or else major health complications may arise. For example, nephropathy (kidney disease), neuropathy (nerve disease), retinopathy (eye disease) and cardiovascular diseases (heart diseases).
Insulin resistance
Insulin resistance (a manifestation of polycystic ovarian syndrome) is another example of a condition where blood sugar levels have a crucial role. In this case, the individual’s body fails to recognise the intake of sugars and carbohydrates and this means that it continues to pump out insulin which isn’t required. If this persists for a prolonged period of time, the pancreas can pack up and cease to produce insulin entirely. If proper care is not taken by those who have this illness to ensure a well-balanced diet and balanced blood sugar levels, it has the potential ultimately trigger type 2 diabetes.
What else can change blood sugar levels?
Many factors can impact someone’s blood sugar level. Including, it can be temporarily elevated as a result of acute stress (such as trauma, stroke, myocardial infarction, surgery or illness) or as a result of drug / medication use, which can cause glucose levels to increase or go down.
Alcohol intake likewise causes an initial upturn in blood sugar, but later tends to cause levels to drop.
Trying to keep your blood sugar level under control
Making positive and healthy lifestyle choices (and, if necessary, changes) is an excellent starting point in keeping your blood sugar levels controlled. For example, taking regular physical exercise and (if needed) reducing your weight in a smart and healthy way.
Dietary changes, in particular, can often be incredibly useful in keeping blood sugar levels within normal ranges. For people with limited diets (such as diabetics), it can certainly be a struggle to ensure an optimum consumption of vitamins and minerals daily. Many people find that high quality, nutrients-fortified meal replacement powders / shakes can help with this.
MEALtime is a liquid meal / meal replacement powder that’s rich in quality protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, nutritious herbs and psyllium husks. Best of all, it is appropriate for diabetics and others seeking to maintain healthy, stable blood sugar levels because the only sugars included are those found naturally in the ingredient fruits.
MEALtime is a quick and easy way to fuel up on the go. Not only does this meal replacement / protein shake contain an array of important vitamins and minerals, but it also has important amino acids, ginseng and aloe vera for energy!
Needless to say, prior to changing your diet or taking health supplements, always be sure to talk to your doctor or qualified health practitioner (particularly if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or on medications).
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