A spoonful of sugar
Whenever I give a talk and make the statement that a normal blood sugar represents less than one teaspoon of sugar dissolved in the blood, I’m often met with scepticism. It really is true, however.
Let’s go through the calculations so we can see exactly how this plays out.
First, we need some basic measures.
one liter (l)= 10 deciliters (dl)
one gram (gm) = 1000 milligrams (mg)
one teaspoon = 5 grams
According to the American Diabetes Association the line between a healthy fasting blood sugar and a pre-diabetic fasting blood sugar is set at 100 mg/dl (pronounced 100 milligrams per deci-liter). A fasting blood sugar of between 100 mg/dl and 125 mg/dl earns a diagnosis of pre-diabetes, and a fasting blood sugar of over 125 mg/dl is diabetic.
So how much sugar is 99 mg/dl, the highest fasting blood sugar you can have and not be diagnosed as pre-diabetic? Let’s figure it out.
We know that a typical human has about 5 liters of blood, so we need to figure out how much sugar dissolved into this 5 liters of blood will give us a reading of 99 mg/dl.
Since one liter contains 10 deciliters we multiply 99 mg/dl by 10, which gives us 990 mg, the amount of sugar in one liter. Multiply the 990 mg in one liter times 5, the number of liters of blood in the human body, and we have 4950 mg of sugar. If we divide the 4950 by 1000, the number of mg in a gram, we get 4.95 grams of sugar.
Since one teaspoon contains 5 grams, the 4.95 grams of sugar in the blood of a person just short of being pre-diabetic equals a little less than one teaspoon.
If you run all these calculations for a blood sugar of 80 mg/dl, which is a much healthier blood sugar than the 99 mg/dl one that is knocking on the door of pre-diabetes, it turns out to be about 4/5 of a teaspoon.
If you run the calculations for 126 mg/dl, the amount of sugar in the blood of someone just over the line into the diagnosis of diabetes, you find out that it is 6.25 grams, or 1 1/4 teaspoon. So, the difference between having a normal blood sugar and a diabetic blood sugar is about a quarter of a teaspoon of sugar.
What really gets kind of scary is when you look at the amount of carbohydrate in, say, a medium order of McDonald’s fries compared to the sugar in your blood. Remember, it is the job of your digestive tract to breakdown the starch and other complex carbohydrates, which are nothing more than chains of sugar molecules, into their component sugars so that they can be absorbed into the blood. An order of medium fries at McDonald’s contains 47 grams of carbohydrate. 47 grams of carbohydrate converts to about 47 grams of sugar, which is almost 10 teaspoons. So, when you eat these fries you put 10 times more sugar into your blood than that required to maintain a normal blood sugar level. If you figure, as we did above, that one quarter of a teaspoon is all the difference between a normal blood sugar and a diabetic blood sugar, the 10 full teaspoons would be 40 times that amount.
Since your metabolic system has to work very hard indeed to deal with the sugar load from an order of fries, imagine what it has to do when you add a large soft drink, a hamburger bun, and maybe an apple turnover for dessert.
When you see the long lines of cars in the at the drive-through window and the long lines of customers at the counter inside, you can see why the incidence of type II diabetes is skyrocketing?
I always look at the sugar count on everything I eat. What is the norm for any given day? I am not a diabetic.
Thank you.
Hi Janet–
I suppose the norm is based on whatever diet you’re trying to follow. If you’re following the standard American diet you should consume a little less than a half pound of sugar per day (the average American eats about 150 pounds of sugar per year). If, however, you’re following a healthful low-carb diet such as the one MD and I follow and recommend, your sugar intake should be negligible. You should eat somewhere in the neighborhood of 50-60 grams of carbohydrate (not sugar) per day.
Hope this helps.
MRE
Of the 50-60 grams of carbs daily that you suggest, how much of it should be sugar? Because, even low carb foods have some sugar in it.
Hi Odalys–
None of it ’should’ be sugar. One can go on a whole food low-carb diet without a single gram of sugar.
Best–
MRE
I know that the recommended per meal grams of carbs are between 35-40; but how many grams of sugar per day are allowed for a non diabetic person; how many grams of cholesterol.
Hi Mary–
Actually the recommended carbs per meal are more in the 7-10 grams per meal (35-50 per day). There is no specific recommendation for sugar in terms of how much allowed. I try to eat no sugar per day. And I don’t worry about how much cholesterol I eat because it doesn’t seem to matter as long as I follow a low-carb diet.
Best–
MRE
Because of the very high index of DM in my family, I have started to check my blood sugars daily. Fasting is always a little over 100..103-108, except when I really watch it and it drops down to 98. Had a GTT test and doctor told me it was within normal levels. I do not agree. Fasting: 105
1 hr: 196; 2hrs: 121; 3 hrs; 93; 4 hrs; 83.
However, i walked in and out of the building after blood drawn. You think I should repeat? I think I’m pre-diabetic–if not diabetic. Thank you.
