What’s Dextrose and Why Is *This* Sugar Maybe Sorta Good for You?

Glucose, dextrose, fructose, sucrose, lactose, maltose… sugars may seem complicated, but sometimes they’re simple — literally.

Dextrose is what’s dubbed a “simple sugar” and is made from corn (plus sometimes other veggies). Like other sugars, it’s used in food, most commonly baked goods.

But it’s also used in medicine, which is where things get interesting — or, not so simple.

Of the 50-plus names for sugar, three are key here: dextrose, glucose, and fructose. All are simple sugars, but they have some important differences.

Standard table sugar contains both fructose (about 50 percent) and glucose. But your body processes the two very differently.

Glucose is essentially blood sugar, so most cells in your body can metabolize it super easily.

Fructose — not so much. It gets processed by your hard-working liver, which converts it into glucose so your body and brain can use it.

Dextrose is chemically identical to glucose. In science geek terms: Glucose appears in two different molecular arrangements known as isomers, namely L-glucose and D-glucose. D-glucose = Dextrose.

So, simple sugars can convert to quick energy for your body: good. Eating too much (um, a dozen brownies): not good.

Your body uses what it needs for energy and stores the rest as fat. So ingesting too many dextrose-dosed red velvet cupcakes could be the reason your Lululemons are feeling a bit more snug than usual.

Too much simple sugar can also lead to a greater risk of more serious things like diabetes, heart disease, and even depression. So it’s important to balance the upsides with the potential downsides.

Dextrose isn’t just a staple in the bakery aisle of your local market. It can also be found in hospitals, where it’s used to treat several conditions, including:

• dangerously low blood sugar
• dehydration
• lack of nutrition (essentially, a solution containing dextrose, amino acids, and fats — called a TPN — is given to help people get nutrients when they can’t get ’em through foods)

Since it’s “simple” sugar, the body can quickly tap into it for energy — sort of the way a kid taps into their Halloween stash and then spins like the Tasmanian Devil for 24 hours.

While we’ve given “sugar rush” a bad name, there are times when your body needs a quick dose of energy — and dextrose can be the answer.

A proper dosage, typically administered through IV, can be the quick fix the body needs (when medically necessary), especially for people unable to absorb carbohydrates, amino acids, and fats.

If you have diabetes and you’ve been skipping meals or exercising more than usual, your blood sugar levels may drop. In mild cases, you can follow your normal plan of action.

But more significant blood sugar drops are dangerous and can land you in the hospital. Enter: dextrose.

Dextrose injections of 50 percent followed by insulin are also given to people with hyperkalemia, a condition that happens when levels of potassium in your body skyrocket.

Again, in science geek terms, here’s what happens: When dextrose is injected, it feeds your body’s cells with glucose. But this also delivers a dose of potassium (kinda like a BOGO offer) that helps lower your blood potassium levels. In just one shot, your condition improves without you becoming hypoglycemic.

It’s also given intravenously to dialysis patients to prevent hyperkalemia.

When it comes to treating hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, dextrose comes up top compared to its sugary counterparts, like glucagon.

Studies compared IV administration of both glucagon and dextrose to people with diabetes treated with insulin and discovered that those given dextrose woke up and regained control of their bodies faster than those who were given glucagon. Yay! #TeamDextrose

You may be wondering if it’s necessary to keep running to hospitals to get your shot of dextrose. Nope, you don’t need to. *Except* in an emergency.

People who are aware of their diabetes or hypoglycemic conditions may keep a stash of dextrose gel or tablets (which are inexpensive and readily available) for when the need arises, especially when they find that their blood sugar drops under 70 mg/dL.

These dextrose gel solutions also come in handy (and are maybe even better than IV dextrose) when treating hypoglycemic newborns, as the latter gets in the way of parent-infant bonding. Word to the wise: Not all newborn hypoglycemia can be treated with dextrose gel, so talk to a doc.

While dextrose can be prescribed for people with diabetes, it doesn’t come risk-free. It may increase your blood sugar too much, raising your levels sky-high. When this happens, hyperglycemia may strike.

Symptoms may include:

• sudden or excessive thirst and dehydration
• nausea or vomiting
• shortness of breath
• confusion
• upset or crampy stomach
• a frequent need to pee
• diarrhea
• swelling
• dry skin

If you experience bad side effects, get some medical help pronto. If these symptoms occur, that’s when you know things aren’t going well — and fast:

• Signs of a bad allergic reaction. Think: rash, hives, blisters, trouble breathing, or swelling of your throat, tongue, and face.
• The room is spinning. Dizziness, lightheadness, or feeling like you’re blacking out.
• Persistently low blood sugar. This is blood sugar that stay low even after you’ve taken two doses of a dextrose tablet.

If you experience any other worrying side effects, call your doctor or get medical care ASAP.

Dextrose is generally known to be quite harmless when used with other drugs.

Even so, tell your doctor if you’re taking any other medications on the side — they’ll know when not to prescribe dextrose.

Do’s:

• Tell your doctor if you have a dextrose allergy. Because duh, you’ll need to alert them if something can potentially put your life in danger.
• Follow the instructions if you’re taking a chewable dextrose tablet. Chew. That. Damn. Tablet. DO NOT swallow it whole.
• Keep your doctor in the loop. If you’ve been experiencing hypoglycemia, your symptoms should go away after 10 minutes. You may want to take another dose of dextrose if symptoms persist, but if not, seek medical help immediately.

Don’ts:

• Don’t reach for that dextrose tablet if you have hyperglycemia, peripheral edema, or low potassium.
• Don’t neglect to tell your doctor if you have health problems such as bleeding in your brain or spine, severe dehydration, or difficulty peeing. Dextrose isn’t a good fit with all these issues and may endanger your life.
• Don’t offer it to children. Or during Halloween. Dextrose is NOT candy. Period.