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Insulin is a hormone that
is produced by pancreas to transport glucose from blood stream
across the cell wall. Our diet or food consists of three major
components, carbohydrates, fat and protein. After eating, the food
is processed in our intestine. Carbohydrates will be broken down
into smaller sugars, dietary fat is broken down into fatty acids.
Carbohydrates and fat are major source of energy.
In order for the sugars to be stored in our cells as glucose
transporter or insulin is needed. In pancreas, there are small
clusters of cells or islets that particularly produce insulin. They
are called beta cells. They are considered unique because they can
sense the amount or level of glucose in our blood stream. When they
sense that, after dinner, our blood
glucose level is high, these beta cells will produce and secrete
insulin into the blood to increase the transport of glucose into the
cells and stabilize the blood sugar level.
Insulin also works in directing the storage of fatty acids as fat
and glucose in our body cells as glycogen. Insulin also stimulates
the processes in the cells that direct the use of amino acids. In
other words, insulin plays a very important role in the transport of
glucose and fatty acids from our blood stream into cells for the
storage of energy and building of tissue to support our physical
growth.
When the amount of glucose in our blood is low, the beta cells in
the pancreas stop producing and secreting insulin. Here, the
processes in our body metabolism is reversed. Glycogen is broken
down and released to our blood stream and fat is broken down into fatty
acids, also the protein is broken down.
When we work, we need energy. The production of insulin is stopped
by the pancreas and the energy is released from its storage sites.
This is what happens within the body of a normal or healthy person.
When our body metabolism becomes abnormal, the production of insulin
might not be enough to transport the glucose into the cells or the
insulin finds difficulties in penetrating the cell walls of our body
due to certain fat chemicals that blocks its way. This causes the
level of blood glucose to rise higher than its normal level. From
this point, what is called as
diabetes
mellitus starts to happen.
Diabetes
does not come overnight. It gradually happens when our blood sugar
levels drift up from normal to pre-diabetes levels and then into
diabetes level. Patients who are diagnosed with diabetes mellitus
often have suffered the disease for years and built up some
complications in their body. The treatment of type 2 diabetes
needs full and active cooperation from patients in changing their
lifestyle and diet. Regular, not strenuous, exercises and eating
healthy food are important in controlling the blood glucose levels.
People with diabetes can still live a normal and healthy life if
they are really serious in abandoning their sedentary lifestyle and
stopping the consumption of high fat fast food.
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