Understanding Diabetes Your body breaks down the food you eat into glucose and other nutrients.
The body digests the food you eat to use as fuel. This fuel supplies energy to your body’s cells. When you have type 2 diabetes, the fuel has a hard time entering most cells.
How the Body Gets Energy The digestive system breaks down food, resulting in a variety of nutrients including sugar (glucose). Some of the glucose is stored in the liver. Most of it enters the bloodstream and travels to cells to be used as fuel. Glucose needs the help of a hormone called insulin to enter most cells. Insulin is made in the pancreas. It is released into the bloodstream in response to meals and also by the presence of glucose in the blood. Think of insulin as a key. When insulin reaches a cell, it unlocks a doorway in the cell wall. This creates an opening that allows glucose to enter the cell. Some cells do not need insulin and glucose can enter them without it.
Esophagus Stomach
Liver
Pancreas (behind stomach)
Small intestine
Large intestine
A healthy balance of insulin and glucose circulates in the bloodstream. 1. Glucose enters the bloodstream from the liver or intestine.
2. Insulin enters the bloodstream from the pancreas.
Blood vessel
3. Insulin binds to a cell that needs energy.
4. Insulin opens the cell to glucose.
Cell
5. Glucose enters the cell and is used for fuel. 7
