Blood Glucose Basics

Sweats, Fatigue & Weight Loss

Weight loss abides by the very simple formula of calories in vs. calories out, but in order to actually burn fat, you are entirely dependent upon the function of complex hormones that respond to specific stimuli within your body. These stimuli...

Reducing Blood Glucose Levels

Glucose is a fuel source for cells that makes up the body's muscles and tissues, including the brain. High blood glucose, or hyperglycemia, occurs when the body makes too little insulin or is not able to utilize insulin sufficiently. Symptoms of...

How to Reduce the Blood Sugar Naturally

High blood sugar, also called hyperglycemia, occurs when your body produces too much insulin or does not use the insulin it produces properly. Symptoms of hyperglycemia include frequent urination, blurred vision, fatigue, headache and increased...

Side Effects of Niacin Pills

Niacin, also called nicotinic acid or B3, was one of the first medications used to treat people with abnormal lipid levels. It raises high-density lipoprotein levels, but also lowers high levels of low-density lipoprotein and high triglyceride...

How to Lower Blood Sugar Spikes After Exercise

If you are diabetic, you may have heard from your doctor that exercise helps regulate and lower your blood glucose levels. While this normally holds true, sometimes exercise can cause a temporary spike in blood sugar. This is typically caused by...

Blood Sugar in Nondiabetics

A healthy diet includes about 45 to 65 percent carbohydrates, according to MayoClinic.com. If you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, about 900 to 1,300 of your daily calories should come from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates will cause your blood glucose...

Can Blueberries Raise My Blood Sugar?

Fruits and berries have natural sugars in varying amounts, and these can impact your blood glucose. Without sacrificing the health benefits of fresh produce, understand how the natural fruit sugars in blueberries will impact your blood glucose so...

How Does Diabetes Occur?

The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by insulin. When food is digested and enters the bloodstream, insulin helps to move glucose, or blood sugar, out of the blood and into cells where it is broken down to produce energy. Diabetics either...

What Are Healthy Glucose Levels in Children?

Children grow rapidly, and their bodies need glucose for normal development. At the same time, young children can have problems recognizing or communicating the symptoms of low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. Consequently, healthy glucose levels in...

Diseases That Raise Blood Sugars

Blood sugar refers to levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Glucose provides the cells of the human body with its primary source of energy. According to the University of Michigan Health System, the eyes, kidneys and blood vessels may sustain...

Can a High Insulin Level Be Harmful?

Your body's pancreas naturally produces insulin, a hormone that helps in the processing and metabolism of the energy you derive from food. After you eat, the food is converted into a simple form of sugar called glucose. Insulin is instrumental in...

Can a Shot of Vodka Lower My Glucose?

Glucose, a substance obtained by eating carbohydrates such as cereal and pasta, is an important source of energy. Drinking alcohol can cause hypoglycemia, or dangerously low blood glucose levels resulting in dizziness, disorientation, and even...

Diabetes and High-Glycemic Foods

With all the diet gimmicks on the market these days, it is difficult to know what really works. If you are a diabetic, it is even more important to know how and what to eat. The glycemic index is not a gimmick; it is an easy way to tell how a food...

What Is Good to Lower Blood Sugar?

Symptoms of high blood sugar, also called hyperglycemia, can include frequent urination, increased thirst and high levels of sugar in your urine. Hyperglycemia can occur if the body does not produce enough insulin or is unable to use insulin...

Does the Body Burn Fat When You Are Hungry?

When you are hungry, your blood sugar, or glucose, levels are low. The body reacts to this condition by releasing glucagon, a hormone that triggers cells to release nutrients into the bloodstream. The first nutrient the body releases into the...

Natural Ways to Lower Blood Sugar Without Insulin

Increased levels of blood sugar, also called hyperglycemia, can be cause for concern. Signs of hyperglycemia include increased thirst, frequent urination and high levels of sugar in your urine. High blood sugar occurs when your body produces too...

Diabetic Stages

The American Diabetes Association defines diabetes mellitus as a group of diseases characterized by high blood glucose levels as a result of the body's inability to produce and/or use insulin properly. Type 1 diabetes, an inability to produce...

Healthy Adult Blood Sugar Levels

Your blood naturally contains a certain amount of a sugar known as glucose. Glucose is the predominant fuel for cells within the body. High blood glucose levels can be a sign of diabetes, a condition caused by problems with how your body produces...

Medicines to Control Blood Sugar

Blood sugar refers to the amount of glucose currently circulating in your bloodstream. Glucose is the form of sugar your body uses for energy. Typically, problems develop when blood sugar becomes too high or too low. Sugary snacks or medical...

When Should a Diabetic Exercise?

If you have diabetes, it is essential that you take care of your body physically. This means following a diabetic-friendly diet that is low in fat, sugars and processed foods. Getting adequate exercise is also necessary when managing diabetic...

How Much Sugar Won't Spike Insulin?

Keeping your blood sugar levels under control so your insulin level does not spike requires eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise and managing stress. This includes limiting your intake of simple sugars because they can cause blood...

Why Diabetic Has to Avoid Sweets

You have probably heard the term "diabetes" before, and chances are, you are going to hear it more often. Diabetes is a condition in which your blood sugar levels are too high, leading to health problems, and this condition is becoming more...

How Exactly Does the Blood Sugar Work When Given Insulin

Insulin is a endocrine hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps transport glucose, or blood sugar, from the bloodstream to the cells, which then use glucose as energy or store it as glycogen or fat. Diabetics and people with insulin resistance...

Home Remedy to Lower Blood Glucose Level

Glucose, or sugar, is one of the most important energy sources for your body's cells. Carbohydrates that you consume will eventually become glucose in your blood, notes the Medline Medical Encyclopedia. Your blood glucose levels are a measure of...

What Monosaccharides Are Present in High Fructose Corn Syrup?

The most common sweetener in processed food and beverages, high fructose corn syrup is a major suspect for causing obesity and other adverse health issues related to increased use of sugar. The monosaccharides, or simple sugars, found in HFCS are...

Can Carbohydrates Be Stored as Fat?

Carbohydrates can be stored as fat and, in fact, any excess calories, regardless of the source, will be converted to fat. The preferred metabolic pathway within the body is to first break down carbohydrates into glucose and glycogen. Glucose...

Glycemic Index for Sweet Potatoes vs. Regular Potatoes

Although they are nutritionally similar in some ways, sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index than regular potatoes. As carbohydrates, both types of potatoes are broken down into glucose, which then enters your bloodstream and causes your blood...

Fish Oil for Diabetics

Fish oil contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, also known as essential fatty acids since the body cannot manufacture them. Fish oil supplements are usually recommended to provide adequate levels of omega-3 fatty acids, according to the...

How Is Sugar Regulated in the Blood?

Sugar appears in the blood mainly as glucose, which is also the basic unit involved in carbohydrate transport and storage in the body. Thus, the regulation of sugar is actually the regulation of glucose. The breakdown of glucose provides the main...

Healthy Food Choices for Good Carbohydrates (Video)

Include good carbohydrates in your daily diet. Learn how to adjust your diet to fit your specific health and nutrition needs in this free video on grocery shopping.