Hi Jo–
According to the numbers you provided, you fall into the normal/non-diabetic/non-impaired glucose tolerance category. At least by the standards of the lab I use. Your lab may differ.
I don’t know if you’re on a low-carb diet or not, but if you are, it makes a difference in the glucose tolerance test. Typically someone who has been on a low-carb diet for a while then goes for a glucose tolerance test will get numbers that can look diabetic. That’s why people contemplating such a test are instructed to eat plenty of carbohydrates for a few days before the test.
Best–
MRE
I’m an active 48 y.o. man 6′1″ 179lbs. My fasting blood sugar had been between 106-111 for several years. My most recent test was 108 with an A1C of 5.2.
A low glycemic-index diet for the past year has done little to affect my numbers. My doctor says there’s not much more that I can do than I already am doing and to keep at it (watch sugar, carbs, and continue to exercise). Am I headed down the Type 2 Diabetes road?
Hi S–
I don’t necessarily believe you’re headed down the road to type II diabetes. Based on a lot of experience I’m not a big believer in the virtues of a low-glycemc-index diet. I’m certain that low-glycemic carbohydrates are better than high-glycemic carbohydrates, but I don’t think low-glycemic carbohydrates are better than simply consuming fewer carbohydrates all together.Were
Were I in your shoes, before I wrote myself off as inexorably rolling down the diabetic highway, I would forget the low-glycemic bit and try a simply low-carbohydrate diet. Eat plenty of protein and keep your effective carbs below about 30 grams per day for a couple of weeks and see what happens. I would be willing to bet that the blood sugar parameters improve markedly.
Keep me posted.
Cheers–
MRE
Hi
In Australia we use a different measure. Can you offer a comparison? My husband has been testing for a few months after some health issues is finds he is high first thing in the morning 7 to 8, & lower later in the day 5 -7. Is this normal? Doc wanted him to do a glucose tolerance test but we did not want him eating those high carbs for 3- 4 days (would set his weight loss back kilos)
Hi Lynne–
Your way of measuring blood sugar is in mmol/L. You can convert to our old fashioned mg/dL by multiplying your figures by 18 or conversely can convert ours to yours by dividing by 18.
Your husband is experiencing what is called the dawn phenomenon. The liver produces and releases glucose into the blood unless it is turned off by insulin. The liver tends to make more overnight to compensate for the fact that one doesn’t usually eat while sleeping, yet one’s blood sugar level needs to be maintained. The liver produces enough glucose to keep the blood sugar at a normal level. If the level gets a little high, the pancreas releases a little spurt of insulin that signals to the liver to quit producing sugar for a while. An insulin resistant person’s liver often doesn’t get the signal and keeps on producing sugar leading to elevated sugars in the morning that tend to go down later in the day.
In my experience, the best treatment is a low-carb diet over the long haul to re-establish insulin sensitivity.
Hope this helps.
MRE
I have just been diagnosed with Diabetes. My blood glucose was 192. I have hypertension and take 1 tablet of 100 mg of 12.5 hydrochlorothiazide (Hctz) per day.
I understand that both the water pill and hypertension medication can contribute to a higher level of blood sugar.
I have no real symptoms of diabetes, such as thirst or problems with healing.
I have begun to exercise three times a week. and am trying to have a non sugar diet. However, I find it very difficult because there are grams of sugar in almost everything.
Am I to cut out sugar completely or is there a minimal amount allowed?
Thank you for your help.
Bob
rmpape@sbcglobal.net
Hi Bob–
The human requirement for sugar is zero. I eat zero grams of sugar in a typical day. If you are finding small amounts of sugar in everything, you must be eating a fair amount of processed food because there isn’t much sugar at all in natural, whole foods. In my view the best diet for hypertension and/or type II diabetes is a whole food, low-carbohydrate diet. In your situation, you need to work with your physician–especially if you are taking HCTZ–because a low-carb diet can create a profound reduction in blood pressure very, very quickly.
Good luck.
MRE
Hi.
I’m forty and a glucose test last month gave me a level of 117. Obviously I’m concerned and am now on a combined exercise/low carb diet programme. My worry is that in May my glucose level was only 92, as it was for years before. What’s happened? Twenty-five points in six months seems completely out of control. Am I still in time to stop DM developing?
Hi Joe–
I wouldn’t worry about a single elevated glucose reading. Check it a couple of more times to see if it is consistently elevated before you start worrying. If your glucose was 92 six months ago, I’m pretty sure you haven’t reached a point of irreversibility.
Best–
MRE
How many grams of sugar do you need daily?
Hi Chelsea–
None.
Cheers–
MRE
I’m trying to figure out how many grams of carboydrated equals a mg/dc in blood sugar. I know that there are going to be variables, but wonderinf if there is any set formula – i.e. one piece of bread will raise your blood sugar so many points… etc.
Is this a reasonable question? Thanks.
