Glucose: The Sweet and the Sour

I love glucose in most of its forms, especially sugar. I usually enjoy two donuts every month, and they're loaded with it.

The Downside of Glucose

Here's the problem with glucose: consume too much in one sitting, and it can negatively affect your cardiovascular system.

Although glucose is used by your cells' mitochondria, the cardiovascular system doesn't handle excessive carbohydrate intake well, as carbs convert into glucose.

Mitochondria and Glucose Absorption

Mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of your cells, act like little tanks. Their capacity to absorb glucose depends on your cardiovascular fitness.

• Sedentary individuals absorb about 5% of their capacity per hour.
• Active people can absorb up to 15% per hour.
• Athletes absorb at the higher end of that range, around 15% per hour.

The Overflow Problem

If your mitochondria can't absorb all the glucose you consume, it gets stored in your fat cells. If your fat cells are full, it ends up deposited throughout your body, much like garbage dumped by the roadside.

This can lead to:

• Atherosclerosis
• Amyloid plaques in the brain, potentially leading to Alzheimer's dementia and other diseases.

The Insulin Connection

Continuously overwhelming your system with glucose forces your cells to close their glucose (insulin) receptor sites. This causes your insulin levels to rise in an attempt to push the extra glucose into your cells.

Eventually, this can lead to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and the need for insulin injections.

Ketones: An Alternative Energy Source

While excessive glucose can be harmful, ketones offer a different energy source that your cells won't reject.

Ketones are derived from fat. When you eat fat, your liver converts it into ketones.

Benefits of Ketones

• Excess ketones are simply excreted in your urine.
• Your mitochondria won't be overwhelmed by ketones.
• Fat cells don't convert ketones to fat, so they close their inputs.

Unlike glucose, which contributes to weight gain, ketones do not. Fat cells open their inputs in response to glucose, not ketones.

Therefore, consuming fat and protein instead of excessive carbohydrates and sugar can help you lose weight until your body achieves a healthy balance.

Cancer and Glucose

Another important point: most cancer cells primarily use glucose for energy, not ketones.

The Bottom Line

If you want to live a longer, healthier life, consider increasing your fat intake and reducing your sugar and carbohydrate consumption.