Diabetes happens when the body does not make enough
insulin or cannot use it well. This causes glucose to build up in the blood. As
a result, the body does not function well.
Know your
body
- The food we eat goes to the stomach, where it is digested. The food is turned into blood glucose in the body. Blood glucose is also called blood sugar. The body uses glucose for energy needed for daily life.
- The blood takes the glucose to the cells where it is turned into energy. However, glucose cannot enter the cells alone: it needs help. Insulin helps the glucose enter the cells. Insulin is a hormone that is made in the pancreas.
- If the body does not produce enough insulin, or if the cells cannot use the insulin well, then the glucose cannot enter the cells and it builds up in the blood.
