Our body obtains energy from food consumed by metabolism or metabolism - the chain of chemical reactions in the body cells, which convert fuel (food) in the energy required to perform all processes without exception - the growth and movement before thinking. Specific proteins control the chemical reactions of metabolism, and each reaction is coordinated with certain bodily functions. At the same time there are thousands of metabolic reactions necessary for each cell to remain healthy and function properly.

Metabolism - it is an ongoing process that begins at conception and ends with death. It is important for all forms of life - not just for humans. If metabolism stops, living thing dies.

Here is an example of how the metabolism Improves metabolism and losing weight without dieting   a person, starting with plants. First, the plant absorbs sunlight energy. His cell recycle this energy and the molecule chlorophyll (the substance through which the plants are green), to produce sugars from water and carbon dioxide; This process, as many still remember the lessons from the school of biology, called photosynthesis. When a person (or other animal) uses in food plants, it receives this energy (in the form of sugar), along with other useful substances.

After that, the sugar in the body is split and energy is released, which is then distributed through the cells.

Enzymes

After that, we use a food, molecules of the digestive system, also called converting enzyme contained in food proteins into amino acids, fats - fatty acids, carbohydrates, and - in a simple sugar (e.g., glucose). In addition to sugar, and amino acids and fatty acids can optionally be used as an energy source. All received enzymatically substances are absorbed into the bloodstream, which carries them into the cells.

When substances enter the cells, it is taken for other enzymes - they speed up or regulate chemical reactions that are part of the processing of nutrients. In these processes part of the energy obtained from food is released - it uses the body at once, and part - is retained in the tissue (usually in the liver, muscle and adipose tissue).

Thus, during the metabolism simultaneous accumulation of energy and, in some tissues, and its release for the following important features:

• Anabolism, or constructive metabolism. The objective of this process - the formation of tissue and energy storage. It provides new cell growth, nutrition of tissues of the body, and the creation of energy supplies for the future. During anabolism small molecules become larger and more complex molecules of carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
• Catabolism, or destructive metabolism - the process by which creates the energy necessary for cell activity. Cells cleave large molecules (primarily carbohydrates and fats) to release energy. This energy provides fuel for anabolism, maintains body temperature, and helps to reduce muscle motion. Also during the catabolism of complex chemical compounds are broken down into simpler substances, waste products excreted from the body through the skin, kidneys, lungs and intestine.

Endocrine system

Some hormones, endocrine system used to control the speed and direction of metabolic processes. Thyroxine - a hormone produced and secreted by the thyroid gland The thyroid gland - is responsible for your hormones It plays a key role in determining how fast or slow the metabolic processes occurring in the human body.

The pancreas secretes hormones that determine whether the main metabolic activity at a particular time interval anabolic or catabolic. For example, postprandial anabolic activity usually predominates, since at this time increases the level of glucose Glucose: The energy source   - The main source of energy for the body - in the blood. The pancreas senses glucose levels rise, and releases the hormone insulin The principles of action of insulin - the science of saving lives Which gives a signal to the cells to increase the anabolic activity.

Metabolism - a set of multiple and complex chemical processes, it is not surprising that many people mention it only in the simplest and most general sense, how about what determines the speed at which a person can lose weight. That is, during the process of metabolism of the body generates and expends calories.

Calorie - a unit used to change how much energy a particular food provides to the body. The chocolate bar more calories than an apple, so she is the source of more energy - a lot more than I would like to lovers of chocolate, taking care of her figure. Almost as gasoline is stored in the tank of the machine while it is not required to provide the engine with energy, the body stores calories - primarily in the form of adipose tissue. If you pour too much into the gas tank of gasoline, it will spill over the edge. Similarly, if a person consumes too many calories, they are also "poured over the edge", laying here and there in the form of fat, the excess of which few people decorate.

The number of calories consumed per day, depending on how much a person moves, the amount of fat and muscle tissue, and from the basal metabolic rate or basal metabolic rate - a measure of the rate at which the body burns calories while at rest.

From the basal metabolism it depends largely on human tendency to weight gain. For example, a person with low basal metabolic rate for the same nutrition and physical activity for equal amount of time gets more weight than people who have higher basal metabolic rate.

Sugar in the blood - is a very important biochemical parameters. Raising his case with diabetes, high thyroid or adrenal cortex, certain liver diseases. Lowering blood sugar is observed with an excess of insulin in the blood, failure of the adrenal cortex, sometimes with impaired renal function. But most of the decline in blood sugar Lowering blood sugar - not as good as it seems   there is an overdose of insulin.

Normal blood sugar - why?

