Type 2 diabetes can be a 'devastating diagnosis' says expert
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Hyperglycaemia, high blood sugar, can be potentially dangerous if blood sugar levels become very high or stay high for long periods. Diabetes UK says: “Your blood sugar levels go up and down throughout the day and for people living with diabetes these changes are larger and happen more often than in people who don’t have diabetes.”
Hyperglycaemia, or a hyper, can happen when your blood glucose (sugar) levels are too high – usually above 7mmol/l before a meal and above 8.5mmol/l two hours after a meal.
The British Heart Foundation explains that sugar in the blood is also known as glucose, and is your body’s main source of energy.
The charity says: “Glucose is carried through the bloodstream to cells around the body to give them energy to work. When there’s glucose in the bloodstream, the pancreas (an organ near the stomach) makes a hormone (a chemical messenger) called insulin. Insulin tells the body’s cells to absorb the glucose and use it as energy.
“In somebody with diabetes, their body can’t absorb glucose because there is a problem with their insulin.”
There are certain foods that should those struggling with high blood sugar avoid, according to Dr Crystal Wyllie, Asda Online Doctor by ZAVA.
She said: “Cutting down on any sugary beverages can help lower your blood sugar levels. These drinks are high in carbs and loaded with fructose. This can affect your sugar levels as it impacts gut bacteria and insulin secretion.”
It is also important to cut down on refined sugar as an excessive amount of refined sugar (such as fructose or glucose) “can be hazardous for our blood sugar levels and is connected to developing type two diabetes”.
The doctor added: “Most processed foods, such as white bread, rice and pasta, are high in carbs and low in fibre.
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“If a person with diabetes consumes a lot of carbohydrates in one sitting, blood sugar levels can be dangerously high, leading to significant damage over time.
“Fibre is one of the most important elements to help slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, so reducing low fibre food in your diet results in a negative impact on blood sugar levels.”
The doctor noted that certain foods may have “hidden sugar” as lots of foods can have sugar added to them, even if they’re marketed as healthy choices.
The doctor explained: “Foods like breakfast cereal and yoghurts can contain lots of sugar, as can condiments … and even fruit smoothies can have lots of added sugar.”
Dr Crystal said it’s recommended that UK adults have no more than 30 grams of free sugars every day – “around 7 sugar cubes, so it’s not much”.
The glycaemic index (GI) is a rating system for foods containing carbohydrates. It shows how quickly each food affects your blood sugar (glucose) level when that food is eaten on its own.
Some low GI foods, such as wholegrain foods, fruit, vegetables, beans and lentils, are foods we should eat as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
However, “using the glycaemic index to decide whether foods or combinations of foods are healthy can be misleading”, says the NHS.
The health body says that symptoms of hyperglycaemia in people with diabetes tend to develop slowly over a few days or weeks, though “in some cases, there may be no symptoms until the blood sugar level is very high”.
In people with diabetes, hyperglycaemia can be triggered by stress, being ill, not getting enough exercise or eating too much.
The NHS notes that if you have diabetes, “no matter how careful you are, you’re likely to experience hyperglycaemia” at some point.
It adds: “Occasional mild episodes are not usually a cause for concern and can be treated quite easily or may return to normal on their own.”
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