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Is 120 blood sugar high after eating?

Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS

No. 120 mg/dL after a meal is a healthy response; normal post-meal sugar stays under 140 two hours after eating.

Numbers between 140 and 199 two hours after meals suggest glucose tolerance is slipping, and 200 or above points to diabetes.

Timing matters: a peak 30 to 60 minutes after eating runs naturally higher than the two hour mark. Compare like with like when you track.

If you are buying a meter

Any major-brand glucose meter is accurate enough for home tracking. The real cost is the strips, so compare strip prices before choosing the meter.

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