Hi Fawn–
It is a reasonable question, and one that is difficult to answer. Difficult because insulin knocks the sugar level down so quickly that it’s almost impossible to calculate. Dr. Richard Bernstein, who is a type I diabetic and produces no insulin of his own, has made the calculations without the influence of insulin. Apparently 1 gram of carb causes about a 5 mg/dL increase in blood sugar and 1 unit of regular insulin drives blood sugar down by 8 mg/dL.
Hope this answers your question.
MRE
If significantly cutting carbs lowers blood pressure, why has no MD ever told me so?
Mona
Hi Mona–
It’s not a secret. I guess you’ve just been going to the wrong MDs.
Cheers–
MRE
Thank you for your quick reply.
Every M.D. I’ve ever gone to was quick to prescribe pills.
Would you consider yourself to be a traditional M.D.? Do you think there is value in some of the alternative methods of medicine?
Thank you.
Hi Mona–
I consider myself a sort of traditional M.D. with an eye to what works to get patients well whether it is traditional or not. I think there is tons of value in much of what folks call ‘alternative’ medicine, but there is also a load of pure quackery.
Cheers–
MRE
I just got some blood test results.
Cholesterol 208
Triglyceride 79
HDL 55
LDL 81
Cho/HDL 3.8
I’ve been eating oats so I’d get better readings. What effect does drinking wine have on these readings?
Thanks.
Hi Mona–
Your results look pretty good. Drinking can drive triglyceride levels up in the short term and can elevate HDL levels for the longer term.
Cheers–
MRE
I recently went to the doctor to get my blood test, since I was having High BP.
these are the result:
Cholesterol: 245
Triglyceride: 250
HDL: 39
LDL: 157
Chol/HDL: 6.3
Glucose: 125 mg/dL
Doctor said I have type II diabetes, which came as very shocking news for me. I have to blame myself for this situation, since I eat a lot of junk food (McDonald’s breakfast is my favourite), No exercise at all, Park my car close to the entrance of a mall, so that I don’t have to walk long distance etc…I guess all that have contributed to my poor health. Is there any way I can bring the values to normal? I don’t know how to improve my HDL level, do you have any suggestion?
I have made the following changes in my lifestyle:
1)No Sugar whatsoever.
2)Don’t know whats low carb foods are, so eating lot of vegetables and fruits like Strawberries, rice and bread.
3)Cardio-exercise 1/2 hr a day.
4)Reduced the intake of salt.
Please suggest me any other useful information or recommendation.
Truly appreciate your response.
Thank you.
Hi Ram–
It’s beyond the scope of this comment section for me to lay out a complete diet for you. Your problems can be solved with a low-carb diet, but you need to get a good low-carb book to show you the way. Try Protein Power or The 30-Day Low-Carb Diet Solution. In either of these, you will find all the information you need.
Good luck–
MRE
I had my yearly physical in Feb including bloodwork. I had awakened much earlier than usual that day so I checked online and found some articles that suggested drinking unsweetened tea before my tests was acceptable.
My dr called two days later concerned about an elevated glucose level although she didn’t tell me what it was at the time. That’s when I remembered the green tea also was flavored with blueberries for extra anti-oxidants.
I took the fasting test again, this time no tea, and the result was about the same as my previous year’s results; 85 in 2006 and 83 in March 2007.
I have since learned the test result in Feb was 248. Despite the 83 reading I now have to go for a glucose tolerance test. But while reading about preparing for the test I see in Feb I did several other things wrong besides drinking the tea. I exercised for 90 min before the test. I also had been on a low carb diet. Can these factors be responsible for such an elevated glucose level or should I be really concerned about becoming/being diabetic?
Thanks.
Hi Marjie–
If you had a perfectly normal fasting glucose recently and a normal one the year before, I wouldn’t worry about the Feb 248. It could easily have been a lab error. Most lab results that are totally out of whack are usually caused by a lab error. It won’t hurt to do the glucose tolerance test just to ease your (and your doctor’s) mind, but I suspect it will be perfectly normal.
Cheers–
MRE
I’m concerned about my rising blood fasting levels that in 3 years have gone from 89 to 99 and now 106. My last blood test showed:
cholesterol:220
ldl :99
hdl :120
tri. :56
ratio :1.9
I’m 57 female, had been sitting for 3 weeks without exercise due to lumbar strain, and I eat lots of fish ( no shellfish) some chicken and veal, pork, and lamb chops once in a while ,veggies, and some fruit but not alot. Also have red wine each night, use olive oil, walnuts and almonds,take multi vitamin plus probiotic and digestive enzymes do to acid reflux and general bad stomach.In 1 month I changed my cholesterol profile from 3.2 to 1.9 but now my sugar is up. Why and what can I do to get that down to normal. My father had diabetes in his late 60’s. I’m 5′3 127 lbs. I think I need to be 120 lbs. tops. I have a small frame. Thanks.
Hi Diane–
Your labworks looks great. If you’re worried about diabetes, you should check with your doc about doing a glucose tolerance test to see what’s going on. I don’t put a lot of reliance on fasting blood glucose levels.
