The term metabolism describes the physical and chemical processes that your body uses to convert food into energy and to use that energy. Insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas, plays a major role in regulating your metabolism. Diabetes is a chronic disease that occurs when your pancreas fails to produce enough insulin or the insulin fails to function effectively. If you suffer from diabetes, the lack of insulin affects your metabolism and causes a lack of energy and feelings of fatigue.
Digestion
Although your metabolism involves nearly every bodily function, including breathing, circulation, and waste elimination, it begins with the process of digestion. The food you consume travels from your mouth through the esophagus and into the stomach. Along the way your body mechanically breaks down food through chewing, swallowing and mixing promoted by the muscles in the digestive tract. Digestive enzymes in the mouth, stomach and small intestine chemically break down food particles creating molecules small enough for absorption. Carbohydrates break down into small glucose particles, making them the main source of energy for the body.
Insulin Role
The absorption of glucose through the small intestine and into the bloodstream causes your blood sugar to increase and triggers your pancreas to produce and secrete insulin. All cells need glucose to function, but they cannot access the glucose without insulin. Insulin binds to receptors on the surface of the cell, activating other receptors on the cell to bind to and absorb the glucose. Cells can then either use the glucose as a source of energy or store it for later use. The absence of insulin inhibits the process of metabolism because the glucose remains in the bloodstream, leaving the energy unused and allowing cells to starve.
Type 1 Diabetes
Type 1 diabetes used to be called juvenile diabetes because diagnosis usually occurs in children and young adults. This type of diabetes occurs when your pancreas fails to produce any insulin. Patients with type 1 diabetes must take the insulin hormone every day to promote their metabolism and regulate their blood sugar levels. Failing to take the insulin can cause increased thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, weight loss and fatigue. Patients with type 1 diabetes should closely monitor their blood sugar levels to avoid long-term complications like heart disease, kidney disease, nerve damage and osteoporosis.
Type 2 Diabetes
Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed at any age, and it accounts for approximately 90 to 95 percent of the 23 million diagnosed cases of diabetes in the United States, according to The Hormone Foundation. Patients with type 2 diabetes produce insulin, but their cells become resistant to the insulin, affecting the ability of insulin to bind to the receptors to allow glucose into the cells. People with type 2 diabetes can improve the secretion and use of insulin by following healthy lifestyles that include eating a healthy diet, exercise and maintaining a healthy weight. Taking these steps can help your body maintain its metabolism so you can avoid having to take the insulin hormone.
