In this article, I briefly explain why high blood sugar levels increase oxidative stress.

Why does blood sugar level rise?

First of all, what is “blood sugar”?

Blood glucose is the glucose present in the blood.

And blood glucose level is the concentration of blood sugar in the blood. Normally, fasting blood glucose, or the concentration when you are hungry, is set as a standard that is not a problem if it is less than 100mg/dl. When you have a blood glucose test, you may have been told to eat before 9:00 p.m. on the day before the checkup and not to eat breakfast, but this is because you need to fast for about 4 to 14 hours to check your fasting blood glucose.

This blood sugar level rises especially after eating. This is because the carbohydrates we eat are digested and converted into glucose, which is then taken into the bloodstream to provide energy for the body. If you are healthy, your blood glucose level will drop to about 140mg/dl in about two hours.

Insulin and sugar metabolism

Insulin is secreted by the beta cells of the islets of Langerhans in the organ called pancreas.

Insulin is a hormone that brings down the blood sugar level that has risen due to meals, etc. It is said to be the only hormone that can lower the blood sugar level.

Insulin plays a major role in glucose metabolism, which is the process of lowering blood sugar levels = converting blood sugar into energy.

Simply put, glucose metabolism is the process of converting sugar taken into the body into energy for activity.

First, ingested carbohydrates are converted into glucose, and as it begins to flow into the bloodstream, insulin secreted by the pancreas prompts the glucose to enter the cells of the muscles and liver.

The cells of the muscles and liver (mitochondria) that take up the glucose convert it into energy, which is used for activities or stored for emergencies.

High blood sugar levels

When insulin is not secreted properly or does not work properly, glucose metabolism does not work properly and glucose that cannot be converted into energy flows out into urine. This is diabetes mellitus.

Furthermore, if insulin does not work properly in the state of diabetes, the elevated blood glucose level will not go down, and the blood glucose level will remain high, damaging the blood and organs and causing complications.

Why does high blood sugar levels raise oxidative stress?

So why does oxidative stress increase when blood sugar levels are high? A paper on the reason for this has recently come out.

According to Professor Emeritus Hirokazu Tsubone of the Laboratory of Biological Effects Evaluation, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Tokyo, who is currently collaborating with the Department of Antioxidant Research, Joint Research Division, Gifu University

“When blood sugar levels are high, the body’s energy-producing cells, organelles called mitochondria, slack off.”

That’s right.

Originally, mitochondria, which are organelles, use oxygen taken in through respiration when making energy, but when blood sugar levels are high, the mitochondria slack off, causing oxidative stress to rise, according to a paper published in 2018. Other similar papers have come out recently.

To begin with, glucose, which is blood sugar, is easily converted into energy, which causes the mitochondria, which should be able to work more, to not work enough. When this happens, all of the oxygen that was taken into the body to create energy is left unused by the mitochondria. This excess oxygen becomes reactive oxygen species, which increases oxidative stress in the body.

Finally.

If we examine our living environment and other factors from our past history, we humans must not have taken carbohydrates for millions of years. Therefore, our bodies are originally designed to consume proteins and fats and convert them into energy. However, in the past 100 years or so, our lifestyle has changed to one of eating large amounts of carbohydrates, and our body has not been able to cope with it.

Oxidative stress goes up when blood sugar levels go up. Oxidative stress makes the body rusty. In order to achieve a long and healthy life, we need to try to live a life that suppresses oxidative stress on a daily basis. In this context, a diet that prevents oxidative stress from rising is very important.

From what I have told you, in order to lower oxidative stress, it is very theoretical and effective for you to limit your sugar intake.