Our body is made up of several organs and systems. Pancreas is one such organ that plays a vital role in digestive systems. It not only secretes but also creates various hormones and enzymes for digestion, and insulin is one of them.
The pancreas secretes two hormones – insulin and glucagon –in response to blood sugar levels in the body. This secretion happens as per the glucose level in the blood. Which means, insulin or glucagon is produced and released to regulate the blood sugar level in the body.
In a sense, the role of insulin is to maintain the glucose level of the body and keep one away from disease. The body should neither have too much of sugar or too little of it, as both these conditions lead to health problems. You can check this BS level by using the best glucose monitor.
Insulin and diabetes?
Do you know how diabetes is associated with insulin? You may know that there is a specific blood glucose level in the body, which should be maintained. At times, however, this level goes up in the body too much, which is called as diabetes or hyperglycemia.
This may happen due to three reasons –
- When the body stops producing or secreting insulin
- When the body fails to produce the required level of insulin
- Or, when the cells won’t respond to the insulin produced in the body
- Since the glucose level goes up in blood, the excess sugar comes out of the body through urine
- The body may have glucose, but it is not able to use for the growth and energy of the cells
- This is how people get diabetes
You can buy a blood sugar monitor and check your level of sugar on a timely basis. When the blood glucose level is found to reach above 200 mg / dl, it means you have diabetes. After all, for a healthy person, this level should be maintained between 70 mg/dl and 110 mg/dl.
Role of insulin in regulating blood sugar
We have already seen what causes diabetes. We should now look to understand the role played by insulin in regulating blood sugar levels in the body.
Let’s look at how insulin impacts the blood sugar level in the body –
- Insulin is produced in the body and the blood glucose level goes up when we eat a meal
- Insulin is responsible for sending the glucose to the muscle cells and tissues
- This very glucose provides energy to muscles, fat tissues and red blood cells
- The fat tissue stores the glucose as fat while liver stores as glycogen
- When the insulin is stored, the cells often absorb the blood glucose and help keep the blood glucose level to normal
- The pancreas also secrete glucagon which is not stored when the blood glucose level is high
- The glucagon is capable of affecting various cells in the body
- And when the glucagon affects the liver, its stored glucose is then released
- This is how the glucose level goes up in the blood
