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Who needs insulin?
We all rely on insulin, a hormone made in the pancreas, to move glucose from the blood into the body's cells. People with diabetes have partial or complete lack of insulin production in the body. This is why they need insulin in their system.
Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas and we need it to move glucose from the blood into the body's cells. If the insulin is working properly, then the glucose levels rise and fall normally, as insulin moves glucose into the cells to produce energy. If it is not working properly it can cause complications.
We do not know exactly why people get diabetes, however, there is a lot of research going on right now to find out.
People with type 1 diabetes do not produce insulin. The body stops making insulin because the cells in the pancreas have been destroyed.
Type 1 diabetes occurs suddenly, with symptoms like nausea, vomiting and stomach pains. It generally first appears in people under twenty years old.
People with type 2 diabetes produce insufficient insulin, or the insulin that they produce does not work properly and cannot move glucose into the body's cells.
To learn more about insulin and treating diabetes, visit our Diabetes Quick Guide.
Last Updated 09-09-2009