Contact a health care provider if you have questions about your health. Blood Sugar Also called: Blood glucose. See, Play and Learn No links available. Resources Reference Desk Find an Expert. Start Here. Diagnosis and Tests. Living With. Hypoglycemia develops when blood sugar concentrations fall below normal.
People with diabetes have a higher risk of both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. The human brain needs a constant supply of glucose. Severely low glucose can have the following effects:. Less commonly, the person may experience seizures or lose consciousness. Among people with diabetes, severe hypoglycemia can be fatal. If the kidneys and liver do not work correctly, breaking down and excreting medication from the body becomes harder. Excessive insulin production or supplementation can lead to hypoglycemia.
Some tumors can cause low blood sugar, as they produce chemicals similar to insulin. A tumor may also consume so much glucose that it does not leave enough for the rest of the body. People who undergo gastric bypass surgery might also experience hypoglycemia, as they will be able to take in less food than they were able to before surgery.
Nesidioblastosis, a rare condition involving the enlargement of beta cells, often results in an overproduction of insulin. Beta cells produce insulin in the pancreas. People with diabetes need to be especially careful to maintain steady blood glucose levels, but those without diabetes should also follow healthy lifestyle habits to avoid increasing the risk of developing the condition. The index gives a value to each food. Foods that will cause blood glucose levels to spike dramatically, such as candy, cakes, and junk food, are high in the glycemic index.
Measured against glucose, which is in the index, Watermelon, for example, has a mean value of 76 , honey is at 61, and chickpeas rank at The glycemic load GL is based on the GI. It provides a picture of the total impact a serving of food will have on energy levels. It is an essential part of effective diabetes control. Many people with diabetes must check several times each day to plan for activities and meals, as well as scheduling doses of medication or insulin. A person can test their blood glucose levels with a glucometer.
They usually come with lancets, or tiny needles, a logbook to record results, and test strips. People with type 2 diabetes normally need to test blood sugar concentrations at least once each day. Those who need to take insulin, which includes all people with type 1 diabetes and some with type 2, have to test their blood several times a day. You may know glucose by another name: blood sugar. Glucose is key to keeping the mechanisms of the body in top working order.
When our glucose levels are optimal, it often goes unnoticed. So what is glucose, exactly? This means it has one sugar. Other monosaccharides include fructose, galactose, and ribose. People get glucose from bread, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. You need food to create the energy that helps keep you alive.
Glucose levels that are unhealthy or out of control can have permanent and serious effects. When we eat, our body immediately starts working to process glucose. Enzymes start the breakdown process with help from the pancreas. The pancreas, which produces hormones including insulin, is an integral part of how our body deals with glucose. When we eat, our body tips the pancreas off that it needs to release insulin to deal with the rising blood sugar level.
In this case, people need outside help insulin injections to process and regulate glucose in the body. The liver is an important organ for sugar control, as it helps with glucose storage and makes glucose when necessary.
This can lead to a condition called ketoacidosis. Ketones, waste products created when the liver breaks down fat, can be toxic in large quantities.
Testing glucose levels is especially important for people with diabetes. Carbohydrates do raise blood sugar levels quickly. However, recent studies have shown that even amongst foods that have the same amount of carbohydrates, there are two categories: those that cause a sudden rise in blood sugar levels and those that cause a more moderate rise, depending on the amount of dietary fiber contained.
Taking bread as an example, whole grain rye bread and pizza crusts are low GI foods, while French bread and bagels are high GI foods.
Because high GI foods cause a sudden spike in the blood sugar level, large amounts of insulin are secreted in order to process the sugar in the blood, causing a spike in insulin secretion to handle the sugar. When low GI foods are eaten, the sugar is gradually absorbed into the body so the blood sugar level rises gradually.
Thus, an appropriate amount of insulin is secreted and sugar is promptly taken up by the tissues. Thus, knowing which foods are low GI foods causing moderate amounts of sugar to be absorbed is very important to living a healthy life.
Making sure that carbohydrates, an essential type of nutrient, are absorbed by the body in moderate amounts is related to blood sugar levels, obesity, and of course a healthy diet. It is a link for moving within the page.
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