How To Maintain Normal Blood Sugar Balance

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How the body manages blood sugar

Glucose is a simple sugar, yet it is the single most important source of cellular energy. From the lowly bacteria to the complex biology of the human body, glucose is used for the process of cellular respiration through which Adenosine Triphosphate is created. Both Anabolic and Catabolic mechanisms are involved in the process and release large amounts of energy. The body’s blood sugar regulation is a complicated metabolic process that involves the synthesis and secretion of various hormones. These hormones act off of each other in a negative feedback loop, where the end of one reaction triggers the start of the next, to signal different tissues and organs throughout the body and keep blood sugar levels within the narrow acceptable range.

There are various antagonistic hormones that directly and indirectly affect how the body manages blood sugar levels. Some of these are insulin, amylin, asprosin, epinephrine, cortisol, and thyroxine among others. However, the two most important hormones involved in the intricate balancing act of glucose homeostasis are glucagon and insulin. When blood sugar levels fall below normal, pancreatic tissues are activated and synthesize the peptide hormone called glucagon. Glucagon is a catabolic hormone which means that it can break down molecules into smaller components to be either oxidized for energy or used up in the synthesis of other compounds. Glucagon acts directly on the liver by stimulating the conversion of stored glycogen into glucose to be released into the bloodstream, thus returning blood sugar levels to more acceptable parameters. When blood sugar levels rise, the pancreas releases insulin. Insulin is the primary anabolic compound found in the human body, and thus is directly involved in the conversion of glucose into glycogen. Insulin’s primary role is to effectively promote the absorption of glucose into the liver and skeletal muscle mass through facilitating the opening of specialized glucose channels in the cell wall.

To summarize, when high insulin levels are present, sugar in the form of glucose is converted and transferred out of the bloodstream and into muscle liver cells where it is stored for future use. Low levels of blood sugar trigger the secretion of glucagon that promotes the breakdown of stored energy into glucose to be released back into the bloodstream. While there are other hormones involved in the body’s regulation of blood sugar, such as cortisol and adrenaline, these are the two most influential. It is also important to note that medication, trauma, and of course dietary intake can play a significant role in this process.

What’s considered normal blood sugar levels?

For healthy individuals, the measurement of blood glucose levels is usually attained through blood or urine laboratory tests. These tests should be performed on a fasting individual and can be done to measure and compare arterial, venous, and capillary levels of glucose. Obese individuals, those over the age of fifty, and those who have been positively diagnosed with hypertension and hypercholesterolemia should be tested more often than the general population. Patients with Diabetes should monitor their blood sugar levels regularly throughout the day.

After an eight hour fast, an individual who is non-diabetic should have a blood sugar level that falls within the range of seventy to one hundred milligrams per decilitre. Because of the different metabolic processes that occur throughout the day the results of a blood sugar test will vary significantly if taken at different times. An individual who has eaten within the last eight hours can expect to have a blood glucose level around one hundred and twenty-five milligrams per decilitre. These are the ranges for a healthy individual; a patient diagnosed with diabetes has a much higher range of acceptable values, and every case should be evaluated individually by a qualified physician.

Diet and exercise play a significant role when actively measuring glucose levels in the blood. Intense physical activity will affect glycogen metabolism, and carbohydrate-rich meals will significantly raise blood sugar levels temporarily.

Signs of high and low blood sugar

When abnormal blood sugar levels are present over sustained periods, two conditions can potentially develop. These are:

HYPERGLYCEMIA: Hyperglycaemia will develop when blood sugar levels are above normal ranges. While temporary hyperglycemia is typically non-life-threatening, above average levels of blood glucose sustained chronically over a prolonged period can lead to potentially deadly complications with cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, and neurological damage being the most common.

HYPOGLYCEMIA: Hypoglycaemia will develop when blood sugar levels are below the expected range. It is imperative that the general population learn to recognize the signs and symptoms associated with low blood sugar to act immediately. The body will not function correctly without sufficient blood glucose, and even cognitive function may be affected. The symptoms of having low blood sugar will vary from one person to the next, as does the glucose threshold at which these symptoms will first appear. Some individuals might even present a case of hypoglycaemia without any symptoms manifesting.

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