When research studies come out and prove that you’ve always believed, you have to love it.
This experience was when a systematic review and meta-analysis in the September 2016 Journal of Emergency Medicine (see results from multiple studies simultaneously) compared the rates of glucose tablets with dietary sugars to treat hypoglycemia in adults with low symptoms.
The sugar food types tested included sucrose (table sugar), fructose (fructose), orange juice (including fructose), jellybian, mentos, cornstarch hydrolysate, skittle and milk.
Compiled data from four studies suggested:
“Compared to dietary sugars, glucose tablets have a higher rate of symptomatic hypoglycemia 15 minutes after ingestion, and should be considered first when treating symptomatic hypoglycemia in awake patients.”
In other words, glucose worked quickly to resolve symptoms of low mood.
Find out more in this video or watch below.
Why does glucose work faster?
That’s because glucose is the actual sugar in the blood you’re trying to grow.
Our diet includes three simple sugars: glucose, fructose and galactose. Sucrose (table sugar) is a compound sugar that is only half glucose and half fructose.
Fructose increases blood glucose much more slowly than glucose, as shown by the glycemic index. This is because fructose needs to be converted to glucose. For this reason, juice is not the ideal treatment for hypoglycemia and is very easy to consume. Lactose (lactic acid) is half glucose and half galactose, so milk can act more slowly (especially if it contains fat).
Some people say other treatment options work faster than glucose. That’s not surprising, as even this meta-analysis found that neither glucose nor dietary sugars properly increased blood glucose levels within 10-15 minutes.
It occurs because it is low for all kinds of reasons, such as missing meals, exercising, or overestimating your insulin needs, so how to handle it best depends on many factors and not all treatments work the same in all situations.
The rate at which blood glucose levels reach hypoglycemia levels also changes. This changes just as much as how low and how low.
However, if some glucose is convenient, the fastest way to grow blood sugar first is to consume glucose tablets and gels, GU (maltodextrin), Gatorade drinks (glucose polymer), and even smart candy (another name for glucose) by taking straight glucose available in glucose tablets and gels, GU (maltodextrin), Gatorade drinks (glucose polymer), perhaps the fastest way.
Depending on the amount of more glucose, another carbohydrate snack, mixed nutrition snack (including fat and protein), or why it was lowered in the first place, you may need to trace your glucose intake with flumeir.
To treat hypoglycemia, focus on doing three things:
- Increase blood sugar from a low range as quickly as possible
- Do not overtreat low ones
- You don’t eat more calories than you need.
For these reasons, it is recommended to use at least a small amount of glucose to relieve your initial symptoms and determine the amount of insulin you ate, the level of activity, etc. when you last eat.
Honestly, there’s nothing worse than feeling low for a long time, except that after eating everything in front of you, it gets higher later.
You also don’t want to gain excess fat weight by treating too many low prices or overtreating them (you’ll need more insulin later). For all these reasons, treat them with as few calories as possible! Get ready and carry some glucose with you at all times along with other snacks.