💊What is Glucose Tolerance?
Glucose tolerance refers to your body’s ability to manage blood glucose levels after consuming sugar. Pro-tip: You want your body to be really good at this.
When you ingest glucose or carbohydrates in general, glucose ends up entering the bloodstream (after a few steps that are not relevant right now) and triggers the pancreas to release insulin. Insulin allows cells to absorb glucose to be used for energy or stored for future use. Congrats, you are now caught up in biochemistry. 👍🏽
Well it turns out that the efficiency of that entire process depends on a few things, and the less efficient that process is, the more free-floating sugar you will have bouncing around and causing damage (nonenzymatic glycosylation), and the more insulin your pancreas will be required to release to get the situation under control.
Factors that Affect Glucose Tolerance
Factors that affect glucose tolerance include genetics, age, physical activity, diet, and body weight. Poor glucose tolerance, often indicated by higher blood sugar levels after eating, can lead to insulin resistance.
Complications
After insulin resistance, poor glucose tolerance can eventually progress into metabolic disorders such as prediabetes, type 2 diabetes. and metabolic syndrome.
Assessing glucose tolerance typically involves a glucose tolerance test, where blood sugar levels are measured at different time intervals after consuming a glucose-rich drink. This test helps provide a clearer picture of how effectively your body processes sugar and can identify early signs of metabolic dysfunction.
🤔 Why you need to know:
Its important you understand how these medical terms we have been discussing are related: Hyperinsulinemia (lots of insulin in your blood), is caused by insulin resistance (your cells are not responsive to normal insulin signal), because you are always eating sugar, making your cells experience something similar to alarm fatigue… and that whole thing results in poor glucose tolerance, which eventually leads to diabetes, the most expensive disease.
Hence, understanding glucose tolerance is crucial for identifying early signs of metabolic disorders. If any of you end up getting diabetes I sweragod. Here are some practical steps to improve glucose tolerance:
- Exercise Regularly: Physical activity helps muscles use glucose more effectively.
- Healthy Diet: Focus on a balanced diet rich in fiber, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
- Maintain a Healthy Weight: Excess weight can impair glucose tolerance.
- Monitor Blood Sugar Levels: Regular monitoring can help you track and manage your glucose tolerance.
🧠 Trivia:
The glucose tolerance test was first introduced in the 1920s. It was developed as a diagnostic tool to better understand and manage diabetes.
