Managing glucose in the body involves the work of insulin, a hormone that is produced by the pancreas. Insulin works by promoting the transport of glucose from our bloodstream and into our cells to energize our body. Insulin plays an important role in regulating glucose release and storage from the liver, muscle and fat cells. People with diabetes may not be able to produce insulin (type 1 diabetes) or the insulin that is produced is used poorly used by body tissues (type 2 diabetes). As a result, diabetic patients need to administer insulin through an injection or take oral hyperglycemic agents to control blood glucose levels.
