Blood. Sugar. Are vampires on your mind? It is October and everybody is putting their spooky Halloween decorations up, including those creepy blood thirsty characters. Chances are you are thinking much more scientifically and you associate the words “blood sugar” with vocabulary like “glucose” and “insulin.” It might be a strange concept to even think of blood as having sugar in it, but this is a scientific fact. Oftentimes we think about blood sugar and blood sugar regulation or disregulation when we think about conditions like diabetes and hypoglycemia. The truth is, blood sugar balance is one of the primary bodily mechanisms that underlies all of our good or ill health and is an important part of one of the body’s vital processes which is the creation and utilization of hormones.
Why does our blood have sugar in it? Let’s back this question up to our digestive process to find our answer regarding how sugar enters our blood. When we eat we extract energy from the foods we consume in the form of a neurotransmitter called ATP. It is the sugar glucose which aids in this process of the conversion of ATP into usable energy for our cells. The body uses all of the three macronutrients, fat, fiber, and protein to produce energy. Once these macronutrients go through our digestive tract, glucose gets synthesized. The sugar glucose feeds the mitochondria in the cell that then changes the energy from the foods we consume into ATP to be used by our cells. Without the role of glucose, ATP cannot be converted for use in our cells.
Therefore blood sugar is produced as a result of our eating, and specifically by what we are eating. All of the food we eat becomes a type of sugar in the blood and this is a good thing when it is properly balanced. With blood sugar that is too low we can experience a host of negative symptoms including impaired cognitive function. Therefore in order to think and even engage in higher and more challenging intellectual processes and demanding physical activities we need to have enough glucose, which is the by-product of our meals, circulating in our blood. When blood sugar is too low, as in the case of hypoglycemia, it can present itself with symptoms such as shaking or trembling, weakness, sweating and chills, extreme hunger, and a faster heart rate. In addition to immediately using ATP in our cells for energy, some of our glucose is stored in the liver to later be converted into more energy. During the hours that we are not eating our liver is emptying itself of its glucose stores which will be filled up again at the next meal.
The fact that our body produces blood sugar is an incredibly good thing as the sugar is used to convert ATP into energy. This is a win! The question is, are there ever occasions where our blood has too much glucose in it? The answer is yes and just as blood sugar that runs low is a problem, blood sugar that runs too high is a huge problem as well. When glucose is released into our system after food has been consumed, a hormone called insulin is released from our pancreas to keep our glucose from rising too high. It’s important for the amount of sugar in the blood to be manageable for the insulin. If the food we eat is higher in sugar such as a chocolate chip cookie or a banana, our insulin has to work harder to bring glucose down to a healthy and balanced level. The higher the blood sugar spikes the harder and harder insulin has to work. Over time our pancreas can become taxed by the work it has to do to keep things in check and begins to overproduce insulin. When this happens the hormone receptors that receive the signal that enough insulin has been produced become distrusting of the amount of insulin that is circulating. Instead of receiving the insulin needed to bring necessary balance, the insulin receptors become resistant and over time insulin will no longer be received by the receptors. When this happens blood sugar skyrockets and high blood sugar and its associated symptoms can be a precursor to diabetes.
The goal of managing blood sugar is to keep it in balance. Balanced blood sugar enables the body to successfully complete many functions, including hormonal secretions for cortisol, adrenaline, thyroid stimulating hormone, growth hormone and many, many others. Without balanced blood sugar hormone secretion and utilization as well as other body processes become compromised. Diet and lifestyle choices make a huge impact on blood sugar balance. One key lifestyle choice that plays a big role in blood sugar regulation is physical exercise. When you exercise, your body empties your liver of your stored glucose making space for new glucose and increases the receptivity of the insulin receptor cells in your body. Hitting the gym, going for a run, or even incorporating an intentional walk daily impacts your blood sugar positively over time. Setting up a workout routine can be challenging, so you might want to consider getting an accountability partner and either committing to a workout routine together or both getting a gym membership.
Anna received her education and certification in functional nutrition counseling from the accredited Functional Nutrition Alliance Program and is a part of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners. In addition to her certificate in nutrition counseling, Anna also has a B.A. in Pastoral Theology and a certificate in ESL. An interest that has been a common thread in all of her academic pursuits has been to empower others to become the best version of themselves in God and to live their lives to the fullest.
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