Normal blood glucose levels fall between 70 and 150 mg. Levels typically are lower in the morning, and rise after meals. Blood sugar levels falling consistently above 150 are indicative of hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. Chronic low levels, falling below 70, characterize hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar level. Hypoglycemia is a potentially fatal condition. Symptoms of this condition are lethargy, impaired mental functioning, irritability and loss of consciousness. Persistent hyperglycemia results in diabetes mellitus, which is the most common disease related to blood sugar regulation failure. Diabetes can cause eye, kidney and nerve damage.
Glucose is the body’s principal”fuel”. It is stored in the form of glycogen in the muscles and liver. The blood glucose level (or blood sugar level, or glycaemia) is simply the level of glucose in the bloodstream. On an empty stomach, this is normally one gram per litre of blood.
When carbohydrates (bread, honey, starchy foods, cereals, sweets, etc.) are ingested on an empty stomach, the effect on the blood sugar level is found to be as follows :
The first stage is that blood glucose rises (to a greater or lesser extent, according to the nature of the carbohydrate).
The second stage is that, after insulin has been secreted by the pancreas, the blood glucose level falls and the glucose is released into the body’s tissues.
So, thirdly, the blood sugar level reverts to normal (see graph on the following page). Traditionally, it was usual to place carbohydrates in one of two distinct categories,”quick sugars”and”slow sugars”, the terms referring to the body’s rate of absorbing them.
“Quick sugars”were simple sugars (such as glucose) and disaccharides, such as the sucrose found in refined sugars (both cane and beet), honey and fruit. The term”quick sugar”owed its existence to the belief that, because of the simple nature of the molecule, the body rapidly absorbed these sugars after ingestion.
Conversely,”slow sugars”referred to all carbohydrates whose more complex molecule had first to be chemically converted into simple sugar (glucose) in the course of digestion. This applied notably to starches, from which, it was thought, glucose was released into the body slowly and progressively.
This way of classifying carbohydrates is today completely outdated, and is based on a misconceived theory.
Recent studies show that the complexity of the carbohydrate molecule does not actually determine the speed with which glucose is released and absorbed into the body.
It is now accepted that the glycaemic peak (that is, the point of maximum absorption) is reached at the same rate for any carbohydrate eaten in isolation and on an empty stomach, and occurs about half an hour after ingestion. Therefore, instead of talking about their speed of absorption, it is more to the point to consider different carbohydrates in terms of their potential to induce a greater or lesser rise in bloodВ glucose, that is, in terms of the sheer quantity of glucose they produce.
Disaccharides (white sugar, maltose in beer, lactose in milk)
Polysaccharides (cereals, flours, potatoes, pulses)
Monosaccharides (glucose and fructose found in fruit and honey)
So scientists and others now agree in the field of nutrition (see bibliography) that carbohydrates should be classified according to what is called their hyperglycaemic potential, as defined by the glycaemic index.
Normal blood glucose levels fall between 70 and 150 mg. Levels typically are lower in the morning, and rise after meals. Blood sugar levels falling consistently above 150 are indicative of hyperglycemia, or high blood sugar. Chronic low levels, falling below 70, characterize hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar level. Hypoglycemia is a potentially fatal condition. Symptoms of this condition are lethargy, impaired mental functioning, irritability and loss of consciousness. Persistent hyperglycemia results in diabetes mellitus, which is the most common disease related to blood sugar regulation failure. Diabetes can cause eye, kidney and nerve damage.
A blood glucose test measures the amount of glucose in the bloodstream. Reasons for testing glucose levels are to check for diabetes, to monitor treatment of diabetes, and to check for hypoglycemia. There are several different types of glucose tests. The ‘fasting blood sugar’ test checks glucose levels after an eight-hour fast and is often the first test performed when checking for diabetes. For this test, levels have to fall between 70 and 99 in order to be considered normal. The ‘two-hour postprandial blood sugar’ test measures glucose levels two hours after eating a meal.
Normal blood glucose levels for this test fall between 70 and 145. Random blood sugar testing checks glucose levels randomly throughout the day, regardless of meal times. If levels vary widely, there could be a problem. Blood sugar levels should be between 70 and 125 in order to be considered normal for random testing. The ‘oral glucose tolerance test’ diagnoses diabetes and predicaments. This tests your blood after drinking a glucose drink. If you think you may have a blood sugar disorder, contact your primary care physician for testing. There are many conditions that can cause a change in your blood glucose levels. Normal results may vary depending on the lab.
See Also
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