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Low blood sugar is hypoglycemia. Let us look at sugar in
body cells, and when low, we can call that hypoglycellia. Glucose is the sugar
involved. Other sugars are converted to glucose for cellular use. Blood sugar is
the focal point of diabetes and pre-diabetes, probably because of tradition,
habit, and because it is easily measured. But what about its effect? We expect
blood sugar, too high or too low, to have terrible consequences. Maybe not.
Maybe we confuse association with cause. Most of the effect of blood sugar is
inside the body cells. That is where the chemical factories are. That is where
sugar is used.
The relationship between blood glucose and cell glucose depends on two factors:
gradient and transport. A high gradient, more blood glucose or low cell glucose,
should result in more glucose entering the cell. Insulin controls glucose
transport into the cell.
Usually, when blood glucose is high, cell glucose is low. Perhaps high blood
glucose has a purpose; to increase gradient when cells need more. Blood sugar
and cell sugar likely has an irregular, but rational relationship
Glucose is the main energy source of any cell. If it is too high, which can
happen with lectin sensitivity or with excess insulin, it is likely converted to
fat. If it is too low, the cell is deprived of energy, and function is reduced.
That may be the way diabetes does its damage.
Why would cell glucose be low? 1. Hypoglycemia; not enough glucose in the blood.
2. Insulin resistance; glucose is not transported into the cell.
Why would blood glucose be low? 1. Starvation. 2. Excess insulin.
Why would blood glucose be high? 1. Eating too much, but that is quickly
stabilized by reliable regulatory processes. 2. Low insulin in diabetes type 1,
and insulin resistance. Insulin resistance may not be limited to diabetes type
2, or to pre-diabetes.
Insulin resistance causes high blood glucose and low cell glucose. This is
important: When blood glucose is high, cell glucose may be low. That is the
neglected fact that may explain much about diabetes and other chronic diseases.
Cell glucose can also be low when there is insulin resistance long before that
insulin resistance results in high blood glucose and diagnosis of diabetes or
metabolic syndrome. Insulin level, then, might be the most important diagnostic
test. (Cardiologist All Sears says so.)
It may be, then, that along with steps to reduce insulin resistance, a little
ingested glucose at appropriate times may be more effective for many chronic
diseases and neurological symptoms than all the drugs on the market. (That was
the case with Bob Ranson, author of the book TYPE 4 DIABETES. You also may also
have seen it happen, and didn’t make the connection.)
Thousands of books, research reports and websites discuss problems with high
blood glucose, but omit any mention of low cell glucose. Correcting this may be
an answer not only to complications of diabetes, but to numerous other chronic
conditions in which cell glucose could be a factor.
Of these, we can be confident:
1. Cells are often deprived of glucose when blood sugar is high.
2. Cell sugar will be raised when we counter insulin resistance with magnesium
supplement (+ exercise, chromium, cinnamon extract, etc), or more quickly with
dextrose tablets. (Glucose as a food substance is often called dextrose.)
These are likely:
1. Some of the complications of diabetes and all the symptoms of pre-diabetes
(syndrome X or metabolic syndrome) are due to low cell sugar.
2. Cell sugar may be too low even when blood sugar is normal. Insulin resistance
may occur for years before it results in high blood sugar. This may explain why
neuropathy sometimes precedes diabetes.
3. Numerous conditions may be related to low cell sugar: Alzheimer’s disease,
chronic fatigue, … . Almost any chronic disease could be considered.
4. Keeping cell sugar level up may be beneficial for numerous chronic
conditions.
Open our minds to the potential importance of hypoglycellia! This can transform
our understanding of chronic diseases. If a person is sick and tired, with or
without diabetes, fibromyalgia, or anemia, a person may have low cell sugar and
fail to find medical help.
Ira Edwards (author of HONEST NUTRITION) July 23, 2007
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