About Blood Glucose
When your body breaks down the food that you eat, it converts it into glucose, a simple sugar that circulates through the blood and is fed to cells throughout your body. Glucose acts as the primary source of energy for cells in your body. Your pancreas releases a hormone called insulin, which automatically regulates blood glucose levels so as to keep them stable. But diabetics either don't produce any or enough insulin to regulate blood glucose levels, so synthetic insulin injections are necessary.
Using Blood Glucose
When you eat and blood glucose levels rise, the pancreas begins to release insulin. Insulin encourages the cells to absorb or use the glucose that's in the bloodstream. It helps to think of insulin as the key that allows glucose to enter the cells, according to the Mayo Clinic. As more and more glucose is used by the cells, blood glucose levels drop in the bloodstream. The pancreas regulates its insulin production and scales back, preventing blood glucose levels from becoming too low (low blood sugar).
Importance of Insulin
Blood glucose levels that are too high can cause significant damage to the body. High levels can damage blood vessels and organs like your kidneys and heart. Low blood glucose levels, a condition called hypoglycemia, can also be very dangerous and cause loss of consciousness and even death if your cells can't get the energy that they need, according to the Mayo Clinic. The body must have insulin to function properly and control blood glucose levels, so insulin injections are necessary for diabetics who can't naturally produce insulin on their own.
