What Is the Effect of Food on the Blood Sugar Level?

Blood sugar combined with insulin provides the body with energy. Too much or too little blood sugar can result in hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia. These conditions carry both short- and long-term medical risks including seizures, coma and death.

Function

• Carbohydrates convert to blood sugar in the bloodstream. The pancreas secretes insulin, which bonds with the blood sugar. They then circulate through the muscles and organs, providing them with fuel.

Normal Levels

• Normal blood sugar levels are 70 mg/dL to 120 mg/dL (milligrams of glucose to deciliters of blood).

Postprandial Levels

• Postprandial blood sugar levels, or blood sugar levels after eating a meal, will elevate depending on the amount of carbohydrates eaten. Two hours after eating a meal, a healthy person's blood sugar levels should return to normal, whereas a diabetic's levels may be as high as 180 mg/dL.

Carbohydrates

• Carbohydrates can be simple or complex. A meal loaded with simple carbohydrates can increase the blood sugar levels too high and then send them crashing below normal levels. The Glycemic Index provides data for many foods, including good and bad carbohydrates.

Testing

• Blood sugar levels can be tested at home using a glucose meter, which can be purchased at any pharmacy.