Sugar, although it is called the "white death", but in reasonable quantities our body needs it, as it is the most affordable and generous source of glucose. The main thing is not to overdo it with eating it, that is, to have an idea of \u200b\u200bhow much blood sugar should be in a he althy person. Now many consider this natural product to be harmful, but earlier it was treated with respect, they were even treated for heart and stomach diseases, poisoning, and nervous disorders. Nowadays, you can hear that sugar improves brain function. Therefore, some students try to eat more sweets before exams. In principle, both ancient healers and current students with a sweet tooth are not far from the truth, because sugar, or rather glucose, is indeed a very important product for the normal functioning of the body, including the brain, but only subject to the norm. How much sugar should be in a person's blood is not an idle question. If it is more than necessary, a serious illness of the rich and the poor is diagnosed - diabetes mellitus. If sugar is less than normal, the situation is even worse, as a person can quickly fall into a coma anddie.
Is sugar good or bad?
Even babies know what sugar is. Without it, many do not imagine tea, coffee. Of course, cakes and pies cannot do without it. Sugar belongs to the group of carbohydrates that the body needs not only to provide it with energy. Without them, metabolic processes cannot proceed correctly. Some beauties for the sake of a slender figure exclude carbohydrates from the menu, not realizing that they thereby provoke dangerous diseases. How much sugar should be in a person's blood to not get sick?
Average values expressed in moles per liter are 3.5, maximum is 5.5.
Sugar molecules are quite complex, and they cannot just seep through the walls of blood vessels. With the food eaten, sugar first enters the stomach. There, for its molecules, consisting of various compounds of carbon, oxygen and hydrogen atoms, special enzymes are taken - glycoside hydrolases. They break down large and bulky sugar molecules into smaller and simpler fructose and glucose molecules. So they enter our bloodstream, being absorbed by the intestinal walls. Glucose seeps through the walls of the intestines easily and quickly. When figuring out how much sugar should be in the blood, it is this chemical that is meant. It is necessary for all human organs as a source of energy. It is especially difficult without it for the brain, muscles, and heart. At the same time, the brain, except for glucose, cannot absorb any other source of energy. Fructose is absorbed somewhat more slowly. Once in the liver, she undergoes therea number of structural changes and becomes the same glucose. The body uses it as much as it needs, and the rest, converted into glycogen, "stacks" in reserve in the muscles and in the liver.
Where does the extra sugar come from
If people completely give up sweets, they will still have sugar in their blood. This is because almost all foods contain some amount of it. There is it in many drinks, in sauces, in various instant cereals, in fruits, vegetables, even in sausage, sorrel and onions. Therefore, do not be afraid if sugar is found in your blood. It's quite normal. The main thing is to know what your blood sugar level should be and monitor it. To repeat, in a he althy adult, but not an old person, from morning to breakfast, the sugar rate, measured in mmols (millimoles) per liter, is:
- 3, 5-5, 5 when analyzed from a finger;
- 4.0- 6, 1 when analyzed from a vein.
Why is sugar measured in the morning? Our body in critical conditions (for example, overstrain, elementary fatigue) is able to independently “make” glucose from the available internal reserves. They are amino acids, glycerol and lactate. This process is called gluconeogenesis. It proceeds mostly in the liver, but can also be carried out in the intestinal mucosa and in the kidneys. In a short time period, gluconeogenesis does not pose a danger; on the contrary, it maintains the normal functioning of body systems. But its prolonged course leads to very deplorable results, since vital substances begin to break down for the production of glucose.body structures.
At night, after waking up a sleeping person, it is also impossible to take samples for sugar, because when all human organs are in a state of complete rest, the amount of sugar in his blood decreases.
Now let's explain why the given norm is not typical for any age of a person. The fact is that over the years, all body systems age, and the absorption of glucose falls. How much blood sugar should be in people over 60? Medicine has determined for them, with units of mmol / l, the norm is as follows: 4, 6-6, 4. For those who are over 90 years old, the norms are about the same: 4, 2-6, 7.
"Jumps" the level of sugar and from our emotional state, from stress, fear, excitement, because some hormones, such as adrenaline, "force" the liver to synthesize additional sugar, so you need to measure its amount in the blood, being in a good mood.
But the norm of sugar does not depend on sex at all, that is, the figures given are the same for both women and men.
Blood sugar and food
If a person is not at risk, that is, his immediate family does not suffer from diabetes, and if he himself does not notice signs of this disease, he should measure fasting blood sugar. As noted above, this delicious product is found in so many products. But even if they are not included in the daily nutrition menu, specific enzymes can break down not only classical sugar molecules into glucose.(sucrose), but also m altose, lactose, nigerose (this is rice black sugar), trehalose, turanose, starch, inulin, pectin and some other molecules. How much blood sugar should be after a meal depends not only on the composition of the dishes. It is also important how much time has passed since the meal. We put the indicators in the table.
| Time | Amount of sugar (mmol/l) |
| 60 minutes have passed | to 8, 9 |
| 120 minutes have passed | to 6, 7 |
| Before dinner | 3, 8-6, 1 |
| Before dinner | 3, 5-6 |
High sugar is not a harbinger of something bad with he alth and only means that the body has received enough material for its daily work.
