What is blood sugar level?
We all know that it is not good to consume too much sugar, because it is important to keep the blood glucose level as constant as possible. For some people, for example people with diabetes, it is necessary to regulate the blood sugar level with medication. But what exactly happens in our body during sugar metabolism? When we eat food, the carbohydrates - consisting of sugars and starch - in our food are broken down into glucose. This glucose enters our blood from the intestines and is then sent to the body cells by the hormone insulin, where the glucose serves as fuel for energy. As soon as more glucose enters than the body can burn, the surplus is stored in the muscles and the liver in the form of glycogen. There is room in those places to store energy for about one day. Everything that does not fit there is converted into fat.
What are the symptoms of low blood sugar?
A blood sugar level that is too low is called hypoglycemia. You may then start to shake, sweat, yawn or suffer from palpitations or dizziness. The cause is too little sugar in your blood, for example because you have not eaten carbohydrates for too long. Intensive exercise, fasting and eating too late can also lower your blood sugar level.
What causes blood sugar levels to rise?
When the blood sugar level is too low, the pancreas produces the hormone glucagon, which converts the glucagon from the muscles back into glucose. Your blood sugar level rises by eating fast carbohydrates and sugars. These are foods with a high glycemic index (GI). Too high blood sugar is called hyperglycemia. If no or few carbohydrates are consumed, for example with a low-carb diet or when someone is fasting, the body will switch to burning fats. In extreme cases, the body can even convert proteins into glucose and use it as fuel.
Role of the pancreas
The pancreas is an important player in healthy blood sugar levels and digestion. The pancreas contains groups of cells called the islets of Langerhans, named after their discoverer, the German pathologist Langerhans (1847-1888). These islets can be divided into alpha cells, which produce the hormone glucagon, and beta cells, which produce the hormone insulin. By producing these hormones, the islets of Langerhans play an important role in carbohydrate metabolism and in maintaining the sugar balance in the body.
