Do you know the normal levels of glucose in the blood?

The sugars that we take with food are transformed, through metabolism, on glucose. It is our main power sourceGlucose moves through the bloodstream until it reaches the cells of different types of tissue, providing the impulse they require to function. For example, in order to move our muscles and perform each of our movements, the energy provided by glucose is essential. However, a excess glucose can be harmful.

The glucose levels we have in the blood They depend on a number of factors and can vary if we have gone a long time without eating or a few hours after doing so.

The blood glucose It is the variation in blood glucose levels that occurs throughout the day. In the morning, fasting are lower and rise after each meal, known as postprandial glycemia, and fall again two hours later. But even so, the optimal glucose level is always kept within specific ranges.

For most people, the optimal glucose level It is between 82 mg / dl and 110 mg / dl (4.4 to 6.1 mmol / l), although they can go up to almost 140 mg / dl (7.8 mmol / l) after eating a lot. Average normal blood sugar is around 90 mg / dl, which is equivalent to 5mM (mmol / l).

In a healthy adult male of about 75 kilos and a normal blood volume of 5 liters, with a glucose level of 100 mg / dl of blood or 5.5 mmol / l has about 5 g of glucose in the blood in total. Five grams of glucose is equal to one teaspoon of sugar.

When the blood glucose levels are very high there may be cases of diabetes. It is a chronic disease that affects the way the body converts food into energy.

To be considered a non-diabetic, the optimal glucose level should be less than 180 mg / dl (10 mmol / l) after a meal and a blood glucose level of 90-130 mg / dl (5 to 7.2 mmol / l) Before the meal.

How to measure blood glucose

Blood glucose in healthy people is measured in a conventional blood or urine test performed on an empty stomach. It should be controlled especially in the case of obese people, over 50 years of age, with high blood pressure or hypercholesterolemia.

The case of people with diabetes is different. In your case, each morning you should measure your blood glucose levels with a glucometer. East Measuring instrument is used to obtain the concentration of glucose in blood, that is, the glycemia, instantaneously.