Blood Sugar Level, Low, High & Normal Blood Sugar Levels, Units

Know every thing about blood sugar and blood sugar levels and units.

You should know your blood sugar level whether it is normal, low or high. If your blood sugar is normal, you need not to worry. But if it is low or high level, then you should be concerned.

To know about blood sugar level or reasons for low blood sugar levels or high blood sugar levels, consider this:

After we eat, glucose from the breakdown of food during digestion is absorbed into the blood stream through the wall of intestine. The glucose level at this point is very high in the blood. Our body takes the amount of glucose for immediate need for energy and produces insulin from the pancreas to lower the level of excess glucose. Any glucose that is not used for energy is stored as glycogen in the muscles and liver for later use. This reduces the glucose to normal level in the blood.

The amount by which our blood sugar levels changes depends on what we eat and when we eat.

When the glucose level falls too low, the liver changes some of the glycogen into glucose to give us energy. If the glucose level stays low for a period of time, conditions of low blood sugar level occurs.

When the glucose level rises too high, insulin is produced by pancreas to lower it. If the blood glucose level remains too high for a time, conditions of high blood sugar level occurs.

Note that when we eat any food in refined form like sugar and white flour (in breads, pasta, biscuits, etc.) or a stimulant (like coffee, drinks), it is digested very fast and glucose enters into blood stream rapidly. The fast rise in blood glucose makes you energetic immediately but soon you feel tired. At this time you need another boost of energy and you eat again.

Sugar, caffeine (in tea, coffee, and soft drinks), tobacco, and chocolate are stimulants. They cause a fast rise in blood sugar level that drops quickly. They are responsible for blood sugar fluctuations.

To overcome this situation you should cut them out from your diet and eat natural whole foods, complex carbohydrates, and by not skipping any meals to maintain balanced blood sugar levels. There are some blood sugar lowering foods

Develop a grazing habit. To maintain steady blood sugar levels or normal blood sugar levels, you should eat complex carbohydrates (grains, pulses, lentils, vegetables, fruits, beans, etc.) as part of your meal. However, you should choose low glycemic foods.

The normal blood sugar level range is 4 - 7 mmol/l before meals and less than 10 mmol/l after 1 and half hour of meals. At bed times, the normal blood sugar level is about 7 - 10 mmol/l. The normal values of blood sugar (glucose) level is 70 to 110 mg/dl for fasting. (See the units given below.)

High blood sugar level (increased glucose) is found in diabetes mellitus, liver disorders, hyperactivity of thyroid, pituitary and adrenal glands.

The high blood sugar symptoms are similar to those of diabetes.

Low blood sugar level (decreased glucose) is found in lower activity (under-activity) of thyroid, pituitary and adrenal glands.

Blood Sugart (Glucose) Level Units

Two units of blood sugar level are in use: mmol/l, millimoles/liter is Systeme International (SI) unit, used worldwide except USA. mg/dl (milligram/deciliter) has been the traditional unit for measuring blood glucose level.

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