What is a Normal Glucose Level?

what is normal glucose levelWhat is normal glucose level? A diabetic patient must know their blood sugar range if they’re going to live a long healthy diabetic life. Diabetes is a very serious condition for all people ages. Diabetes condition is a very serious disease that is currently taking over our nation and the entire world by storm.

Today’s sugar filled junk foods and the ability for diabetics to live longer lives and reproduce is only fuel to the already massive diabetic epidemic. Diabetes is a serious condition where the person’s body is failing to get the required amounts of hormone called insulin. This absolutely necessary chemical/hormone (also a vital hormone) called insulin is produced by the pancreas organ. For some unknown reasons to medicine the pancreas organ will stop or slow in the mass production of this vital chemical.

This chemical hormone is used by the body to transform the blood sugar molecules (glucose) in the bloodstream into a fuel that the cells are able to use for cell fuel. Without the proper amounts of this necessary sugar bonding component the blood glucose levels in the blood begin to rise to high levels. Once they reach a certain high sugar level the diabetics’ body begins to suffer major cell damage. The serious cell damage mostly happens with the high blood sugar levels is nervous cell damage, heart cell damage, kidney cell damage, and eye cell damages. But this can all be avoided if the diabetic patient can change their high blood sugar level and keep it at that lower sugar level. So what is normal blood sugar level?

Normal blood sugar level is anywhere between 80 mg/dl to 140mg/dl. The sugar amounts that diabetics have are way above the normal 140 mg/dl. At this point damage is permanently suffered to the body so it is key that the diabetic can control their high blood sugar levels. Talk to your doctor about what further investigations they suggest in your case and consider to instigate some lifestyle changes around  exercise, diet and weight loss if appropriate.

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What is Normal Glucose Level?

What is Normal Glucose Level
What is Normal Glucose Level

Understanding what is normal glucose level will give you a target to aim for when you are checking your blood sugar levels.

Depending on if you live in Canada or the United States, the Diabetes Associations in each country reports the blood sugar numbers slightly different because of the differences in imperial and metric measurement systems.

American and Canadian Diabetes Associations
Normal Glucose Levels Chart

Association Fasting Glucose 2 Hours After Eating A1C**
American Diabetes Association (mg/dl) < 100 < 140 < 6%
Canadian Diabetes Association (mmol/L) < 6.1 < 7.8 < 6%

**A1C is the major component that makes up your blood sugar and the A1C measurement is an average of your blood sugar levels over the past 120 days.  Please also note that the numbers for pregnant women and children age 12 and under are different than those listed in the char.

A normal blood sugar level is anywhere between 80 mg/dl to 140mg/dl. The sugar amounts that diabetics have are often way above the normal 140 mg/dl. At this point damage is permanently suffered, so it is very important that steps are taken to regulate these levels through diet, exercise and medication.

Working with a Health Professional

The guides listed above on this page are just guides.  In order to obtain a more precise Normal Gluclose Level range, you will need to work with a health care professional.  There are several factors that can influence your normal range including:

  • Age
  • Medical Condition
  • Other Factors

By working with a professional you will get a better picture of what your normal glucose level will be, and then from there you can start to design your life around staying within that range.  

While it may sound bad, what you’re more likely to find is that your improved lifestyle that focuses on keeping your blood sugar at bay will actually have a lot of hidden benefits.  There’s no time like the present to take control of your life, and even thought you could look at getting diabetes as a negative situation, if you look on the bright side, this is a good wake up call to start living a more healthy, active life.

An Explanation of the Different
Glucose Level Measurements

what is normal glucose level
what is normal glucose level

It’s important to understand what each of these different blood sugar measurements actually means and why they are important:

  • Fasting Glucose
  • 2 Hours After Eating
  • A1C

The reason why this is important, especially if you are a new diabetic, is that during your fasting glucose test you may not show signs of diabetes.

The problem arises however when you measure your blood 2 hours after eating you may clearly see that you are out of the recommended range.

Fasting Glucose

The fasting glucose measurement is taken after you haven’t eaten or drank anything for 8 hours.  This gives you a base measurement of how your body is handling the blood sugar when it is ‘at rest.’

Normal Range: 

  • < 100 mg/dl – American Diabetes Association,
  • < 6.1 mmol/L – Canadian Diabetes Association

2 Hours After Eating

This test is important because it helps you to see how certain meals are affecting your blood sugar, so that you can deal with the situation accordingly.  The two hour marker is also important because after 2 hours, the blood sugar of non-diabetics will have returned to its normal state.

Normal Range: 

  • < 140 mg/dl – American Diabetes Association,
  • < 7.8 mmol/L – Canadian Diabetes Association

A1C

This test shows if your treatment is working over time, which is important to see how you are progressing and if any adjustments need to be made.

Normal Range: < 6%

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