Understanding how your body uses sugar—and how insulin keeps it in balance.
What is insulin?
Insulin is the superstar hormone produced by the pancreas, a gland located behind and below your tummy. Insulin zips through your bod, unlocking cells and letting in sugar. As this sweet stuff flows in, insulin steps in to lower your blood sugar levels. And like a pro, the pancreas knows how much insulin is needed, so as your sugar levels dip, it cuts back on insulin production. But, if too many islet cells are destroyed, insulin production can take a nosedive, leading to all sorts of
health hurdles.
What is Glucose?
Picture glucose as the ultimate superhero for our body cells. This sugar is like a trusty gas that powers up our muscles and tissues. It’s a double act of both food and liver magic that keeps our cells firing on all cylinders. Sugar is pumped into our bloodstream, escorted to the cells by insulin, and stored in the liver as glycogen. When our glucose levels are on the fritz, the liver swoops in and delivers the goods to keep things ticking over nicely.