Medical info about body function for a talk

[SB2015]

I am diong a talk to group of st Johns Ambulance later this week.
I am aware that they may be a lot more knowledgable than my usual audience and wanted to check some info
- are the carbs converted into glucose in the stomach or as the food passes through the small intestine?
- when is the release of insulin from the pancreas triggered.
is it when the glucose reaches the blood system, or is it due to other signals from the stomach or intestines?
I have kind of dubbed these details before but want to make sure I am prepared.

( I wish I had listened more in Biology, and that I hadn’t learnt my Biology folder to a friend at school for it to never be returned!!)

 

[everydayupsanddowns]

Re: digestion... Not sure if it will help, but this explanation of differences in the digestion of wheat/sucrose/pulses might give you a few extra bits of jargon to drop in? https://www.healthcentral.com/article/all-complex-carbohydrates-are-not-created-equal

 

[SB2015]

Re: digestion... Not sure if it will help, but this explanation of differences in the digestion of wheat/sucrose/pulses might give you a few extra bits of jargon to drop in? https://www.healthcentral.com/article/all-complex-carbohydrates-are-not-created-equal

Thanks Mike
I shall see what questions they come up with.
I have no idea how extensive their knowledge is, but as well as ensuring they know the difference between types of diabetes, I will focus on how they can help people who are having a hypo, as that is the most likely scenario they will come across.

 

[Drummer]

digestion of carbs begins in the mouth, and some can be absorbed in the mouth too.
The enzyme amylase - aka ptyalin acts on complex carbs to start the severing of long chains of starches into simpler ones as food is chewed.
The final breakdown into the simplest monosaccharides might not happen until the food is released into the small intestine, where they are absorbed, so to treat hypos giving simple sugars makes the most impact.
It is not advisable to try to get someone semi-conscious or even unconscious to drink or eat anything - even if they have dextrose or other sugary things with them, due to the danger of choking, but putting a small amount of honey onto the lips or between the lips and teeth is something I've read about - that makes good sense as it would stimulate the sucking reflex which is one of the more 'primitive' reactions, not needing a high level of consciousness.
One thing to be wary of is well meaning bystanders wanting to inject insulin because they know that is what diabetics need. I have read of two people dying due to multiple injections 'to bring them round' being administered by well meaning strangers during the time I have been online and diabetic.

 

[SB2015]

digestion of carbs begins in the mouth, and some can be absorbed in the mouth too.
The enzyme amylase - aka ptyalin acts on complex carbs to start the severing of long chains of starches into simpler ones as food is chewed.
The final breakdown into the simplest monosaccharides might not happen until the food is released into the small intestine, where they are absorbed, so to treat hypos giving simple sugars makes the most impact.
It is not advisable to try to get someone semi-conscious or even unconscious to drink or eat anything - even if they have dextrose or other sugary things with them, due to the danger of choking, but putting a small amount of honey onto the lips or between the lips and teeth is something I've read about - that makes good sense as it would stimulate the sucking reflex which is one of the more 'primitive' reactions, not needing a high level of consciousness.
One thing to be wary of is well meaning bystanders wanting to inject insulin because they know that is what diabetics need. I have read of two people dying due to multiple injections 'to bring them round' being administered by well meaning strangers during the time I have been online and diabetic.

Thanks Drummer
I shall certainly focus on what to in the case of a hypo (including not giving insulin), too much glucose is less of a problem (in the short term) than too much insulin, as you highlighted.
I will let you know how it goes.