Dehydration and Blood Sugar Levels
A question came up today with one of my clients who has Adult Onset Diabetes (typically known as Type II Diabetes). The questions was, "Does dehydration cause blood sugar levels to increase?". My initial response was, "Yes." I figured if you are dehydrated it would make your blood thicker and make the sugar levels more concentrated. But since I am not a doctor (although I did sleep at a Holiday Inn last night) I wanted to make sure my answer was correct.
So here is what I found out from several different resources...
- Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that is composed of a liquid called blood plasma and blood cells suspended within the plasma. The blood cells present in blood are red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Plasma is predominantly water containing dissolved proteins, salts and many other substances; and makes up about 55% of blood by volume.
- When you're dehydrated your blood volume is reduced and the blood glucose is concentrated, making it higher. Just think about a glass of water with a fixed amount of sugar in it. If you reduce the amount of water, the liquid will get sweeter.
- Dehydration can increase blood sugar levels and reduce your response to insulin.
As you can see it is very important to stay hydrated if you are diabetic. So if you intend to have extra caffeine (whether it is in coffee, etc.) or maybe drink some red wine or even put yourself in a situation where you are going to perspire a lot, plan ahead and drink water prior to the dehydrating event. Once you start to feel dehydrated it is going to take a while to rehydrate yourself and then it is too late.
So here is what I found out from several different resources...
- Blood is a specialized bodily fluid that is composed of a liquid called blood plasma and blood cells suspended within the plasma. The blood cells present in blood are red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Plasma is predominantly water containing dissolved proteins, salts and many other substances; and makes up about 55% of blood by volume.
- When you're dehydrated your blood volume is reduced and the blood glucose is concentrated, making it higher. Just think about a glass of water with a fixed amount of sugar in it. If you reduce the amount of water, the liquid will get sweeter.
- Dehydration can increase blood sugar levels and reduce your response to insulin.
As you can see it is very important to stay hydrated if you are diabetic. So if you intend to have extra caffeine (whether it is in coffee, etc.) or maybe drink some red wine or even put yourself in a situation where you are going to perspire a lot, plan ahead and drink water prior to the dehydrating event. Once you start to feel dehydrated it is going to take a while to rehydrate yourself and then it is too late.
VERY GOOD STEVE. ALSO, WHEN YOU SWEAT A LOT YOUR BODY CRAVES WATER. WE DIABETICS CAN USE ALL THE HELP WE CAN GET. THANX, KEEP IT FLOWING
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