Cheers–
MRE
My sister in law is a Type 2 Diabetic and when she takes her count in the mornings it will vary but will be up around 130. She says that her doctor says this is normal, but I find this hard to believe, when she is on medication. She does not follow a strict diet and has had Tryglercide readings in the upper 700’s. Please tell me if you think a reading first thing in the morning should be considered a normal reading for someone on medication.
Hi Bill–
There are too many variables for me to make a call on this. Your sister-in-law needs to work it out with her physician.
Cheers–
MRE
For Bill,
Send your SIL to What They Don’t Tell You About Diabetes ( http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/ ). Sounds like she needs a different doc ASAP.
Cheers,
Anna
Just passing the info along.
HI…
I WAS JUST WONDERING…
I RECENTLY GOT DIAGNOSED WIT CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, AND HAVE MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY.
I HAVE AN UNCLE WHO HAS DIABETES, AND I DRINK ABOUT 2-3 CUPS OF SODA EACH DAY…
DOES THE SUGAR EFFECT MY CHF AT ALL?
DO I HAVE GREATER CHANCE OF GETTING DIABETES SINCE I AM NOT ACTIVE DUE TO MY MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY?
Hi Cassandra–
I don’t know if the 2-3 sodas will result in your developing diabetes or not, but it certainly isn’t going to protect you from it.
Cheers–
MRE
Dr Mike
How do you feel about artificial sweetners in place of sugar for non diabetics and or
diabetics.
Thank You
Carol
Hi Carol–
I’m all for them. If the diabetic patients have to have sweetened foods (they don’t, but they sometimes think they do), then the artificial sweeteners are much less damaging to them than would be an equivalent amount of sugar.
Cheers–
MRE
I was browsing though a so-called health magazine in a book store yesterday (most aren’t worth the paper they are printed on) and was startled to come across an article that claims recent research shows that potatoes are comprised of a ‘newly identified form of fiber’ that helps maintain blood sugar levels and that because of this potatoes are not the villain they were claimed to be by Atkins (it’s interesting that they cited ‘Atkins’).
On the surface this claim would seem to fly in the face of research that shows potatoes will raise BG as fast as glucose. And potatoes have lots of carbs which is the real issue. But given the fact that potatoes are the most consumed vegetable in North America, it is not unexpected that attempts will be made to portray them in a positive light with carefully worded statements. Have you heard of this new campaign yet?
Hi David–
Nope. This is the first I’ve heard of it. But you’re right, it’s not surprising.
Cheers–
MRE
My boy friend is Type II diabetic his blood count is 229 in the morning before he eats..He has a bowl of bran flakes. then 4 hrs. later his blood count is up to 450 sometimes a little lower. His blood count use to be lower in the morning with 130 but now it is over 200 or 300. I did suggest he should contact his Dr. about this but he hasn’t called him. He does eat late every night after he gets home from work at 8pm and eats an or two apple around 10pm, and sugar free pie with sugar free ice cream til late in the evening. He goes to bed around 12:30am. Get up at 10 am. He is over weight and has high cholesterol. I have tried to tell him he needs to get off the things late at night and what he is eating. Am I talking to the wall on this with him? He does take meds for his diabetes.He is 66 yrs. old (maybe no change at his age)He is 5′9″.
I can’t give medical advice over the internet, but it does sound to me like your boyfriend should have a real heart to heart with his physician.
Best–
MRE
Hi MRE,
I had a blood work done recently and my Blood Sugar is 123. And my A1C was at 6.2.
The doctor said I am pre-diabetic need to do exercise and have a diet plan or else I will become a diabetic in few months.
He has recommended a second test after 3 months.
Just wanted to know whether I am diabetic or a pre-diabetic and what are the chances of me getting my blood sugar and A1C back to normal.
Thanks and Warm Regards,
Alam
Hi Alam–
Your blood sugar levels and HgbA1c are elevated. I would recommend that you put yourself into the hands of a good doctor who knows how to use a low-carb diet. If you start a low-carb diet you should find your blood sugar and HgbA1c normalizing fairly quickly.
Good luck.
MRE
Hello!
I’m on a diet that subtracts the fiber from the total carbs and then that total is divided by 5 to see how many teaspoons of sugar I am eating per day. I eat soy products for protein and very limited fruit. I do eat veggies. While eating this way has stopped my cravings for carbs, I fear I’m not getting enough fiber. How does this differ from your plan? Any suggestions?
Thanks!!
My suggestion is that you not worry about fiber. The data don’t show that it does much of anything beneficial and may even be harmful. Click here and here to see a couple of posts I wrote on the fiber issue.
Cheers–
MRE
I have recently been diagnosed with diabetes. I got severely sick and ended up in the hospital with a blood sugar level of 596. I am now out of the hospital but I am having a hard time bring my number down past 250. The hospital gave me some medication and I have been taking it like clock work, I have also been watching what I eat and I only drink water or lemon water. I also started take omega 3 fish pills. I am in desperate need of nutritional advice. I look for food no sugar or very little and also no carbs or very little. Someone also told me I should watch out for my sodium intake. What is the highest I can go in counting the sugar and carb intake daily.
