The Definitive Guide to Blood Sugar
What's sweet, red, sticky, and deadly? Blood sugar. (I'm sure there are other things that qualify, but most of them contain sugar of some sort so I'm sticking with it.) Too little of it, and you go into hypoglycemic shock. That can kill you if left untreated. Too much of it, and you waste away slowly. Chronic overexposure to sugar will degenerate your tissues and organs. Yes, getting blood sugar right is extremely important. Vital, even. Today, I'm going to explain how and why we measure blood sugar, what the numbers mean, why we need to control it, and how to maintain that control. What is Blood Sugar? First, blood sugar is tightly controlled in the body. The average person has between 4-7 grams of sugar circulating throughout their body in a fasted state״hat's around a teaspoon's worth. How does that work when the average person consumes dozens of teaspoons in a single day? Again, it's tightly controlled. The majority of the sugar "in our system" is quickly whisked away for safekeeping, burning, or
conversion. We store as much of it as glycogen in our liver and muscle as we can. We burn some for energy. And, if there's any left over, we can convert it to fat in the liver. But sometimes, sugar lingers. In diabetics, for example, blood sugar runs higher than normal. That's actually how you identify and diagnose a person with diabetes: they have elevated blood sugar. How to Measure Blood Sugar There are several ways to measure blood sugar. The basic finger prick: Prick your finger, produce a few drops of blood, place blood on test insert, test blood sugar level. It's the most common method. Fasting blood sugar: Your blood sugar level when fasted. These tests are usually taken first thing in the morning, because that's the only time most people haven't eaten in the last few hours. "Normal" is under 100. Postprandial blood sugar: Your blood sugar after eating. These tests measure your blood sugar response to food; they also measure your ability to dispose of blood glucose. HbA1C: Average blood sugar over 2/3
months. HbA1c measures the degree of glycation of your red blood cellsҠhemoglobin; this is an indirect measure of how much blood sugar your cells are exposed to over time, since a red blood cell thatҳ exposed to more sugar in the blood over its life cycleײ-3 monthsill have more glycation. Thus, A1c seeks to establish the average level of blood sugar circulating through your body over the red blood cellҳ life cycle, rather than track blood sugar numbers that rapidly fluctuate through the day, week, and month. Itҳ a measurement of chronic blood sugar levels, not acute. The continuous glucose monitor: A wearable device that measures your blood sugar at regular intervals throughout the day and night. This is becoming more common. The beauty of the CGM is that you get a visual display of blood sugar's rise and fall throughout the day in response to meals, workouts, ŠContinue reading "The Definitive Guide to Blood Sugar"The post The Definitive Guide to Blood Sugar appeared first on Mark's Daily Apple