Role of water in lowering blood glucose.

In emergency situations when blood glucose is extremely high fluids are given intravenously by IV drip. This is done to aid the body’s urinary system in flushing excess glucose from the body. In my case I was in ICU for 4 days on an IV drip of saline and potassium. I was extremely dehydrated and they had to get fluids into my body so the high concentrations of blood glucose could be flushed from my system. In addition to the IV drip they gave me pitchers of water and told me to drink as much as I could.

The same applies to us all on a day-to-day basis. We need lots of fluid to allow our bodies to eliminate the excess glucose. When we are first diagnosed and are experiencing high blood glucose levels we should be drinking about a gallon a day. At all times we need a minimum of 2 quarts of non-caffeinated, non-sugared fluids. A non-sugared fluid includes all forms of juice.

(See WATER in the “Healthy Diet” menu tab for more)

Unsweetened apple juice contains 27 grams of sugar per 8oz. Serving. Orange juice has 21 grams of sugar per 8 oz. Serving. I was surprised to learn that even things like tomato juice or carrot juice also have levels of sugar. (8 oz. Tomato juice = 8 grams sugar, 8 oz. carrot juice = 9 grams sugar)

The kidneys 

The kidneys regulate the volume and concentration of fluids in the body by producing urine. Urine is produced in a process called glomerular filtration, which is the removal of waste products, minerals, and water from the blood. The kidneys maintain the volume and concentration of urine by filtering waste products and reabsorbing useful substances and water from the blood. The kidneys also perform the following functions:

 

• Detoxify harmful substances (e.g., free radicals, drugs, excess glucose)

• Increase the absorption of calcium by producing calcitriol (form of vitamin D)

• Produce erythropoietin (hormone that stimulates red blood cell production in the bone marrow)

• Secrete renin (hormone that regulates blood pressure and electrolyte balance)

 

The urinary system

Your body takes nutrients from food and uses them to maintain all bodily functions including energy and self-repair. After your body has taken what it needs from the food, waste products are left behind in the blood and in the bowel. The urinary system works with the lungs, skin, and intestines—all of which also excrete wastes—to keep the chemicals and water in your body balanced. Adults eliminate about a quart and a half of urine each day. The amount depends on many factors, especially the amounts of fluid and food a person consumes and how much fluid is lost through sweat and breathing. Certain types of medications can also affect the amount of urine eliminated.

The urinary system removes a type of waste called urea from your blood. Urea is produced when foods containing protein, such as meat, poultry, and certain vegetables, are broken down in the body. Urea is carried in the bloodstream to the kidneys.

The kidneys are bean-shaped organs about the size of your fists. They are near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage. The kidneys remove urea from the blood through tiny filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron consists of a ball formed of small blood capillaries, called a glomerulus, and a small tube called a renal tubule. Urea, together with water and other waste substances, forms the urine as it passes through the nephrons and down the renal tubules of the kidney.

From the kidneys, urine travels down two thin tubes called ureters to the bladder. The ureters are about 8 to 10 inches long. Muscles in the ureter walls constantly tighten and relax to force urine downward away from the kidneys. If urine is allowed to stand still, or back up, a kidney infection can develop. Small amounts of urine are emptied into the bladder from the ureters about every 10 to 15 seconds.

The bladder is a hollow muscular organ shaped like a balloon. It sits in your pelvis and is held in place by ligaments attached to other organs and the pelvic bones. The bladder stores urine until you are ready to go to the bathroom to empty it. It swells into a round shape when it is full and gets smaller when empty. If the urinary system is healthy, the bladder can hold up to 16 ounces (2 cups) of urine comfortably for 2 to 5 hours.