Normal Blood Sugar Levels – How do Yours Compare?
To find out, you may need to see a doctor who will requisition a simple blood test that will provide the necessary analysis. It is easy and it’s quick, a simple test usually performed at a licensed clinic or hospital and it takes only a few seconds. But it is important to know, and here’s why:
Sugar is the major source of fuel used by the cells of the body to provide energy for the constant metabolic activities that sustain life. The sugars are obtained from the foods we eat that are digested and reduced to their elemental components and delivered into the bloodstream where they are transported throughout the body to the tissues and organs. The precise form of sugar used by the cells is a simple sugar called glucose. There are other more complex forms of sugar contained in foods but the body’s digestive process breaks them down to the required form of glucose.
The nutrients that support life, contained in the food items consumed, are classified variously as proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water. While protein and fat can contribute some glucose it is the carbohydrates that provide the largest amount. When, for whatever reason, it becomes necessary to control blood sugar levels, it is usually carbohydrate consumption that becomes the focus of attention when dietary modification is deemed necessary.
When to test
Unless a person has already been alerted to the possibility of having diabetes problems, it is unlikely that they will have access to suitable portable hand-held meter commonly used by diabetics, but for the purposes of describing the testing, we assume a meter is available.
Blood sugar levels fluctuate throughout the day, depending mainly on when food is consumed and how much and what types of food. There are several occasions during the day when measurements may be made.
- It is customary to measure blood sugar levels in the morning after a night’s sleep and before eating any food, this is usually referred to as the fasting level.
- The other main reference time for measuring is 2 hours after having eaten a meal. The blood sugars usually rise immediately after eating but in a healthy body they will return to within a normal range within 2 hours – if they do not do so, it is time to see a doctor, elevated blood sugar levels can be the alert to pre-diabetes and diabetes.
What are the normal and safe blood sugar levels?
There are some relatively small differences of opinion among health authorities on the amounts of sugars that should exist in the bloodstream and are considered as safe. And the amounts accepted in America may be slightly different compared to those established in other countries, however, following the recommendations of the American Diabetes Association, the figures, expressed as Milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL) for Americans are:
For the non-diabetic:
- Fasting Levels: Less than 100
- 2 hours after eating: less than 140
Target levels for the person with diabetes:
- Fasting Levels: between 70 and 130
- 2 hours after eating: less than 180
The dangers
You may need to see a doctor who will requisition a simple blood test that will provide the necessary analysis. It is easy and it’s quick. It is a simple test usually performed at a licensed clinic or hospital and takes only a few seconds. But it is important to know.
Consistently higher than normal blood sugar levels inevitably lead to diabetes, a serious disease that if left untreated and not brought under control can lead to many health complications, including cardiovascular disease, eye, kidney, and nerve damage, and other conditions.
For more information about the importance of blood sugar levels, check out other posts on this site such as The Need to Achieve Normal Blood Sugars and also High Sugars, Dangerous to Health.
Everyone with diabetes or pre-diabetes must be under the care and supervision of a doctor.
