Why glucose is important

People get glucose from bread, fruits, vegetables, and dairy products. You need food to create the energy that helps keep you alive. Glucose levels that are unhealthy or out of control can have permanent and serious effects. When we eat, our body immediately starts working to process glucose. Enzymes start the breakdown process with help from the pancreas. The pancreas, which produces hormones including insulin, is an integral part of how our body deals with glucose.

When we eat, our body tips the pancreas off that it needs to release insulin to deal with the rising blood sugar level.

In this case, people need outside help insulin injections to process and regulate glucose in the body. The liver is an important organ for sugar control, as it helps with glucose storage and makes glucose when necessary.

This can lead to a condition called ketoacidosis. Ketones, waste products created when the liver breaks down fat, can be toxic in large quantities. Testing glucose levels is especially important for people with diabetes. Most people with the condition are used to dealing with blood sugar checks as part of their daily routine. One of the most common ways to test glucose at home involves a very simple blood test.

A finger prick, usually using a small needle called a lancet, produces a drop that is put onto a test strip. The strip is put into a meter, which measures blood sugar levels. It can usually give you a reading in under 20 seconds. Maintaining glucose levels near the normal range is an important part of keeping your body running effectively and healthily.

People who have diabetes have to pay special attention to their glucose levels. In situations where your glucose level is too high, insulin will help to bring it down. For people with diabetes, too-high blood sugar is a sign that they may need to administer synthetic insulin. In less serious situations, physical activity can help lower your levels.

This condition is also known as hypoglycemia, and it has the potential to be very serious. Hypoglycemia can occur when people with diabetes skip their medication. It can also occur when people are eating less than normal and exercising excessively. It's chemically identical to glucose but is made from corn and rice, according to Healthline. It is often used as a sweetener in baking products and in processed foods.

Dextrose also has medicinal purposes. It is dissolved in solutions that are given intravenously to increase a person's blood sugar levels. These variations in blood-sugar levels, both before and after meals, reflect the way that the body absorbs and stores glucose.

After you eat, your body breaks down the carbohydrates in food into smaller parts, including glucose, which the small intestine can absorb. Diabetes happens when the body lacks insulin or because the body is not working effectively, according to Dr.

Jennifer Loh, chief of the department of endocrinology for Kaiser Permanente in Hawaii. The disorder can be linked to many causes, including obesity, diet and family history, said Dr. Cells may develop a tolerance to insulin, making it necessary for the pancreas to produce and release more insulin to lower your blood sugar levels by the required amount.

Eventually, the body can fail to produce enough insulin to keep up with the sugar coming into the body. It can take decades to diagnose high blood-sugar levels, though.

This may happen because the pancreas is so good at its job that a doctor can continue to get normal blood-glucose readings while insulin tolerance continues to increase, said Joy Stephenson-Laws, founder of Proactive Health Labs pH Labs , a nonprofit that provides health care education and tools. Health professionals can check blood sugar levels with an A1C test, which is a blood test for type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, according to the U. National Library of Medicine.

This test measures your average blood glucose, or blood sugar, level over the previous three months. Your blood carries glucose to all of your body's cells to use for energy. Diabetes is a disease in which your blood sugar levels are too high. Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause serious problems. Even if you don't have diabetes, sometimes you may have problems with blood sugar that is too low or too high.

Keeping a regular schedule of eating, activity, and taking any medicines you need can help. If you do have diabetes, it is very important to keep your blood sugar numbers in your target range. You may need to check your blood sugar several times each day.

Your health care provider will also do a blood test called an A1C. It checks your average blood sugar level over the past three months. The information on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice.