If you have diabetes or have high blood sugar levels, you may have taken a "glucose tolerance test". Also, some of you may have heard that "glucose is the only source of nutrition for the brain."
Glucose is very important for diabetics and those concerned about blood sugar levels. Therefore, this time, I will explain it in an easy-to-understand manner so that you can fully understand glucose. Please stay with us till the end.
Since "blood sugar level" is the amount of glucose in the blood, it is easy to imagine that "blood sugar level rises when you eat glucose". In fact, glucose raises blood sugar levels much faster than other carbohydrates.
Glucose, also called glucose, is the most common monosaccharide. A monosaccharide is the smallest unit of sugar, and there are also fructose and galactose.
Sugar is in the form of one glucose and one fructose linked together, and the starch contained in rice and bread is in the form of many glucose linked together.
A chain of multiple carbohydrates is decomposed by digestive juices and becomes a single monosaccharide before it can be taken into the body. In other words, sugar with two monosaccharides is digested and absorbed faster than starch with many monosaccharides.
Glucose does not need to be decomposed by digestive juices because it is one monosaccharide from the beginning, and it is absorbed even faster than sugar.
One of the diabetes tests, the "glucose tolerance test", is a test to see how much insulin is released by drinking juice containing glucose and whether it has the ability to lower blood sugar levels.
You may have heard the phrase “glucose is the only source of nutrition for the brain”.
Indeed, in normal life, glucose is the only energy source for the brain. The brain is a very energy-intensive organ and requires 120g of glucose per day.
When you hear that, you may feel that you have to take a lot of glucose for your brain. But wait! However, it is not recommended for people with diabetes or those who are concerned about blood sugar levels to take glucose on a regular basis.
This is because, as I mentioned earlier, the starch contained in rice and bread is digested into glucose. Not only that, but glucose is stored in the body so that it can be used at any time. Also, our bodies have a mechanism to convert lipids and proteins in the body into glucose, so it is okay not to take it directly in the form of glucose.
Especially if you have high blood sugar, you have a lot of glucose in your blood. Unless you have hypoglycemia, you won't have enough glucose.
How to deal with glucose for diabetics
Diabetes is a disease in which the amount of glucose in the blood cannot be well controlled. In healthy people, blood sugar levels are controlled within the range of 70 to 140 mg/dl, but in diabetes, the blood sugar level continues to be higher, but on the other hand, blood sugar levels may be extremely low.
For those with diabetes, the goal is to control blood sugar levels within the normal range.
Simply put, it is better not to eat glucose normally, but you need glucose only when you have low blood sugar.
It's better not to eat glucose for regular snacks! The reason
As I mentioned earlier, glucose raises blood sugar levels rapidly, so it is not recommended as a regular snack.
A sudden rise in blood sugar after eating is called a blood sugar spike, and this blood sugar spike damages blood vessels and causes various complications. Many people with diabetes and those who are concerned about their blood sugar levels usually avoid sugar, but glucose, which raises blood sugar levels more quickly than sugar, is even more important!
Also, some people with diabetes eat glucose on a regular basis because they are afraid of hypoglycemia, but this is also not good. This is because when you have a high blood sugar level, taking something that raises your blood sugar level, such as glucose, not only causes a blood sugar spike, but it can also cause a temporary hypoglycemia reaction.
The trick to blood sugar control is to slow down fluctuations in blood sugar levels as much as possible. First of all, let's correctly understand whether the current blood level is high or low, and use glucose only when it is really low blood sugar.
When do you need glucose?
People with diabetes need glucose when their blood sugar is low. If hypoglycemia becomes severe, it is very dangerous, such as losing consciousness, so it is necessary to deal with it immediately.
Recommended glucose and recommended amount
If the blood sugar level drops below 70mg/dl, take 10g of glucose, and if there is no improvement after 15 minutes, take another 10g of glucose.
At this time, 20 g of sugar can be substituted, but if you are taking a type of medicine called α-glucosidase, you must use glucose instead of sugar. It is recommended to carry glucose with you on a regular basis.
What is high fructose liquid sugar?
Have you ever seen the label of ingredients such as juice that says "high-fructose corn syrup"? This is isomerized sugar, a liquid sugar made from starch and a mixture of glucose and fructose.
It's easy to understand if you imagine the shape of sugar digested. It raises blood sugar more rapidly than sugar, so try to avoid it as much as possible.
On the other hand, if you have low blood sugar, you can get 10g of glucose by drinking 150-200ml of juice containing high fructose liquid sugar.
summary
So far, I have explained how people with diabetes interact with glucose.
To summarize,
Glucose raises the blood sugar level rapidly, so it is better not to take too much usually.
Although it is an important energy source for the brain, our bodies have a number of mechanisms that allow us to supply the brain with sufficient glucose.
Glucose is effective in hypoglycemia. It is recommended to carry it with you on a regular basis and check how much to eat at one time.
that's all. For diabetics, a good relationship with glucose is the key to blood sugar control.
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