Understand blood sugar and live life to the fullest!
Blood Sugar Levels (of Glucose) Explained
When foods that have carbohydrates in them are eaten, the carbohydrate is eventually broken down into glucose in the digestive system and then the glucose is released into the bloodstream.
Glucose is basically the simplest form of sugar - all carbohydrate foods get broken down into their simplest form in the body - glucose.
The body uses glucose for energy in every single cell of the body.
There are two important organs which are involved in the release of glucose in the blood:
• Pancreas - this is the main organ that regulates the amount of glucose that is released in the blood, by secreting a hormone called insulin. Insulin is the
hormone that allows glucose to enter the cells of the body which gives the cells the energy they require to function properly.
The brain requires a lot of glucose energy to function properly
• Liver - this is the organ that stores unused glucose, in the form of glycogen.
The liver breaks down glycogen and releases into the blood when the pancreas
releases another hormone called glucagon, in response to low levels of glucose in the blood.
What is High Blood Sugar?
Your body uses the sugars it extracts from the foods you eat, and uses these to provide energy for the cells in your body.
It is called a blood glucose level, as glucose is the particular type of sugar that is formed and stored inside the body.
When the levels are too high, the body converts the excess glucose to glycogen (a short term fuel store mainly in the liver and muscle cells) or it is stored as fat which is a long term energy reserve.
Keeping your Blood Sugar Levels under control is probably the most important factor in maintaining even energy levels and weight.
The level of glucose in the blood largely determines appetite.
When the level drops, hunger is experienced.
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