Patients with diabetes are required to measure their blood sugar at home many times: before meals and after all meals, that is, constantly keep it under control. How much sugar should be in the blood of such patients? The level should not exceed the following indicators:
- before breakfast - 6.1 mmol/l, but not more;
- after any meal no more than 10.1 mmol/l.
Of course, a person can only take blood for analysis from a finger. To do this, there is an unusually simple device glucometer. All that is required is to press it against your finger until a drop of blood appears, and in a moment the result will appear on the screen.
If blood is taken from a vein, the normal indicators will beslightly different.
You can lower your glucose (or, as it is commonly called, sugar) levels with the help of very tasty foods:
- cereal bread;
- vegetables and fruits with sourness;
- protein food.
The role of insulin
So, we have already discussed how much blood sugar should be. This indicator is dependent on a single hormone - insulin. Only some human organs can independently take glucose in the blood for their needs. This is:
- heart;
- nerves;
- brain;
- kidneys;
- testes.
They are called insulin independent.
Insulin helps everyone else use glucose. This hormone is produced by special cells of a small organ - the pancreas, called in medicine the islets of Langerhans. In the body, insulin is the most important hormone, which has a lot of functions, but the main one is to help glucose penetrate through plasma membranes into organs that do not take glucose without additional help. They are called insulin dependent.
If, for various reasons, the islets of Langerhans do not want to produce insulin at all or produce insufficient insulin, hyperglycemia develops, and doctors diagnose type 1 diabetes.
It often happens that insulin is produced enough and even more than necessary, but there is still too much sugar in the blood. This occurs when insulin is abnormal in its structure and cannot adequatelytransport glucose (or the mechanisms of this transportation themselves are violated). In any case, type 2 diabetes is diagnosed.
Stages of diabetes
Both diseases have three stages of severity, each with its own indicators. How much should show blood sugar in the morning even before a small snack? We put the data in the table.
| Severity | Amount of sugar (mmol/l) |
| I (easy) | to 8, 0 |
| II (medium) | to 14, 0 |
| III (heavy) | over 14, 0 |
With a mild disease, you can do without medication by adjusting the sugar diet.
For moderate severity, the patient is prescribed a diet and taking oral medications (pills) that reduce sugar.
In severe cases, patients are required to take daily insulin (according to common practice, this occurs in the form of injections).
In addition to the types of diabetes, there are its phases:
- compensation (blood sugar returns to normal, absent in urine);
- subcompensation (in the blood, the indicator is not more than 13.9 mmol / liter, and up to 50 grams of sugar comes out with urine);
- decompensation (a lot of sugar in the urine of patients and in the blood) - this form is the most dangerous, fraught with hyperglycemic coma.
Glucose sensitivity test
The first signs of diabetes are thirst that is difficult to quenchand increased urination. In this case, there may not be sugar in the urine. It begins to be released when the concentration of glucose in the blood, which the kidneys are able to process, is exceeded. Doctors have set this value at 10 mmol/L and above.
When diabetes is suspected, a special glucose sensitivity test is performed. This type of analysis is as follows: the patient is offered to drink 300 ml of water without gas, in which 75 g of powdered glucose is diluted. After that, a blood test is performed every hour. To reach a verdict, the average of the three endpoints is taken and compared to a pre-glucose control blood sugar level.
How many mmol blood sugar should be? For better clarity, we put the information in the table.
| Test results | Measuring on an empty stomach | Final measurement |
| He althy | 3, 5-5, 5 | < 7, 8 |
| Tolerance broken, pre-diabetic condition | <6, 1 | 7, 7-11, 1 |
| The patient has been diagnosed with diabetes | ≧6, 1 | ≧11, 1 |
During the test, the patient is taken along with blood for analysis and urine. Before taking tests, a person should not eat for 8 hours, have a good rest and not have infectious diseases.
There is no need to go on any diet before the test.
Sugar during pregnancy
There is a state calledgestational diabetes or gestational diabetes. This means that in women with a period of 28 weeks and above, sugar is found in the blood in excess of the norm. This happens due to hormonal disorders and due to the production of estrogen, lactogen, progesterone, that is, steroid hormones, by the placenta. In most pregnant women, after the birth of a baby, sugar returns to normal, but anyway, if you already had gestational diabetes, this is the first signal that true diabetes may appear in the future. An analysis for sugar at the initial visit to the antenatal clinic should be carried out for all pregnant women. How much blood sugar should be normal? The indicators are the same as for all non-pregnant women, namely: on a completely empty stomach (even drinks cannot be taken) 3.5-5.5 mmol / l.
If a pregnant woman does not notice symptoms of diabetes and is not at risk, a re-test is prescribed after 28 weeks.
