Glucose, otherwise known as blood sugar, is the primary energy source that your body uses. Although glucose is a critical nutrient, chronic, excessively high amounts of blood sugar can be dangerous to your health and may lead to recurring diseases such as diabetes. In addition, this fluctuation in glucose may also impair the functioning of your kidneys. Without healthy kidneys, you may experience additional problems with the filtration and cleansing of your blood.
Glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar that constitutes the main source of energy for the human body, MedlinePlus reports. Glucose or blood sugar is derived from the food you eat every day. The foods that are most easily converted into glucose are carbohydrate-laden foods, such as fruits, cereals, rice, pasta and bread. After conversion, glucose then moves from the liver and intestines to the rest of the body via the bloodstream. Too much or too little glucose, however, can cause serious damage to your body and lead to diseases such as diabetes.
How the Kidneys Work
Your kidneys act as your body’s filters, processing 200 quarts of blood daily and taking out around two quarts of waste material and extra water, explains the National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. This waste material is created by the natural breakdown of your body’s tissues, such as muscles, and due to the normal nutrient absorption process from food. These pass through the kidneys’ two million nephrons, filtering units where waste materials are moved from the blood and into the urinary system.
Diabetes and Kidney Failure
Diabetes is a disorder that affects your body’s ability to process and absorb glucose. This disease is also the most common cause of kidney failure, the NKUDIC reports; chronic high blood glucose and high blood pressure damage the kidneys’ nephrons, causing waste and fluids to build up instead of passing out of the body. This diabetic kidney disease may take several years to develop before it is detected. Factors that contribute to its development include heredity, diet and, partially, ethnic background: African Americans, Hispanics and American Indians all have higher rates of kidney failure and diabetes than Caucasians.
Maintaining Healthy Glucose Levels
Treating diabetic kidney disease involves intensive management of glucose levels. Maintaining a healthy blood sugar level requires frequent glucose measurement, administration of insulin based on physical exertion and food consumption, and adherence to a diet plan. Alcohol and tobacco must be avoided, and caffeine must be minimized. The diet should include lots of antioxidant foods, such as fruits and vegetables, and should exclude trans fatty acids as well as suspected allergens, such as dairy, wheat, and chemical additives and preservatives.
References
- MedlinePlus: Glucose Test – Urine
- National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Kidney Disease of Diabetes; September 2010
- National Kidney & Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse; The Kidneys and How They Work; September 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Hypoglycemia; February 2010
