In my three-part Glycemia series of posts, I wrote about the ill-effects of excessive quantities of sugar in the blood and how the body strives to maintain a steady concentration of blood-sugar. But even though the science is clear and the results unquestionable, humans in general and Americans in particular continue to consume massive quantities of sugar everyday either knowingly or unknowingly.
Hidden Sugars
How does one consume sugar “unknowingly” you ask? Check out MSNBC Health’s “Blood sugar can be anyone’s problem” article for the chilling answers and their implications:
The average American consumes more than a pound of refined sugar a week. It sounds unbelievable until you realize that sugar goes by more than 50 names and is an ingredient in virtually all processed foods, from your morning doughnut to the ketchup on your burger. [MSNBC Health]
It’s true. Sugar, in all its forms like High Fructose Corn Syrup,High Maltose Corn Syrup, Fructose, Dextrose, Maltodextrin and so on are now present in a majority of everyday grocery items from ketchups and jams to bread and soda.
What is High-Normal Blood Sugar?
The problem is that most people are not properly diagnosed with what is now being called “High-Normal” Blood Sugar. In his condition, the sugar level of the individual is not really in the danger level, but is still high enough to cause concern. But often, this is a condition that is just ignored during regular medical screenings or annual physicals. By one estimate 16 million Americans have “High-Normal” Blood Sugar levels according to the article.
So what are the blood-sugar ranges?
Normal blood sugar ranges from 60 to 90 milligrams of glucose per 100 milliliters of blood (mg/dl) before a meal. High-normal blood sugar is defined as 100 to 125 mg/dl (full-blown type 2 diabetes is diagnosed at 126 mg/dl and above). [MSNBC Health]
So, by simply categorizing patients as either diabetic or not misses this crucial “danger-range” patients who are on the brink of diabetes and deserve all the warning the can get. It is time to ensure all patients are effectively screened for “High-Normal” Blood Sugar to prevent a full-blown epidemic.
