Just what is blood sugar level?
One’s blood sugar level (also known as serum glucose level or plasma glucose level) is essentially the amount of glucose (sugar) contained in their blood at any given time.
Why is glucose vital?
Glucose (often known as dextrose) is a simple sugar which is produced by the human body from the carbohydrate food that people take in. It is very important for a range of critical bodily functions. Notably, it’s very important as it delivers energy to our tissues, nervous system and also the brain.
Glucose is transferred from the intestinal tract or liver to body cells by way of the blood stream, and is made available for cell absorption by way of the hormone insulin, made by the pancreas.
Glucose which is not directly used as an energy source by brain cells, intestinal cells and red blood cells is transported to the liver, adipose tissue and muscle cells, where it’s absorbed and stored as glycogen. This glycogen can be transformed back to glucose and returned to the bloodstream whenever insulin is low or absent.
Just how is blood sugar level measured?
Blood sugar is ordinarily measured in molecular count, the unit for which is mmol/L (millimoles per liter). It is also at times measured as a weight in grams, the unit for which is mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter).
Just what is a healthy or standard blood sugar level?
In general, the 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 normal blood glucose level in humans is around 4 mmol/L (or 72 mg/dL), although the level naturally varies during the day. As perhaps you might expect, glucose levels have a tendency to be at their lowest early in the day, prior to the first meal of the day and rise just after eating for 1 – 2 hours by a couple of milliMolar. However, in terms of diabetes sufferers, blood sugar fluctuates more widely – see further below.
How could blood sugar / glucose levels affect your health?
As stated before, glucose supplies a person’s body with the power that it must have to carry out necessary physiological functions. Insufficient sugar / glucose (a low blood sugar level) or an excessive amount of sugar / glucose (a high blood sugar level) could lead to severe medical problems and blood sugar levels outside of the normal range could very well be indicative of an underlying disease.
Hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia
A continually high blood sugar level is referred to as hyperglycemia, while low levels are referred to as hypoglycemia.
Hypoglycemia is a potentially fatal condition. Indicators include lethargy, reduced mental functioning, frustration, trembling, twitching, a weakness in arm and leg muscles, pale complexion, perspiring, paranoid or hostile mentality and fainting. In extreme cases, brain damage is a possibility.
In comparison, hyperglycemia usually involves the appetite being suppressed in the initial stages, with long term health issues including heart disease, diabetes and eye, kidney, and nerve damage.
Diabetes
Diabetes mellitus is characterised by persistent hyperglycemia (high blood sugar levels) either because the person’s body fails to manufacture enough insulin, or for the reason that their cells fail to react to the insulin that’s produced. It’s the most commonly encountered disease related to failure in blood sugar regulation.
For individuals with diabetes, it is particularly significant to maintain blood sugar levels within normal ranges, or else considerable health complications may arise. E . g ., 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 yet another example of a medical condition where blood sugar levels have a crucial role. In this case, the body fails to recognise the intake of sugars and carbohydrates and this means that it continues to pump out insulin which is not required. If this goes on for an extended period of time, the pancreas can shut down and cease to produce insulin entirely. If proper care is not taken by those who have this problem to ensure a well-balanced diet and balanced blood sugar levels, it could at some point bring on type 2 diabetes.
Can anything else impact blood sugar levels?
A variety of things may affect an individual’s blood sugar level. As an example, 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 usage, which can cause glucose levels to increase or lower.
Alcohol intake likewise triggers an initial rise in blood sugar, but afterwards has a tendency to cause levels to fall.
Trying to keep your blood sugar level under control
Making positive and healthy lifestyle choices (and, if needed, modifications) is a great starting point in keeping your blood sugar levels controlled. For instance, taking regular physical exercise and (if need be) slimming down in a smart and healthy way.
Dietary modifications, specifically, can be incredibly useful in keeping blood sugar levels within normal ranges. For those with limited diets (such as diabetics), it can certainly be a difficult task to ensure an optimum consumption of nutrients and vitamins daily. Lots of people find that high quality, nutrients-fortified meal replacement powders / shakes can help with this.
MEALtime is a liquid meal / meal replacement protein powder that is rich in quality protein, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, nutritious herbs and psyllium husks. On top of that, it is suitable 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 simple 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!
Of course, before 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).