Since you are not my patient and I don’t know your medical history other than what little you provided (which is far from enough), I can’t possible recommend treatment for you. You need to put yourself in the hands of a physician experience in the use of low-carb diets in the treatment of diabetes. Such physicians usually put their diabetic patients on diets limited to 30-50 grams of carbohydrate per day.
Best–
MRE
you mentioned daily carbs of 50-60 per day with no sugar just wondering how you get fruit in your diet at that pace? been watching what i eat a little more lately (bp was 160/105 last reading although think reading was off) and usually have fruit for breakfast and snack in afternoon with an apple and an orange i am already over 50 carbs and 25-30 of sugar.
Who says you have to have fruit? Other than berries occasionally I almost never eat fruit.
Cheers–
MRE
Hi I have visited few website which offers excellent dietary supplements and protein shakes. I used to take Ultimate Nutrition’s “Isocool”. However i have also tasted “Optimum Nutrition’s 100% Whey” and liked it a lot. However while studying the nutritional facts for both of these product i have came across a fact which says both of these product has some level of cholesterol- to be precise 18 mg and 30 mg respectively. I suppose this must be LDL or bad cholesterol. So considering the cholesterol level, is it ok to still consume these product if my cholesterol level is at moderate level?
I would think so. I wouldn’t worry so much about the amount of cholesterol as I would worry whether the cholesterol was oxidized or not. Since it’s in a powder form, I would think that it was oxidized.
Best–
MRE
thanks a lot Ma’am
My pleasure.
This is really interesting. Your original post was Aug 31, 2005. I would not be here making a comment if not for the RSS. Quite amazing!
I remember reading this a long time ago, and have made the point many times to many people that the margin of “error” is extremely slim when in comes to blood sugar. It is always met with disbelief… 100% of the time. I’ve acquired the reputation of being some weirdo health freak sugar-free nut case.
The epidemic of Type II is tragic, but the epidemic of poor medical advice from the ADA and Docs who specialize in Diabetes care (and who should know better) is downright alarming!
Over and over they keep saying that Type II’s can eat sugar. Just last week, the “Today Show” nutritionist said Type II diabetics should STAY AWAY from artificial sweeteners and just eat sugar instead! That seems borderline criminal to me… they ought to be avoiding sugar like the plague.
Hi Karen–
I don’t have a clue what you mean by the RSS. I know what RSS is, but did it send you this particular post? I’m curious. I thought the posts only went out as I put them up, and as you noted, I put this one up over two years ago.
Oh, and your commentary is spot on.
Cheers–
MRE
Hi Dr. Eades,
The RSS feed does not send me the original posts, but it does show the 10 most recently posted comments in a bookmark-like format. If you look at the list at any given moment, you may see an interesting comment. Himanshu posted a comment on 12/5, so I clicked.
I think it’s valuable because it brings you back (albeit occasionally) to interesting topics that you may have forgotten about.
Hmm. So that’s how it works. I don’t read anything in RSS, so I didn’t have a clue.
Thanks–
MRE
This is a great site and thanks in advance for any help. I am a 33 yr old mom of 2 and I’ve been having some troubles over the past 2 years. I’m afraid I’ve developed some condition that renders me utterly incapable of dealing with cold weather (I’m literally nearly debilitated in the winter due to constantly freezing) that is combined with lethargy comparable to depression (but is not), a weight gain of nearly 60 lbs in under 10 months (that started 1.5 yrs ago and I went from 5′8″ and 155 lbs. to 215 lbs. and holding), I now loathe eating and sometimes only remember to do it because if I don’t I get the shakes, nausea, and light-headedness. Here recently, in the past couple of months, I’ve also begun getting very dizzy after almost every meal. My eating habits are absolutely horrible, I freely admit, but I almost feel conditioned to despise food by the poor self-image from the weight gain and the feeling of lethargy and now dizziness that eating produces. I also tend to keep a temperature of around 96.5 to 97.4 degrees throughout the day and into the night.
I had a series of blood tests done in Feb. 2007 because I suspected hypothyroidism but my thyroid levels came back normal. The only real discrepancy marked was a blood glucose level of 64 mg/dl which they marked as low. The thing is, though I had not eaten when this test was done at 9:15 am, I had drank at least 2 cups of coffee with about 5 tsps. of sugar (and perhaps 3 cups with 7.5 tsps. of sugar) and quite a bit of non-dairy creamer combined in the 1 hr – 1.5 hrs before the blood was drawn.
I don’t have insurance and I don’t have a lot of money to spend. I’d like a little more information before I go to the doctor or even if there is real reason to go. Is that blood glucose level excessively low, especially considering how much sugar had I had consumed just 60-90 minutes before? I am not in bad health all things considered, I am active, have a hemoglobin count of 15, cholesterol of 174, a hematocrit of 30%, am not on any type of medications and while I don’t recall the exact value my T3 uptake was at the low end of “normal” for what it’s worth. Any advice or bit of expertise would be greatly appreciated. This is a great thing you are doing here. Thank you!
