Why Healthy Blood Sugar Is So Important? - a podcast by Discussions with successful health experts such as Ben Greenfield, Terry Wa

Why are healthy blood sugar levels so important? – Dr. Jason Jones Elizabeth City NC, Chiropractor

You might have asked questions like “why do I need to have a healthy blood sugar level?” Well, that’s a smart question for your health’s sake.

Keeping your blood sugar levels balanced is important to manage your weight, prevent long-term health problems, and feel good altogether.

However, a lot of people suffer from health problems related to imbalances in blood sugar levels. And this is a growing concern that is now reaching epidemic proportion.

According to the American Diabetes Association, over 100 million people in the United States are suffering from health problems caused by blood sugar imbalances, and unfortunately, over 80% of these people are not aware of their condition.

The health costs of these conditions are estimated to be over $250 billion every year, both in medical costs and the reduction in productivity. In fact, blood sugar imbalances is one of the biggest issue facing the world today.

Why is it important to maintain a normal blood sugar level?

Blood sugar is your body’s primary source of energy, and it is often absorbed in form of glucose after digestion. Almost every cell in the body absorb glucose and they combine it with oxygen in the powerhouse of the cell called mitochondria to produce a molecule called ATP- Adenosine triphosphate.

When you eat carbohydrates, glucose is released into your bloodstream, and insulin is produced to enhance the absorption of glucose into your body cells as a source of fuel.

However, when your diet is high in carbs over a long enough period of time causes your insulin to become insensitive, and glucose is not properly absorbed, leaving a large proportion circulating in your bloodstream- a condition known as “hyperglycemia.”

Hyperglycemia can lead to a lot of health issues if not properly controlled. It can make you feel hungry at first because your cells aren’t getting enough glucose. This feeling of hunger makes you eat more, and since your insulin is not working as it should, a significant proportion of the glucose is stored as fat in the liver.

Apart from hunger, you become thirsty as your kidney attempts to flush excess sugar out of your bloodstream, absorbing more body fluids with it. This resulting dehydration can affect your blood pressure, concentration, and leave you feeling lethargic.

More so, when your mitochondria are not getting enough glucose, they cannot produce glucose needed to power the body cells. This makes the mitochondria unable to neutralize free radicals that they produce for ATP production. The end result is “oxidative stress,” where your mitochondria and other cellular components stand the risk of damage.

This oxidative stress caused by hyperglycemia can contribute to the risk of serious cardiovascular conditions, metabolic problems, and neurological disorders.

However, the good news is that you can normalize your blood sugar levels by increasing your activity levels and modifying your diet.

For people without diabetes, maintaining a healthy blood sugar level offers the following benefits:

• Reduces the risk of insulin resistance
• Helps achieve weight loss goals
• Reduces inflammation and stress hormones

 

 

For people living with diabetes, maintaining a healthy blood sugar level reduces the risk of complication of diabetes, including:

• Heart attack and stroke
• Nerve damage and neuropathy
• Eye damage
• Kidney disease sexual dysfunction

That said, for you to maintain an optimal glucose level, you need to carefully monitor it. You can use a blood glucose testing kit or use a wearable device that tests and displays your blood sugar level.

You can consult Dr. Jason Jones at our Chiropractic Office at Elizabeth City, NC, to learn more reasons why it is important to maintain a healthy blood sugar level.

 

 

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