Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas, a leaf-shaped organ presents in the abdomen, below and behind the stomach. Other than insulin, the pancreas secretes hormones such as Insulin, glucagon and digestive enzymes, all of whom are related to digestion and blood-sugar management.
When we consume food, the glucose from carbohydrates in the food is absorbed by the body and enters the bloodstream. The blood transports oxygen and this glucose to every cell of the body which converts the glucose into energy required for its proper functioning. The glucose must be absorbed constantly and efficiently, and this is regulated by insulin. Every time, blood-sugar or glucose levels in the blood increase after a meal, the pancreas is triggered to produce insulin and release it into the blood. The body cells take this as a signal and absorb the glucose they need quickly and efficiently. While most body cells require insulin for this process, some of them can absorb sugar without insulin.
After the body cells have taken the glucose they need, the excess sugar in the blood is sent to the liver primarily and then to muscles, where they are stored as glycogen. In between meals, when the blood sugar dips, this glycogen is converted back to glucose and is released into the blood for the body cells to consume. Any remnant sugar still left in the blood is sent to the fat cells to be stored as triglycerides for future use. The insulin signals the liver, muscles and fat cells to not break down the glucose.
In addition to managing the blood sugar cycle several times in a day, the insulin performs a couple of other functions too.
If the insulin function is not happening properly, it results in either high blood sugar (hyperglycemia) or low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia).
As explained above, insulin regulates blood sugar absorption by body cells. A malfunction in this process leads to Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.
In the first case the person would need to be administered insulin. The latter would be treated by pills and/or Insulin and the dosage would be decided by a diabetologist.
If you have a family history of diabetes, are overweight, live a sedentary lifestyle and consume an unhealthy diet, you are at high risk of diabetes. But the good news is that, by consuming a healthy and balanced diet, exercising regularly and maintaining weight, one can prevent the onset of diabetes, while diabetics can manage the symptoms easily.
For this reason, it’s important to have an annual health check-up that includes blood-sugar tests. If the results show high blood-sugar, do not panic. Consult a reputed hospital which has qualified diabetologists and dieticians on their rolls. Together, they will put you on a course of treatment, and recommend changes to your diet and lifestyle, that will bring your blood-sugar back to normal.
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Kauvery Hospital is globally known for its multidisciplinary services at all its Centers of Excellence, and for its comprehensive, Avant-Grade technology, especially in diagnostics and remedial care in heart diseases, transplantation, vascular and neurosciences medicine. Located in the heart of Trichy (Tennur, Royal Road and Alexandria Road (Cantonment), Chennai, Hosur, Salem, Tirunelveli and Bengaluru, the hospital also renders adult and pediatric trauma care.
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