We are all familiar with the term glucose. Most of the time it is associated with diabetes. But glucose is so much more than an association with a disease. Glucose is the body’s main energy source. It is an essential nutrient needed for complete body health and functionality. It actually is an energy source in most organisms from bacteria to humans. Plants also produce glucose as they take in sunlight for energy.
1. Role of Glucose
Glucose is a sugar used for our body’s energy source. We take in glucose through the carbohydrates that we eat such as bread, rice, and pasta to name a few. It can also be found in fruit juices as well. Glucose is of Greek origin meaning “sweet wine”. German chemist Andreas Marggraf first isolated glucose in 1747. He knew that proper understanding of the chemical makeup and structure of glucose was important for the advancement of organic chemistry.
Glucose is classified as a monosaccharide and is also referred to as dextrose. It is an organic chemical that consists of a hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen chain. It has approximately 75% of the sweetness of table sugar also referred to as sucrose. Glucose is easily soluble in water and is colorless. When the level of glucose reaches excess our body stores it in the muscles, liver, and fat cells for later use.
2. Your Body’s Interaction with Glucose
Though most of the glucose that we take in is from an outside source we also produce a small amount of it via our liver. Our body absorbs the glucose after we eat into our bloodstream and then it distributes it to our cells. In turn our pancreas produces insulin and helps the cells turn glucose into energy. Our bodies have an intricate balancing act going on when regulating and keeping glucose at the optimal level in our body throughout the day.
The normal glucose level per the American Diabetes Association is between 70 mg and 100 mg. After eating your blood sugar shouldn’t exceed 140 mg. When a person’s glucose lever reaches 125 mg before eating, it indicates pre-diabetes. When it exceeds 126 mg they are considered to have diabetes. These people often exhibit 180 mg or more after meals. A person with diabetes has to monitor their glucose level on a daily basis and require additional insulin.
3. Negative Impact
While diabetes is the most widely known condition associated with glucose there are others out there that stem from higher glucose levels. There is hyperthyroidism, pancreatitis, pancreatic cancer, Cushing syndrome, and chronic renal failure just to name a few. There are also conditions that stem from low glucose levels such as hypothyroidism, liver disease, insulin overdose, and starvation. Alcohol abuse and anabolic steroid use is one contributing factor to having low glucose levels.