Hi Paula–
I would ask for an oral glucose tolerance test at the very least. Your sugars could have been so low after the 7.5 tsp of sugar as a consequence of reactive hypoglycemia, which is a sign of insulin resistance. People who have reactive hypoglycemia shoot their blood sugars up whenever they consume carbohydrates and stimulate a huge insulin response, which then knocks their blood sugar way too low. Which then usually makes them hungry for carbs, which they eat and start the cycle again. If you undergo an oral glucose tolerance test, and you have reactive hypoglycemia it will be obvious.
Good luck.
MRE
I recently went through premature menopause – I’m 37. I had a lot of blood work done and my fasting blood sugar was 102. My physician followed up with an ha1c which was 5.3. He seemed to think I had nothing to worry about since I don’t have a family history of diabetes and weigh 118 pounds (5′5”). I have been scared that I might be prediabetic, so I am eating much better and exercising almost every day. Do you think I can relax a little, or am I on the road to diabetes? Could menopause have affected my blood sugar? Could the big bowl of ice cream with brownies the night before the test have affected the results?
Thanks,
Mary
Since I’m not your doctor and haven’t examined you or your labs or taken your medical history I can’t say whether or not you’re on the road to diabetes. I can say that a steady diet of ice cream and brownies will have an effect on your HgbA1c. And I can say that menopause does affect blood sugar. Read Dr. McCleary’s book to learn why or take a look at this blog post to read an excerpt on the subject of menopause and blood sugar.
Cheers–
MRE
I’ve been eating an all natural-nonfat Greek yogurt and was wondering what the nutritional benefits are. Here is the nutrition facts as noted on the container; Serving size, 1 container (150 g); Calories 80; Calories from Fat 0; Total Fat 0; Sat. Fat 0; Trans Fat 0; Cholest. 0mg; Sodium 55mg; Total Car. 6g; Fiber 0g; Sugars 6g; Protein 13g. It’s the sugar I’m concerned about.
The sugar content is about a teaspoon. It’s not really much compared to that in other yogurts, especially the flavored ones.
How much sugars are in fruits? When I drink fruit juices there is always a lot of sugar – like in apple juice – 28g. Eating an entirely plant based diet – what has sugar in it? What about agave syrup?
There is a lot of sugar in fruits. And a lot in agave syrup. The best fruit choices are berries if you want to keep sugar intake low and still eat fruit.
an organic lemonade is 11% juice, 21g of sugar, and 24g of carbohydrate,
ingredients are: filtered water, cane sugar, and lemon juice.
suggested serving size is 8oz.
question: is if a type 2 diabetic (controlled with diet and exercise), drinks one 8oz cup of this juice per day or every other day, what are the possible affects on blood glucose levels. blood glucose levels are within target range.
It means that if blood sugar levels are normal the body will have to get rid of about 5 teaspoons of sugar, or about five times what’s already in the blood. In a person with normal insulin function, this is pretty easy; in one with type II diabetes, it’s not so easy and could easily lead to elevated blood sugar.
I RECENTLY HAD SOME ISSUES WITH LOW BLOOD SUGAR. I NOTICED THAT I HAVE BEEN SLUGGISH, VERY TIRED, FATIGUE, SLURRED SPEECH AND COLD HANDS AND FEET, FEELING FAINT AND HUNGRY ALL THE TIME AND NAUSEATED. I WENT TO SEE THE DOC AND HE TOOK A BLOOD SUGAR AND IT WAS 75MG. THE HIGHEST AFTER EATING WAS 99MG, MY CONCERN IS THAT IT IS ALWAYS LOW NO MATTER WHAT I EAT AND I AM ALWAYS FEELING TIRED. HE RAN A PANEL OF BLOOD WORK ON MY LIVER, PANCREAS AND THYROID, BLOOD COUNT WHICH CAME BACK NORMAL. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS WRONG?
I haven’t a clue. I can’t make diagnoses and give medical advice over the internet to someone I’ve never seen or examined.
Hi – I am not a diabetic but do follow a low carb diet (your site is a great source of inspiration by the way.) I have become convinced over the years that whilst the simple carbohydrate content of ones diet is important to monitor, there is something especially insidious about refined sugar as an added ingredient. My thoughts on this are best summarised in a post I called “We’re all Junkies” (http://paynowlivelater.blogspot.com/2008/07/i-want-you-to-try-something.html).
I am interested to know how important (if at all) you see this distinction as in terms of impact to the body. For example – I would avoid a savoury food that contains refined sugar in the ingredients list in favour of a handful of dates even though the likely insulin response to the latter would be greater….
Probably the thing that is most insidious about refined sugar is the fact that regular table sugar (sucrose) is half fructose. It seems that fructose is the major problem. The carbohydrate that you find in breads, pastas, and even fruits and vegetables is glucose or starch, which is simply a bunch of glucose molecules hooked together. Certainly some fruits contain fructose, but nothing on the order of what you find in the normal amount of sugar used for sweetening. You are wise to avoid sugar and especially high-fructose corn syrup, today’s commercial sweetener of choice.