If a woman had diabetes before pregnancy, her blood sugar levels are monitored regularly and appropriate treatment is prescribed.
Elevated sugar levels are fraught with complications:
- polyhydramnios;
- miscarriages;
- preterm birth;
- birth injuries to mother and baby;
- fetal death.
Strict control of blood sugar is carried out by those pregnant women who are at risk. The criteria are as follows:
- obesity;
- sugar found in urine;
- among relatives there are diabetics;
- failures detectedcarbohydrate metabolism;
- age over 35;
- first pregnancy already diagnosed with gestational diabetes;
- have ovarian disease;
- previous pregnancy was complicated by polyhydramnios and/or a large fetus;
- presence of arterial hypertension;
- severe preeclampsia.
Glucose sensitivity test in pregnant women
If a woman is at risk, she is screened for glucose sensitivity at her first visit to the gynecologist for pregnancy. In this case, you do not need to measure fasting blood sugar. Screening is as follows: a pregnant woman, regardless of whether she ate at least something or not, is given water to drink (about a glass) with 50 grams of glucose diluted in it, and after an hour, blood sugar is measured (from a vein). The value should not exceed 7.8 (mmol/l).
If the value is greater, conduct a full test.
Pre-woman is exercising preparations. Three days before the test, she should eat at least 150 grams of carbohydrates every day. She should also, as usual, walk, do all possible work, so that the body needs glucose.
On the fourth day - already on an empty stomach - she donates blood from a vein, and only after that she drinks 75 grams of glucose diluted in water. Further, blood sugar measurements are carried out three times every hour. How much should normal blood sugar be? We propose to determine indicators according to the Somogyi-Nelson system.
- Values in venous blood: 5, 0 - 9, 2 - 8, 2 - 7.0 mmol/L.
- Plasma values : 5, 9 - 10, 6 - 9, 2 - 8, 1 mmol/L.
If necessary, glucose is administered intravenously instead of orally.
Test is not performed in the following cases:
- toxicosis;
- pregnant does not get out of bed;
- exacerbation of pancreatitis;
- infectious diseases.
Blood sugar in children
In infants, problems with the amount of glucose in the blood are rare. You can identify them by signs:
- child acting up for no apparent reason;
- he is constantly thirsty;
- diaper rash does not heal for a long time;
- excessive urination;
- rapid heart rate.
In newborns, how much sugar should be normal in the blood? Values may vary between 2, 8-4, 4 mmol/L.
This is slightly lower than in adults, as metabolic reactions have not yet stabilized in the children's body.
Sugar rises when pancreatic cells malfunction. Babies whose parents have diabetes are at risk.
Glucose norms, or, as they often say, blood sugar in babies under the age of 5 years are: from 3.3 to 5.0 mmol / l. At an older age, the norms are the same as for adults.
If the result is 6 mmol/L or higher, the child is given a glucose sensitivity test. The principle of its implementation is the same as for adults. The difference is only in the amount of glucose used for exercise. She isis assigned based on the body weight of a small patient. Up to 3 years - 2 grams per 1 kg of weight, up to 12 years - 1.75 g per 1 kg, and for older people - 1.25 g per 1 kg, but not more than 25 g in general.
Normal blood sugar how much should be during the test? We put the indicators in the table.
| Analysis time over time (minutes) | Amount of sugar (mmol/liter) |
| Before eating (any) | 3, 9-5, 8 |
| 30 | 6, 1-9, 4 |
| 60 | 6, 7-9, 4 |
| 90 | 5, 6-7, 8 |
| 120 | 3, 9-6, 7 |
If the reading is higher, the child is given treatment.
Hypoglycemia, or lack of blood sugar
When there are too few sugar molecules in the blood, absolutely all organs receive less energy for their activity, and the condition is called hypoglycemia. With it, a person may experience loss of consciousness and coma, followed by death. How much should be the norm of sugar in the blood, we indicated above. And what indicators can be considered dangerously low?
Medics call numbers less than 3.3 mmol/l, if you take blood from a finger for analysis, and below 3.5 mmol/l - in venous blood. The boundary value is 2.7 mmol/l. A person can then be helped without drugs, simply by giving fast carbohydrates (honey, watermelon, banana, persimmon, beer, ketchup) or d-glucose, which can already penetrate into the mouth in the mouth.blood.
If the sugar values are even lower, the patient may need specialized help. It is especially important for hypoglycemia to know how much blood sugar should be in the evening. If the glucometer gave out 7-8 mmol / l - it's okay, but if the device gave out 5 mmol / l or even less - sleep can go into a coma.
Reason for low blood sugar:
- malnutrition;
- dehydration;
- overdose of insulin and hypoglycemic agents;
- high physical activity;
- alcohol;
- some diseases.
There are many symptoms of hypoglycemia. Among the main and most characteristic are the following:
- weakness;
- heavy sweating;
- tremor;
- pupil dilation;
- nausea;
- dizziness;
- breathing disorder.
Eating well is often enough to relieve these symptoms.
