What is Blood Glucose?

Written by Cassandra Merkling (last updated September 22, 2009)

Glucose is a kind of simple sugar made from the energy-giving nutrients protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Your body cannot function without this sugar, as it is the energy source for adenosine triphosphate. Most glucose from your bloodstream goes to your brain with what is left over going to the rest of your body. The insulin in your blood basically unlocks the receptors on your cells so that glucose can enter the cell and go straight to the mitochondria.

The whole point of keeping your blood glucose levels within a certain range is that your body requires a certain amount of energy to be available to it constantly. When the brain detects a drop in your blood sugar, it sends a message to your liver to release its glycogen stores, which will only provide energy for a short period of time. Because your brain knows that this is only a quick fix solution, it also lets your body know that it is time to eat and (hopefully) you will respond by replenishing the glucose in your blood.

When you are tested for diabetes, your blood glucose is used as a reference point. Basically, you drink a special kind of glucose drink after fasting and then your blood is taken at about one hour intervals for three to four hours. In that time, your blood glucose should spike in the hour after you drink it and then deplete from there until you are just about back to the fasting level. If you are healthy, that is. If not, your blood sugar will spike and remain high, which means that there is something wrong with you insulin level because the sugar is not making it into your cells. This is a very dangerous condition to have (it is the condition of diabetes, which is pretty well-known these days) and can lead to eventual death if left untreated.

Your blood glucose levels can be regulated a little better if you eat complex carbohydrates, which take longer to digest and can lead to steadier levels because of this. However, this will not have so much of an effect on the aforementioned diabetic condition. There is also a concern if your blood glucose levels are too low. This is called hypoglycemia and can lead to the same result as too-high blood glucose levels..

Author Bio

Cassandra Merkling

MORE FROM CASSANDRA

When to Color Your Hair

There are a few times when you'll seriously consider coloring your hair. Here are three of them.

Discover More

Dealing with an Asthma Attack

Having asthma may be difficult, but it doesn't have to be completely miserable. Get your asthma under control with these ...

Discover More

Cleaning Stone Kitchen Sinks

There are four main types of stone used to make kitchen sinks. They are marble, granite, limestone, and soapstone. How ...

Discover More
More Health Tips

Diabetes Symptoms

If diabetes runs in your family or if you suspect you may have diabetes, it will be important for you to recognize ...

Discover More

Living a Free and Open Life with Diabetes

Living with diabetes can be taxing both physically and emotionally. To enjoy a full life with diabetes, it's important to ...

Discover More

Diabetes Supplies

It is important to know what diabetes supplies are available and necessary. With the appropriate supplies you can more ...

Discover More
Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is six more than 9?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)