Thanks for replying – I appreciate you probably get a lot of comments to read. People often cite the existence of fructose in fruit as a reason it cannot be bad and this really hampers my attempts to make people understand its (and refined sugar’s) dangers. I will be emailing your comment to them for added weight!
Sorry, I forgot to make the link in my previous comment a proper link – hopefully this time it will be clickable! We’re all Junkies
Hello, I have been following a low carb diet for about 2 weeks now and my fasting blood sugar is 111. Back in 2001 I was diagnosed with PCOS, however, I was not convinced that I had this syndrome so I did not follow up on it. However as of late, I have gained a massive amount of weight and have experienced some male-patterned baldness and irregular menses. I will be scheduling an appointment with an endocrinologist soon. My question is should I eat carbs a few days before I get the lab work done and if so, why?
If part of your workup is to have a oral glucose tolerance test, and if you have been on a carb-restricted diet for any amount of time, you should increase your carb intake for several days before your test. Increasing your carb intake for a few days will give you time to produce the enzymes you need to properly metabolize the glucose. If not, your glucose tolerance test may indicate that you are glucose intolerant when you really aren’t. If you do have PCOS, however, I suspect that your test will show some level of glucose intolerance even if you do eat carbs for several days before.
Health food stores (at least in the UK) can be a Trojan horse for sugar-laden foods, and are arguably more culpable than McDonalds because of how they position themselves to the public -
The Worst Sugar Pushers of all – Health Food Stores
Do you have a similar situation in the US?
Methuselah
Pay Now Live Later
Yep. We sure do. But don’t worry. The sugar available in our health food stores is all organic pure cane sugar, so it’s got to be okay. Right?
My blood count is Col-119, Trig.-150, LDL-67, HDL-35, Glucose 107..How can I get the glucose down so as not to become a Type 2-Diabetic and the HDL up..I also have just been diagnosed with low testosterone.
I’m sorry but I can’t give specific medical advice over the internet. I would say that the low testosterone can contribute, so you may want to talk to your physician about the possibility of starting on a testosterone cream in the appropriate dose.
The fact that this post is attracting comments even after three years indicates the popularity of your blogs. It is pleasure combined with education to read them. Also, thanks for answering the comments promptly. I have one difficulty with the blood glucose numbers cited here. I read somewhere that plasma glucose levels are around 12% higher than full blood glucose levels. What do you recommend as healthy and upper limits of fasting and postprandial blood sugar numbers and HbA1c. Are they plasma values?
Actually plasma/serum glucose is about 15 percent higher than whole blood glucose. I use the serum values (which are about the same as plasma), and I like to see fasting glucose levels in the 70-80 range. Certainly not greater than 100 mg/dl. I like to see HbA1c levels below 5.
hi
my blood glucose is highest in the morning fasting reading which is between 116 -125.
after dinner i am between 100 to 110 usually and that is after i walk for about 45 minutes.
so why should it rise so much while im sleeping?
im taking metformin 1000 mg at breakfast and 1000mg at dinner.
i get frustrated because i exercise and deprive myself of so much food and snacks and
im only at 120 in am which is high normal
thanks
The rise in blood sugar early in the morning is called the dawn phenomenon. You can read about it here.
hi doc
was wondering if i were to ingest 20 gms of sugar as opposed to 20 gms of carbs
before my workout , what would my result be after i finished with my workout?
i know carbs are used as fuel for energy and can be burned off but can sugar be burned off just as well and as fast ? after all carbs are long chains of sugars put together as a whole compound which basically seems all the same thing to me, sugar and sugar and sugar.
so whats worse for a diabetic— sugar or carbs??????????
i noticed today after i had 1/2 of nectarine fruit before my workout that my sugar
level remained the same at the end of my workout 2 hours later.
it was 121 after my workout and usually i get between 85 to 110 after my workouts
so i wonder if that small nectarine fruit attributed to that poor 121 result after my workout.
thanks in advance
im sure that you are not only helping me with your concrete advice but others as well
facilitating their diabetic progress and knowledge associated with this awful disease.
You are correct in that carbs are sugar. Some carbs are broken down a little more slowly, but in the end, they are all sugar.
I would bet that the elevated sugar you found after your workout was as a result of the nectarine, but I can’t be sure. According to the USDA a nectarine contains about 14 g carb, so 1/2 nectarine would have around 7 grams, which is a little more than a teaspoon. Since at a blood sugar of between 85-110 your entire blood volume contains about a teaspoon of sugar, adding this other teaspoon plus could certainly cause a blood sugar rise in someone with type I diabetes. Pure sugar will cause a blood sugar rise a little more quickly, but it will still rise from the carb found in fruit, grains, etc.
would taking metformin at bedtime help reduce the dawn effect so i can get a lower morning fasting reading?
