Blood Sugar: The Truth About Glucose

The blue-eyed dragon stalked around the office, throwing daggers with a look at any hapless victim who managed to get in her way. A storm-cloud above her cubicle continued to gather threateningly throughout the afternoon until her coworker brought a peace offering: a donut. And with the consumption of that confectionary delight, the cloud disappeared and the sun came out.

For the most part I am a pretty easy going person. I like to be around people and I do not get irritated without a lot of provocation. Every now and then, though, I get…ornery. I am not talking about a little grumpy, but I become a fire-breathing, look of death giving, acidic-tongued monster. Surprisingly, the cause of this is not jealousy or some other predictable female ailment, but rather low blood sugar.

Bizarre? Yes, but not completely unprecedented. Many people fail to realize just how important their blood sugar level is in maintaining normal day-to-day function.

Low Blood Sugar

Blood sugar, or the amount of glucose in the blood, needs to remain between four and eight mill mole/liter (mmol/l). There are bad-effects of having blood sugar either too high or too low. Hypoglycemia means there is too little glucose or sugar in the blood. Mild effects can include drowsiness, impaired cognitive functioning, or irritability. More serious effects include comas or, in rare cases, death.

High Blood Sugar

High blood sugar can be just as bas as low blood sugar. Some symptoms of high blood sugar are extreme thirst, hunger, headache, frequent bathroom use, blurred vision, dry skin, drowsiness and nausea. If levels remain high over a period of many years, damage can occur in the body’s small blood vessels (like the eyes and kidneys) or can lead to cardiovascular disease.

What Controls Blood Sugar Levels?

Most people do not give their blood sugar level a second thought; their pancreas efficiently monitors blood-glucose levels and releases chemicals into the body when they are either too low or too high. If there is too much sugar in the blood, the pancreas releases insulin, which then encourages body cells to “store” it for future energy use. When blood sugar is too low, the pancreas releases glucagon, which then takes the sugar out of “storage” and puts it back into the blood stream. Under normal conditions, the brain and pancreas will monitor and control these levels.

What is Diabetes?

Unfortunately, the body’s automatic systems do not always run so smoothly. Diabetes occurs when there’s a problem in relation to body’s insulin. Insulin is essential in the body’s ability to break-down glucose and without it, blood levels rise and varying previously-listed negative consequences result. Sometimes the body simply does not produce an adequate amount of insulin in order to combat all of the glucose in the bloodstream. This disease is called Diabetes (type I) and can be treated with insulin injections, which supply the insulin that the body can not produce.

Another form of diabetes occurs when body’s cells become resistant to the effects of insulin (type II). This form often comes with age and is more serious, because it can not simply be controlled by injections.

Diet

With either kind of diabetes, diet is a vital component in maintaining a normal blood sugar level. It is important to understand what kinds of foods that glucose comes from, in order to maintain a healthy diet whether you have Diabetes or not. If your family has a history of diabetes, watching your glucose intake now could prevent you from ever getting it.

What Contains Glucose?

A commonly held misconception is that sugar is the only source of glucose. Although certainly one of the culprits, the truth is that all carbohydrates form glucose, including potatoes, breads, and many other things! On the other hand, there are other kinds of sugars like fructose and galactose, which do not need insulin in order for the body to use them. This means that blood sugar level can go up even when you do not eat sugar. There are however, things that are safe to eat even if you have diabetes. Some of these include, sugar substitutes that do not form glucose, or natural sweeteners, which actually cut the amount of sugar, (so this means that your food will be sweet, without the additional glucose).

So, whether you have Diabetes or you just get a little bit cranky when your blood sugar is low, it is good to know your body’s reaction and how to manage it. Don’t be the office grump; maintain a healthy blood sugar level!