Understanding Glucose: Benefits and Risks for Body Health

Glucose is a form of sugar that is often associated with various diseases. In fact, there is a function of glucose in food for body health.

The body needs glucose to maintain a good metabolism. However, there are reasonable intake limits and must be adhered to so as not to overdo it.

With regard to the function of glucose in food for the body, it is interesting to discuss it further. Check out the full review in the following explanation of what glucose is and its function for the body.

Understanding Glucose as a Form of Carbohydrates

Glucose is also often referred to as simple sugars. Glucose is the result of photosynthesis, namely the manufacture of food that occurs in plants.

Glucose in plants is produced with the help of sunlight. This is because sunlight changes the green substance of leaves, water, and carbon dioxide into sugar and oxygen.

Oxygen will be exhaled into the air, while glucose will be circulated to all parts of the plant. Therefore, vegetables also contain glucose which is beneficial to the body.

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When the plant is consumed, the human body also obtains the glucose. Then, glucose is also known to come from carbohydrates obtained from food.

Carbohydrates are organic substances such as fats, vitamins and proteins. Carbohydrates are divided into monosaccharides, polysaccharides, oligosaccharides and disaccharides.

Monosaccharides are the simplest sugars. Glucose is included in monosaccharides, namely the simplest carbohydrates and cannot be broken down into smaller parts.

The Function of Glucose in Food for the Body

The function of glucose in foods such as vegetables, fruit, and others is basically as a source of energy. In effect, the body becomes more energetic so that daily activities run smoothly. The following is a more detailed explanation of the function of glucose in food for the body.

1. Source of Energy

The function of glucose in food for the body is for the body to obtain energy. As previously stated, glucose is the main source of energy.

Almost all body cells need glucose to work. These cells include red blood cells, cells in the kidneys, muscle cells, brain and nerve cells, and so on.

2. Formation of Other Substances

Apart from being a source of energy for the body, the function of glucose in food for the body is to form other important substances including protein and fat. Glucose forms genetic components such as ribonucleic acid and deoxyribonucleic acid.

Both are important ingredients in the formation of proteins. In addition, glucose helps to form nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate or NADPH to form fatty acids.

3. Execute Brain Function

The function of glucose in food for other humans is so that the brain can work properly. Glucose is the main energy source for brain tissue which helps form alpha ketoglutarate.

Alpha ketoglutarate functions to remove ammonia poison which is harmful to nerve cells. In addition, glucose also helps the formation of neurotransmitters which are chemicals for sending messages between nerve cells.

4. Helps Oxygen Circulation

Next, there is the function of glucose in other foods for the body, namely to circulate oxygen throughout the body. Glucose is needed by red blood cells to form bisphosphoglycerate.

Bisphosphoglycerate is a substance to release oxygen from hemoglobin in red blood cells to body tissues. Red blood cells also need glucose to protect the body from free radicals.

Free radicals can cause health problems because they damage cells and increase the risk of disease. These diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and so on.

Diseases Caused by Excess Glucose Levels

Glucose has various benefits for the body, but glucose can also cause disease. After carbohydrates in food are processed into glucose and distributed throughout the body, glucose also affects the body’s performance.

If there is too much glucose or it doesn’t function properly, dangerous diseases can appear, such as diabetes. Diabetes can be classified into two types, namely diabetes type one and two.

The cause of type 1 diabetes is due to immune cells that attack pancreatic cells so that the body lacks insulin. Type two diabetes is caused by a condition of insulin resistance.
In type two diabetes, the liver does not respond to the insulin that is in the body. This causes excess glucose production and causes metabolic disorders.

When there is too much glucose in the body, the pancreas will work excessively to produce insulin to balance blood sugar. This will cause damage to the pancreas organ due to overwork, as a result this organ may not be able to work properly and can no longer produce insulin.

If the pancreas cannot function properly, the blood sugar level in the body becomes difficult to control. As a result, more serious complications such as blindness, skin and heart infections can occur and cause coma.

That is an explanation of what glucose is, the function of glucose in food for health, and diseases associated with glucose levels. Furthermore, it can be seen that glucose is indeed beneficial for the body, but the level of glucose consumption must also be considered so that it does not have a negative impact on the body.