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The Secret of Blood Sugar: Why Does Your Body Regulate Glucose So Finely?
Blood sugar, the concentration of glucose in the blood, is a key measure of the body's energy. Whether it's daily life, exercise, or diet, your body is constantly making adjustments to maintain ideal blood sugar levels.
In order to maintain a stable metabolic balance, the human body must accurately regulate blood sugar concentration.
For an adult weighing approximately 70 kilograms, approximately 4 grams of glucose are maintained in the plasma. When blood sugar gets too low, glycogen in the liver and muscles releases glucose to stabilize blood sugar levels. Insulin, a hormone secreted by the pancreas, plays a vital role in this process, helping cells absorb glucose and use it as an energy source.
Unlike other organs, the brain consumes almost 60% of blood sugar on an empty stomach, which makes blood sugar control extremely critical for the normal function of the human body. Abnormal fluctuations in blood sugar levels, such as persistent high or low blood sugar, can lead to a variety of health problems, including diabetes and its complications.
Sustained high blood sugar can trigger cellular dysfunction, which may ultimately lead to diabetes-related complications.
So, what factors may affect our blood sugar levels? The first is diet. After a meal, blood sugar usually rises, usually reaching a peak within an hour or two. For normal people, blood sugar levels after a meal may rise slightly to 7.8 mmol/L (i.e. about 140 mg/dL), but for diabetic patients, blood sugar needs to be monitored frequently to avoid excessive levels.
Blood glucose testing method
There are various methods for testing blood sugar. Whether it is traditional blood sample testing or today's continuous blood sugar monitoring devices, they can all provide us with timely blood sugar level information. In particular, continuous blood glucose monitoring, which can continuously track blood sugar changes in the body under different situations, is particularly important for diabetic patients.
In testing, the units of blood glucose values vary from country to country. The UK and some Commonwealth countries usually use millimoles/liter (mmol/L), while the United States and other countries use milligrams/dL (mg/dL). . Through certain conversion formulas, we can understand different measurement units.
Normal fasting blood glucose range should be between 3.9 to 5.5 mmol/L (70 to 100 mg/dL).
Internal mechanism of blood sugar regulation
Once blood sugar gets too high, the body naturally releases insulin to cause the muscles to absorb the excess glucose and convert it into glycogen storage. Conversely, when blood sugar is too low, glucagon is secreted to direct the body to release glucose from glycogen stores.
This process demonstrates the body's delicate regulatory system, but if it is imbalanced for a long time, it can lead to health problems, especially diabetes. People with diabetes may have chronically high or low blood sugar levels, which may require medical intervention and lifestyle adjustments.
The effects of high and low blood sugar
The harm of high blood sugar to the body cannot be ignored. The condition known as "hyperglycemia" can cause significant health risks, including heart disease and nerve damage, if not corrected promptly. Compared with hypoglycemia, it can cause serious physiological reactions and may even be fatal. For people with diabetes, these risks are a daily challenge.
High blood sugar can cause a variety of health problems, including heart disease and nerve damage.
If you are unable to control blood sugar levels in your life, it is recommended to consult a medical professional as soon as possible to find an effective management plan. This may include multiple measures such as dietary modification, medication, and exercise planning to balance this delicate physiological mechanism.
The human blood sugar control system is like a precise machine, and changes in any factor may affect the overall operation. So, have you started to pay attention to your blood sugar health in your daily life?
