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Blood Sugar

For human beings and animals, as well, the physical body needs fuel to operate efficiently. The body’s source of fuel is food mostly carbohydrates which provide energy to every tissue cell. In using the fuel effectively, the body goes through a systematic process of digestion. The digestive system breaks down the carbohydrates and changes them into a simple sugar called glucose, or blood sugar.

A major contributor in this process is the pancreas. The pancreas is spotted with a tissue (islets of Langerhans) which produces hormones and contains both alpha and beta cells. After the body ingests food, the blood sugar rises and the beta cells release insulin. The insulin then “binds” with the blood sugar, enabling the body’s cells to absorb the glucose from the bloodstream. The blood sugar becomes the source of energy for the entire body, fueling it and keeping the cells at maximum working order. Afterwards, the insulin will bring down the glucose to normal levels.

However, if a body has been without food for a time, the blood sugar may drop too low. When this happens, the alpha cells of the pancreas will secrete glucagon. The secretion will signal the liver and muscles to discharge their supply of stored glycogen, convert it to glucose, and raise the blood sugar levels to return to a normal range. If both the liver and pancreas function normally then glucagon and insulin will be balanced.

Yet, these hormones are not the only ones that affect the blood sugar levels. Produced by the adrenal glands, other hormones which raise blood sugar are: cortisol (sometimes called “the stress hormone”) and catecholamines (norepinephrine and epinephrine, or adrenaline). Cortisol, a steroid hormone, makes fat and muscle cells grow resistant to insulin’s effect. It also promotes glucose production by the liver. Epinephrine stimulates the liver to produce more sugar and promotes the breakdown and release of fat nutrients (which are converted to sugar) and ketones as they travel to the liver. Both are released to elevate the blood sugar, making it available to the body during stressful times.If the hormones are not produced or fail in their purpose in raising the body’s glucose, hypoglycemia may result, a condition in which blood sugar levels are abnormally low. However, as hormones increase and flood the body during continued stress, the blood sugar levels will also increase and continue remaining in the bloodstream. Eventually, this persistent situation could result in the body’s cells developing insulin resistance. In this case, then, hyperglycemia (high blood glucose) could develop if sugar levels increase abnormally. Both conditions put the body in danger.

The pituitary gland produces a hormone called a growth hormone (somatotropin) which may affect the blood sugar, as well. Although little is understood how it relates to diabetes, the hormone does play a part in regulating blood sugar. The growth hormone offsets the effect of insulin on cells. High levels of somatotropin may indicate an insulin resistance in the cells. When blood sugar is low and/or not enough insulin is available, the liver produces yet another fuel for the body ketones. These ketones come from the body’s stored fat. Ketones are strong acids and can be harmful to the body. When these two elements flood the bloodstream both acid from the ketones and high blood sugar another severe condition known as Ketoacidosis develops.

Some signs of Ketoacidosis are rapid breathing, low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Ketoacidosis can lead to coma and even death if the individual is not immediately hydrated and given insulin. Diabetes mellitus may be present if blood sugar levels continue to be tested at higher than normal blood sugar levels (140 mg/dl* or over after two overnight fasts). After eating, the blood sugar level in moderately severe diabetes may test up to 250-350 mg/dl, a signal the body requires help in using this fuel called blood sugar to efficiently operate.

(* milligrams/decilitres)

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