Blood Glucose Regulation

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There is only one teaspoon of sugar in our entire blood supply. This is tightly regulated as increased blood sugar is regarded as dangerous to health. Too much blood sugar will lead to a diabetic coma, then death. Too little blood sugar leads to hypoglycemia, coma, then death.

Control of blood glucose is regulated by three organs — pancreas, liver and adrenals.

The pancreas secretes the hormone insulin, which is needed to take glucose to the cells for energy and to convert excess glucose in the liver to glycogen, for short term storage in the liver and muscles, and the rest to triglycerides for storage in the fat cells.

Insulin:

the liver:

the adrenals:

There are three macronutrients — protein, fat and carbohydrates. The following chart shows how these macronutrients effect insulin.

Macronutrient Insulin Secretion
Carbohydrate +++++
Protein ++
Fat no change
Carbohydrate and Fat ++++
Protein and Fat ++
High protein, low carb ++
High carb, low protein +++++++++++


Normal Sugar Reaction

Abnormal Sugar Reaction

Problems happen when the body has to deal with carbohydrate load or stress many times during the day.

  1. Reactive Hypoglycemia:
    The overstimulated pancreas dumps excess insulin into the blood because cells are becoming less responsive to insulin, insulin levels stay elevated longer, leading to a low blood sugar state — reactive hypoglycemia.
  2. Insulin Resistance:
    Cell membrane receptors for insulin begin to shut down and not work as well.

The body's response to hypoglycemia

Consequences of Insulin Resistance

Chronically elevated cortisol in response to stress and low blood sugar causes:

Chronically elevated insulin (insulin resistance) leads to:

There is only one cause of Insulin Resistance — SUGAR and sugar alone

Fructose is the most metabolically damaging sugar and creates insulin resistance more than any other sugar. Fructose does not initially raise blood sugar, it first goes to the liver. Fructose causes ten times more glycation damage than glucose. Glycation is one of the main ways that increase tissue damage and aging of bodily cells. Cane sugar is 50% fructose, high fructose corn syrup is 55% fructose. Agave nectar is 55-95% fructose.

Glycation and Collagen

Glycation damage done to collagen can:

How fructose affects blood chemistry:

Vastly reducing sugar and starch intake, or better yet, eliminating all sugars and grains, can have significant benefits on physical and mental health.