It should. You would have to try it to see.
hi
will carbohydrates such as pasta,rice.pizza,and bread that i eat for lunch or dinner
on monday affect or have an impact on my tuesday morning reading?
also how long does it take for meals to get absorbed and continue to rise your sugar
levels? i am type 2 diabetic.
when i eat bread and pizza i feel so full the whole day and not hungry at all and assuming i dont have the dawn phen/affect i think its the carbs that i eat the day before that
raises my next morning fasting sugar readings which are in normal range of 120 but not
below 100 where i would prefer them to be
thanks again
Eating carbs for lunch of dinner on Monday should have no affect on your Tuesday morning blood sugars other than the overall deterioration of the body’s ability to handle glucose brought on by the chronic overconsumption of carbs.
do sugar alcohols get more absorbed on an empty stomach?
i noticed a 30 point rise 97 to 127 ( 3 hours after breakfast) which consisted of 3 sugar free oatmeal cookies and 1 slice of sugar free cake both with carbs and carb sugar alcohol.
Different sugar alcohols are absorbed at different rates and in different amounts, so it’s hard to say. And there is all the rest of the carb in the ’sugar free’ cookie that has to be dealt with.
Somehow I think you’ve confused this blog with a doctor question and answer column in a newspaper. I really can’t give specific answers to personal questions. If I did, I would spend my entire day answering personal questions from readers. Why don’t you try the Protein Power forum. It’s populated with intelligent, helpful people who are experienced and can answer a lot of your questions.
Hi Doc,
I thought you might find this interesting. I was diagnosed back in Jauary as having diabetes. After an inital misdiagnosis of type 2 by my regular doctor, and having more thorough blood work done, I was diagnosed as type 1.5 (I’m 30, skinny) My fasting blood sugar on the first test was 275! Tests I took on my onetouch a few weeks later even showed results of up to 300 after eating. Now after several months of staying away from sugar and high carb foods not even having taken any medicine and being scared to check my blood sugar, I just took my fasting blood sugar this morning before breakfast and it said 108. My blood sugar two hours after eating a big dinner in which I had about 10 grapes, meatloaf, noodle chicken soup, salad and 1/10 cup grape juice was 148. Is this even possible by normal convention?!?!
Is what possible? Having a morning fasting blood sugar of 108 or having a blood sugar of 148 after a meal with a fair amount of carb. Both are possible.
Hi doc.
Love what I am reading from you. I do however believe that a completely balanced diet, one with natural carbs (when I am active I eat more) of about 15 per meal and 7.5 per snack a day with a healthy protien and fat ,(butter, sour cream peanut butter etc.) is the best way to go. What do you think? I have much more energy and my hormones and blood sugar stay regular. I have my kids on the same eating plan and they do great. We have diabetes on my side and my husbands side so I am trying to teach them now that it is a better way to eat and live. Keep the yuckies away so to speak. I have also found that if I eat more nonstartchy vegies the less carbs I need from startchy ones and I still have energy and feel great. How does all this sound to you?
If it works for you, go for it.
Just googled “spoon full of sugar insulin response” and thankfully your site came up first – just ahead of this guy.
http://www.inthezonefitness.comBodyfat%20Reduction%20and%20the%20Insulin%20Response.htm
The very first line just riles me up!
I couldn’t get the link to come up. Please resend.
how long does it take for 1 gram of sugar to dissolve into the body?
and how long until sugar takes effect within the body?
Almost immediately on both counts.
My friend has heart problems & watches his sodium carefully….. no more than 500 mg per meal with no more than 2200 sodiums per day. My brother-in-law is diabetic and says there are no #’s as to how many mg’s of sugar he can have daily. Keeping in mind the food labels, isn’t there SOME # I can pass onto him regarding sugar mg’s per day?
My recommendation would be to take in as little as possible. I eat no sugar each day, and I’m not diabetic. I’m sure your friend could do that to, and would no doubt greatly improve his diabetes as the same time.
Dear Dr. Eades,
I’ve been a PP fan since 2002, and have recommended your books to many, many friends and colleagues. I went from 229 to 179 (I’m a 6′1″ male). Unfortunately, I slowly succumbed again to the lure of carbs, thinking I’d be safe in moderation and running half marathons, but just as slowly my weight crept back up to 205. I’ve been firmly back in the low carb, PP fold for three weeks now, feeling great, and now 199. Research led me to this blog post after I got a lab result for fasting blood glucose at 103. The physician’s comment accompanying the result was “borderline, check again in a year” (all other readings, including cholesterol and triglycerides were described as “excellent”), and I wanted to educate myself about the fasting blood sugar test.
I almost never comment on blogs, but I have to thank you and MD for your thoughtful, thorough, and patient blogging and replies to comments. I am a lawyer by profession, but I have an undergraduate degree in biology — I love science, and I very much appreciate that you take the time and trouble to lay out the science in your books and your blogging. I have learned, and continue to learn, a lot from you and MD. And I also enjoy reading about your family, love of fine food and drink, and interesting travels!
Thanks again,
Mike
Thanks very much for the kind words. I appreciate them. Glad you’ve enjoyed all the material.