In the blood of every man contains a certain amount of sugar (glucose). The presence of sugar in the blood cells needed to extract the energy. Without energy, it is impossible to exercise any of the biochemical processes in the cell, so if the cell receives little glucose, violated all kinds of metabolism.

Violation of protein metabolism leads to disruption of growth in children, decreased immunity, lethargy, weakness, disorders of fat metabolism - obesity and it is a large amount of cholesterol in the blood, which is deposited on the walls of blood vessels as atherosclerotic plaques. As a result of atherosclerosis formed such serious diseases such as stroke, coronary heart disease, atherosclerotic peripheral vascular occlusive disease.

To avoid all these disorders, blood sugar is maintained at a constant level. Sugar (glucose) is a simple carbohydrate which enters the body with food. Carbohydrate food can be simple or monosaccharides (glucose, fructose), disaccharides or more complex (sucrose and lactose) and complex (starch and cellulose).

Complex carbohydrates are more useful than simple. Simple rapidly enters the intestine, and then into the blood. If people ate a lot of simple carbohydrates (sweets), the blood sugar rises rapidly to a high level, which encourages "violent activities" of pancreatic cells that secrete the hormone insulin - without it, the cells can not absorb sugar from the blood. This persistent overvoltage pancreas could lead to a reduced function of the body. "Sweet tooth" threaten the stability of insulin deficiency and diabetes Diabetes - threatening and incurable disease .

Complex carbohydrates are slowly digested in the gastrointestinal tract and provide long-lasting source of energy. Glucose thus enters the blood slowly, in small portions, and maintains a stable blood sugar level. If the blood received more sugar than they need the body cells, "superfluous" glucose enters the liver and deposited it in the form of strategic reserves - glycogen. This is facilitated by another pancreatic hormone - glucagon, which is an insulin antagonist.

Units of blood sugar

Units of blood sugar in different countries may be different. In Russia today sugar measured in millimoles per liter (mmol / l). Previously sugar in our country measured in milligrams - Percentage (mg% or mg / dl), that is, in mg per deciliter. In some countries, these units of blood sugar remained until now. So sometimes you want to transfer one unit to another.

To convert mmol / l mg /% or mg / dl, should be multiplied on the indicator 18. For example, 3, 5 mmol / l x 18 mg = 63%. If necessary mg /% or mg / dl counted in mmol / L, the division operation to produce the same number of 63 mg% 18 = 3, 5 mmol / l. Calculate the rate of other system of measurement is sometimes required when moving to another country, as well as when using the meter The unit of measurement of sugar in the blood - blood glucose meter Brought from abroad.

Standards of blood sugar for all ages

Indicators of sugar in the blood capillary blood (taken from the finger) is normal fasting may fluctuate within 3, 5-5, 5 mmol / l. Unless fasting blood sugar is higher, but it should not exceed the value of 7, 8 mmol / L. After two hours postprandial blood sugar drops to normal. Standards of blood sugar for venous and capillary plasma (blood taken from the finger and centrifuged - because it removes all cells) - a 12% (fasting rate to 6.1 mmol / L).

In different age blood sugar levels Blood sugar - one of the main indicators of human health   It may be different. Thus, the blood sugar in infants and especially premature reduced - performance standards of this age are 2, 8-4, 4 mmol / l. But after the month indexes are compared with adults - blood sugar in infants is 3, 3-5, 5 mmol / l. Sugar levels in children after the neonatal period, and blood sugar in adolescents contained in the same amount as adults. But due to the strong growth it may never enough, which leads to the state of hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), which are accompanied by dizziness and fainting.

Stable blood sugar can change only in the elderly, as reduced pancreatic function and insulin secretion reduction occurs. Some insulin deficiency leads to the fact that the blood sugar in elderly people increases, the rate after the age of 60 years is 4, 6-6, 4 mmol / l.

Can raise blood sugar in healthy people

Sometimes the amount of sugar in the blood of healthy people is increased - a condition called hyperglycemia. This can happen, for example, by eating large amounts of sweets, when the pancreas does not manage to secrete enough insulin to assimilate it. But a high level of blood sugar in healthy people is kept short, often it is not just reduced to normal and falls below it - a sign of entering the blood of excess insulin.

Increased blood sugar levels in a healthy person under stress due to the fact that the stress under the influence of hormones of the adrenal medulla (epinephrine and norepinephrine), the body activates all its force: the heartbeat and breathing become more frequent, accelerated all types of metabolism, and this requires an increased amount power, i.e. glucose. If at this moment it is not enough in the body, pancreatic hormone helps get it from liver glycogen. Therefore, the blood sugar under stress always increases.