simple sugar | Diabetes Healthy Solutions

Foods with Glucose

In our present age when it seems that every aisle is covered with brightly colored wrappers and packages that be your attention and call out to you purporting to be the perfect food is is no wonder that foods with glucose are so prevalent. Glucose is a simple sugar that is needed as fuel by every cell in the body and if all goes well with the way the body handles glucose intake and metabolisis glucose can be a good thing. However in persons with diabetes glucose intake must be severely limited in order to maintain a healthy blood sugar.

Glucose, as a simple sugar is one of the chief building blocks of carbohydrates and therefore it is easy to know that foods that are high in carbohydrates are also foods that contain glucose as the body simply breaks the carbs down into glucose once it is ingested. This means that dairy products, potatoes, breads, pastas, potatoes and rice are some of the foods that contain the most glucose and can quickly elevate glucose levels in the body. Fruits are perhaps the best source of glucose as they generally contain the simplest of sugars and are excellent sources of glucose. Meats and fish as a general rule are not foods that contain glucose, as they are primarily sources of protein, though many cured, smoked, canned, and processed meat products have some form of sugar added and this makes them…you guessed it…foods that contain glucose.

Though glucose is absolutely essential for fuel to keep the body going, it must be remembered that too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. In a normal person, excess glucose is converted into fat and stored for use later, this results in weight gain. In cases of diabetes and other metabolic problems which effect insulin production or use glucose levels can rise to the point where this simple sugar can begin to damage organs and body systems and result in coma, or even death. Foods that contain glucose are an absolute essential for life, but their intake should be done with sense and moderation.

Low Blood Sugar Range

Diabetes can be any one of several metabolic diseases that affect the way the body metabolizes glucose, this means that for many people staying above the low blood sugar range can be a real concern. While diabetes isn’t the only culprit, it is usually to blame whenever a person suffers a bout of low blood sugar, and low blood sugar can lead to feeling weak, the inability to think clearly, and even coma and death. Usually the blood sugar should be somewhere between 60 and 100 mg/dl, though in some cases those with blood sugar abnormalities may have unknowingly functioned outside the normal range for so long that their blood sugar may be as high as 300 without their feeling it and a low blood sugar range could go as low as 30-40 mg/dl. At 30 mg/dl a normal person would at least be unable to think clearly and would probably be comatose.

When a diabetic or someone suffering from a similar metabolic disease begins to suffer from low blood sugar it is important that they get some type of simple sugar into their body while they are still conscious and able to swallow correctly. Fruit juices, sugar, non-diet colas, and candy are great sources of fast acting sugars that can quickly raise the blood sugar level. It should be remembered, however, that these types of sugars are a quick-fix, and will rapidly raise the blood sugar level and just as rapidly be depleted and allow it to fall. In order for blood sugar to be maintained for the long term, the person suffering from a low blood sugar range needs complex carbohydrates like peanut butter and crackers, or better yet a full meal.

If the sugar continues to fall into the low blood sugar range unconsciousness will quickly result. Never attempt to give any type of food or drink to an unconscious or nearly unconscious person as this can lead to the material being sucked into the lungs which will result in a severe infection or death. If the person has lost consciousness due to low blood sugar the only way to take care of the problem is by rapid emergency medical treatment which will consist of a glucose solution being given directly into the bloodstream via IV.