Our bodies rely on blood sugar for fuel. Our internal organs and muscles are powered up by it. It's important to keep your blood sugar in check. What is a normal bloodglucose level? When it goes above the threshold, what happens?

The food we eat has a direct correlation with our blood sugar levels. A lot of different food groups play a role in regulating the amount of sugar we get from them. The way we absorb, use and store this important sugar is dependent on a number of different processes.

A healthy blood sugar level is not defined by a single value. A range of factors, including age, any underlying medical conditions, and the medications an individual takes, can affect what constitutes normal bloodglucose for an individual. When you ate your last meal, it will be a big part of it. A range of values that are considered healthy are referred to when we refer to "normal blood sugar levels".

Everything you need to know about a healthy blood sugar range will be discussed here.

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Normal blood sugar before and after meals

Some people have normal blood sugar levels while others do not. A range of values that are considered healthy for most individuals are referred to when discussing 'normal' bloodglucose levels. According to the World Health Organization, a normal range for blood sugar is between 70 and 100 milligrams per deci liter.

Most people will have a temporary increase in their blood sugar levels if they eat a meal or drink a sweetened beverage. According to the American Diabetes Association, the blood sugar two hours after eating should not be over 140. People with certain conditions, such as prediabetes or diabetes, tend to have lower blood sugar than the guidelines suggest.

Fluctuations in blood sugar levels, both before and after meals, are normal and reflect how your body absorbs, uses and stores sugar. The sugars in your food will be broken down by your bicyle into small particles. In order for the glucose to be shepherded into the cells and utilized, it needs to be released from the pancreas.

For a person with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas's beta cells get killed off and so the body can’t produce insulin. Insulin is the key that locks into a certain receptor on the surfaces of your cells and allows glucose (sugar) to leave the bloodstream and enter your cells. Without insulin the sugars just build up in the blood and can’t get into your cells.

For a person with type 1 diabetes, the pancreas's beta cells get killed off and so the body can’t produce insulin. Insulin is the key that locks into a certain receptor on the surfaces of your cells and allows glucose (sugar) to leave the bloodstream and enter your cells. Without insulin the sugars just build up in the blood and can’t get into your cells. (Image credit: ttsz/Getty Images)
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Our bodies are designed to maintain a constant level of blood sugar. The leftover energy needs to be stored away. It can't be stored in its original form because it needs to be transformed into something else. If blood sugar levels fall below optimal levels, the muscles and the liver will be used as a backup source of energy.

The body can make its own sugar from non-carbohydrate sources if there isn't enough to maintain normal blood- sugar levels. During intense exercise or starvation, this process is called gluconeogenesis. It is also common when following a low-fat diet.

There's a good reason for our bodies to keep up this dance with the blood sugar, it can lead to serious health problems if we don't.

Severe nerve damage, impaired immunity, and heart and kidney disease can be caused by too muchglucose over an extended period.

Hypoglycemia can affect the functioning of the nervous system. In some cases, seizures, coma and death can be caused by the symptoms of low blood sugar.

Blood sugar targets in people with diabetes

Glucose monitoring kit

People with diabetes often wear a device called a continuous glucose monitor. Here, a woman is using a mobile device to measure her blood sugar levels. (Image credit: Getty Images)
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In people with diabetes, the blood sugar levels are too high because the person isn't making anyinsulin or using it efficiently. Fuel can't enter cells because of the elevated blood sugars.

Blood sugar targets for people with diabetes are based on a number of factors.

According to the ADA, for most non-pregnant adults with diabetes, the blood sugar target range should be in the range of between 80 and 130 grams per deciliter. The ADA suggests that the goal should be less than two hours after the last meal.

Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting regular physical activity are all things that can help maintain normal blood sugar levels in people with type 2 Diabetes.

ADA guidelines are usually lower for pregnant women who have pre-existing diabetes. They suggest that the after-meal goal should be less than 120 calories per day, and that the fasting target should be less than 95 calories per day.

What is a normal A1C?

Doctors use the hemoglobin A1C measure to determine both whether a person has diabetes and how well the person is managing their sugars.

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A person's A1C is a measurement of their average blood sugar levels over the last 2 or 3 months, and it is measured through a blood test. A normal result for someone without diabetes or prediabetes would be below 5.7%, and an A1C between 5.7% and 6.4% indicates prediabetes, according to the CDC.

The A1C test is a measure of the percentage of red blood cells that have sugar in them. The hemoglobin molecule on red blood cells sticks to theglucose that enters your bloodstream The higher your A1C is, the more of your blood's hemoglobin will be "sugar-coated." The number can give you and your doctors a sense of how well your sugars are being controlled.

Most adults with diabetes should keep their A1C below 7%, and the goal is the same for many children with the disease, according to the ADA.

Higher A1C numbers are associated with a greater risk of diabetes-related problems, while lower A1Cs are associated with a reduced risk of these problems.

The article is not meant to give medical advice.

Anna Gora is the Live Science Health Writer.

Additional resources

  • Learn more about how high blood sugar levels put you on the road to developing diabetes and heart disease in this explainer by Harvard Health (opens in new tab)
  • Read about the risk of high sugar levels and diabetes in pregnant women in this explainer by the Cleveland Clinic (opens in new tab)
  • Discover the dangers of low blood sugar, with or without diabetes, in this explainer by the Mayo Clinic.
  • Check out this book by Adam Brown (opens in new tab), the creator of the column and nonprofit called diaTribe "Bright Spots & Landmines: The Diabetes Guide I Wish Someone Had Handed Me." In it, you'll find tips and strategies from the author who was diagnosed with T1D in 2001. He argues that if you focus on the problems and mistakes of managing the disease (the landmines), you'll miss out on the bigger opportunities (the bright spots).
  • If your child has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, this book can help you navigate (opens in new tab) certain situations and life changes during an overwhelming time. The book, called "The Type 1 Life: A Road Map for Parents of Children with Newly Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes," is written and published by Jessica Freeman, who gives advice based on her own experience of having the disease.

Bibliography

The big picture is checking your blood sugar.

The mean is the amount of blood sugars in a person. The World Health Organization has anindicator-meta data-registry.

"Continuous Glucose Profiles in healthy subjects under everyday life conditions and after different meals" was published in the journal Diabetes Science and Technology.

The management of diabetes in pregnant women is covered in the standards of medical care. There is an article in thediabetesjournals.org about the management of diabetes in pregnant women.

There are tests for diabetes. You can get tested at the CDC.

Understand A1C. The American Diabetes Association has a website at www.diabetes.org/a1c.

The standards of medical care in diabetes for older adults are discussed. There are certain standards of medical care for older adults.

The test is called A1C. The a1c test can be found at the mayo clinic.

It was originally published on Live Science