Is glucose the same as blood sugar?

Are you one of those people who thinks glucose and blood sugar are two different things? Do you have difficulty understanding the relationship between them? Well, fear not – this article will break down the differences (and similarities) for you in a way that even your grandma could understand.

The Basics: What is Glucose?

Glucose is an organic molecule made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms. It’s also referred to as a simple sugar or monosaccharide. This means it’s part of our dietary carbohydrates, which get broken down into smaller molecules during digestion so that they can be absorbed by our bodies.

Fun fact: Did you know that glucose is the primary source of energy for most living organisms on Earth? That includes plants, animals, and us humans!

The body needs glucose to function properly because it’s used as fuel to power all sorts of activities like breathing, thinking, walking… even digesting food! But too much glucose can also be dangerous if it doesn’t get transported out of the bloodstream.

What about Blood Sugar?

Blood sugar refers specifically to the amount of glucose present in your bloodstream at any given time. It fluctuates throughout the day depending on factors like how much carbohydrate-rich food you eat or how much physical activity you engage in.

When we eat something containing carbs (like pizza), our digestive system breaks apart these larger molecules into simpler ones like glucose that gets absorbed through intestinal walls into our bloodstream.

At this point, insulin comes along and regulates everything by signaling cells throughout our body to either store excessglucose as glycogen (a form storage) or use it immediately for energy production . Once enough sugars have been stored somewhere within your body, then its presence leaves your blood stream; decreasing “blood sugar”.

That’s what causes fluctuations in blood sugar levels. For example, if you eat a huge piece of cake, your blood sugar levels will spike because there’s a ton of glucose circulating in the bloodstream . Over time, this can create health problems like insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes,

Pointer: Insulin is so important that it’s considered to be one of the five essential medicines needed for basic healthcare by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Are Glucose and Blood Sugar Interchangeable?

Yes and no. On the one hand, glucose is simply one component or “type” of sugar; on the other hand, blood sugar specifically refers only to glucose (not fructose or galactose).

In other words: all glucose molecules are types sugars but not all kinds/sugars are regarded as ‘blood-sugar’. Although many types do contribute towards eventual production.

So while they aren’t exactly interchangeable terms per se, “glucose” and “blood sugar” tend to be used interchangeably when people talk about measuring their own levels at home (ouch! say goodbye needles.)

Measuring Blood Sugar

Did you know we have different metabolic states throughout our day? When explaining these varying moments/hours/days a lot of us become ignorant- even after multiple visits with doctors! No worries though – here’s what you need to know;

Fasting State:

When we haven’t eaten anything for 8 hours+, this scenario would find significant lower resting blood sugars. Thereby confirming why its advised that some medical testing/Diagnostics should happen in such state i.e Medical labs suggest overnight fasting before morning tests.

But how does one measure his/her fasting-state? You guessed it right; it involves using an instrument known as glucometer. This gadget pricks the fingers drawing out tiny droplets from which sampled readings/measurements are derived.

Glucometers come with ‘test strips’ , where fingertips /tiny droplets can be applied for glucose-finding procedure.

Postprandial State:

After we eat, our bloodstream is filled with all the nutrients and sugars that get absorbed from food. This is known as postprandial state in medical terminology. Testing your blood sugar within two hours after a meal will give you a sense of how much “spike” or increase there was from eating particular meals i.e checking effect of having breakfast cereal on mealtimes.

At such states Glucometers are still effective but other tests such as – Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT), Continuous Glucose Monitoring System(CGMS) which make use of sensor devices embedded under the skin- may yield more accurate insights about your body’s response to specific foods over time.

Final thoughts:

It seems crazy how many people (including some doctors!) believe that glucose and blood sugar are not one-and-the-same thing! The truth is, though: they’re both intimately connected when it comes to managing diabetes mellitus. What’s important is understanding why measuring them periodically affects overall health levels

So go out and grab yourself one glucometer – monitoring levels while maintaining diversified nutrient intake/keep exercising could end up saving you lots worry time too.

As always- Remember Too Much Sugar isn’t Good For You.

Thanks for reading!