Without question, one of the greatest epidemics of modern man is the epidemic of high blood sugar.
High blood sugar effects include, first and foremost, elevated levels of the hormone insulin. Insulin, a fat storage hormone named after ?insulation,? leads to a disorder known as metabolic syndrome ? a pre-diabetic condition that typically includes elevated triglycerides, high blood pressure, low HDL, and obesity. This disorder puts one at risk for every illness associated with obesity, such as heart disease, most cancers, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and type 2 diabetes ? just to name a few.
So right there, you have an incredibly powerful list of high blood sugar effects. It increases the risk of:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Obesity
- Type 2 diabetes
- Cancer
- Depression and other emotional disorders
- Alzheimer’s and other neurological disorders
High blood sugar effects also include an increased propensity to develop tooth decay and gum disease. There is no question, especially when one considers the work of Emanuel Cheraskin and certainly Melvin Page, that fasting glucose levels of greater than 85 mg/dl put one at much greater risk of developing these problems ? as well as many others, as Melvin Page for example, treated EVERY health problem effectively by returning his patient’s blood sugar levels to 85 mg/dl.
High blood sugar affects us all in a negative way by leading to increased inflammation. A chemical process known as glycation, in which sugars bond with proteins, is the end result of having high blood sugar levels. The glycated hemoglobin test, HbA1c, or simply the A1c test as it is known, tracks this level of glycation ? which gives us a good ballpark estimate for what our average blood sugar levels are. The higher the glycation, the greater the damage to cells, blood vessels, arteries, and more. This all increases inflammation levels, and leads to higher incidence of all degenerative disease.
This is the explanation for why institutions such as Harvard University are finding a very close link with inflammation and virtually every known disease state. It is no coincidence. Because of the prevalence of high blood sugars amongst citizens of all nations, each of these diseases has been rising steadily throughout the course of the 20th century.
High blood sugar, because of the damage it can inflict upon the overall metabolism, can also lower the metabolism. The body lowers its metabolism primarily by lowering the body temperature. This sets up a state in which the body fights infection more poorly, is more prone to infectious disease, creates an overactivation of the immune system to compensate (potentially leading to allergies, food allergies, and autoimmune conditions), and leads to even more inflammation. This all tends to spiral out of control, which is why high blood sugar gets progressively higher as the years go by until we’ve developed a serious health condition ? and potentially full-blown type 2 diabetes.
Don’t worry though. This is not just another dime-a-dozen low-carb site that says carbohydrates are bad because they raise blood sugar and lead to this downward spiral. Nope. Carbohydrates do not have that effect, and the right type of carbohydrate can lead to a healthy blood sugar level ? even in those with metabolic syndrome x. In the words of Denis Burkitt:
?It is of interest that diets high in fiber-rich cereals and tuberous vegetables tend to result in an improvement in basal blood glucoses. ???
In a strange, counterintuitive kind of way, high blood sugar levels can also lead to low blood sugar levels. High blood sugar levels lead to a large release of insulin, which stores too much glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells. The result is hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. Low blood sugar effects are not pretty, as the adrenals turn on hyperdrive. This is a massive stress to the body, and low blood sugar levels are associated with depression, rage, impaired cognition, automobile accidents, and even criminal behavior. It is just one step closer to having full-blown type 2 diabetes.
This is just a short list of reasons to join 180DegreeHealth, where you will access the most accurate and dependable blood sugar information. It will help you prevent type 2 diabetes with almost 100% certainty, the constellation of health problems associated with it, and in some cases will even help to overturn some of these dire conditions. You too can have a blood sugar of 85 mg/dl, A1c’s under 5%, and the wonderful health that comes along with it.
For more on lowering blood sugars, read the groundbreaking book, 180 Degree Diabetes: Preventing and Reversing Insulin Resistance, Metabolic Syndrome, and Type 2 Diabetes.