Human body is a combination of complex functioning of various organ systems working together to help us lead a healthy life. Glucose is an extremely important component of the body which is derived from sugar in the food we consume. Derived from breaking down ingested carbohydrates, glucose moves from the liver to intestines and finally to the bloodstream. Therefore, it is important to understand why glucose levels should levels should be in the controlled range.
In order to allow glucose to enter the cells, sugar insulin is needed which is produced by the pancreas. This hormone helps the liver, muscles and fat cells to absorb excessive glucose from the bloodstream. Once the glucose is absorbed by these organs, it is either used as energy or stored for the future.
A person suffers from diabetes when the pancreas is unable to produce insulin or when the liver, muscles and fat cells are unable to utilize insulin for diabetes properly. Since glucose in blood is unable to convert and enter the cells as energy, the body becomes energy starved and an excessive amount of glucose remains in the blood. This directly leads to high blood glucose levels or hyperglycemia as it is called, which leads to nerve damage and affects the functioning of heart, liver, kidney and other vital organs like eyes if uncontrolled for a long time.
High levels of sugar insulin are directly related to high levels of sugars in the blood. Insulin levels above the normal range lead to weight gain, water bloating, high blood pressure, magnesium deficiency, and more importantly an increase in the inflammatory compounds in blood, leading to blood clots and blood vessel damage. The prescribed levels of insulin should remain under 10 IU/mL. If the readings are above this reading, the amount of insulin stimulating foods should be reduced.
The unit used to measure serum glucose levels is millimoles per litre, or mmol/l. Glucose levels in blood are known to fluctuate in the morning and also after meals, they generally remain between the narrow range of 4 to 8 mmol/l. Diabetes is all about management of blood glucose levels by leading a healthy lifestyle. The normal blood sugar level range is 4 to 7mmol/l before meals; less than 10mmol/l an hour or so after a meal; and around 8mmol/l before bedtime.
In order to measure the insulin level of a patient, a fasting insulin test must be conducted. A fasting of at least eight hours is required to take the blood sample for this test.
Blood glucose tests can be easily conducted at home using a compact glucometer and recording the readings in a diabetes management app. The readings obtained by placing a small amount of blood sample on the sampling strip inserted in the glucometer are important indicators of the blood glucose trends.