Sugar can Drive you into a Wall
What could cause a long vehicle to suddenly leave the road and crash into a bridge abutment or tree? Often, the driver just slipped into a mental stupor or dozed off. Why? Probably low blood sugar, perhaps from a poor-quality meal or snack consumed earlier. Here’s how that happens:
Sugar and Blood Sugar
While there are several kinds of sugars, we most frequently eat simple sugars that will quickly change to simple glucose. The sugar known as glucose quickly enters the blood, even passing through the lining of the mouth directly into the blood.
The level of blood glucose (known as blood sugar) rises quickly: a 12-ounce can of soda alone contains over 10 times more sugar than the blood needs (or can hold healthily). While the sugar level is rising, we feel more energetic and alert. But as the level rises too high, we become hyperglycemic and begin to lose our mental acuity. Our brain cells even shrink slightly.
The high blood sugar level causes the pancreas to make insulin. There is often an overproduction of insulin because of the extremely high amount of sugar. The insulin helps carry the sugar from our blood into our tissues (much of it into the fat cells). This continues until the blood sugar level drops too low.
This hyperglycemic state causes a serious decrease in brain functioning. With blood sugar levels so low, the brain has little or no energy to operate effectively. The brain normally uses about 20 percent of all the blood sugar to think. Poor decision-making is common in a hypoglycemic state.
In my studies during test-taking, 20 to 30 percent more mental mistakes were made by students 40 minutes after a small piece of candy or six ounces of soda. Also, as energy levels plummet, students are more likely to fall asleep.
Sources of Sugar, and the Role of Starch
Drivers often make the mistake of eating “easy” or “fast” foods when they travel. Meal breaks might include a hamburger, fries, soda, and often, dessert of some type.
The soda and dessert alone are extremely high in sugars, but drivers should remember that the sauce on the chicken sandwich or ketchup on the burger also contain sugar. And even worse, the starchy bun and fries turn into sugar starting almost the moment they hit the mouth.
Starch is a chain of sugar molecules, glucose, that breaks apart upon contact with saliva. One study showed blood sugar levels rise more quickly after ingesting a potato than an equal-calorie amount of table sugar.
Snack stops on the road often include sodas, potato chips, and maybe a candy bar. And once again, after pumping high amounts of sugar into your system, the levels soon drop dramatically into low-sugar problems. For most drivers, it takes about 40 to 60 minutes to reach a hypoglycemic state that can cause them to fall asleep at the wheel or drive carelessly - right into that bridge abutment or tree.
Won’t Caffeine Keep me Awake?
No, it won’t. Caffeine is rather useless when blood sugar levels drop too far. It is sort of like having oil in your car so it operates easily, but not having gasoline for power.
Even a cup of black coffee or a sugar-free cola can cause problems. The caffeine in these drinks causes sugar already stored in the liver from previous meals to be dumped into the bloodstream, causing the blood-sugar level to rise. Once again, this rise causes an insulin response which drops blood sugar to a low level.
What Should We Eat While Driving?
All food and drink consumed before and during driving trips of more than 40 minutes should be low in sugars and starches. High-protein food is preferable, since it helps empower the brain.
High-fiber foods slow the absorption of sugar and possibly reduce the severity of hyper- and hypoglyclemic events. Foods with complex carbohydrates release sugars slowly into the blood stream. This helps maintain proper blood-sugar levels and better brain function. Apples and grapes are good examples.
Nuts are especially effective in helping maintain safe blood-sugar levels. Pecans or almonds are recommended, but even peanuts are safe snack foods, assuming they are not honey-roasted. One way to stay awake on a long trip, especially at night, is to spread out your intake of nuts and fruits. For instance, eat just a few nuts or grapes every five miles. This will keep you watching the odometer, which is next to the speedometer. And that might also spare you a speeding ticket.
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