Glucose Revolution: The Life-Changing Power of Balancing Your Blood Sugar

by Jessie Inchauspé

According to the latest scientific theory, the Allostatic Load Model, when our mitochondria are drowning in unnecessary glucose, tiny molecules with large consequences are released: free radicals. (And some glucose is converted to fat; more on that shortly.) When free radicals appear because of a spike, they set off a dangerous chain reaction. Free radicals are a big deal because anything they touch, they damage. They randomly snap and modify our genetic code (our DNA), creating mutations that activate harmful genes and can lead to the development of cancer. They poke holes in the membranes of our cells, turning a normally functioning cell into a malfunctioning one. Under normal circumstances, we live with a moderate amount of free radicals, and we can handle them—but with repeated spikes, the quantity produced becomes unmanageable. When there are too many free radicals to be neutralized, our body is said to be in a state of oxidative stress.