What does insulin do? It is a type of hormone that the pancreas makes to balance and regulate the body’s blood sugar levels. It allows the human body to use sugar or glucose for fuel and energy. For someone with diabetes, aside from the naturally-produced insulin, there are shots or injections that the body needs to prevent diabetes attacks.
There are different types of treatment. These are as follows:
Rapid-acting starts working 15 minutes after administering it. It is usually taken right before taking a meal.
Regular or short-acting starts working in about 30 minutes. It peaks 2 to 3 hours and is usually taken 30 minutes to 1 hour before a meal.
Intermediate-acting peaks from 4 to 12 hours and lasts for 12 to 18 hours. It is often used with short-acting.
Long-acting can take several hours before getting into your system. It lasts for up to 24 hours.
What do these insulin types do to your glucose levels?
High blood sugar levels call for insulin treatment. Why? it is highly capable of stabilizing the amount of glucose in the body. When diabetes occurs, it means that the body is unable to produce or use enough insulin. Fewer amounts of insulin in the body that the pancreas produces cannot meet the needs of the b, which means that insulin shots are necessary to support the body in lowering blood glucose levels.
What does it do to your body?
Here are the essential roles of insulin in your body:
- It regulates blood sugar levels – After consuming food, your body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose as the by-product. The glucose then enters the bloodstream, where it is stored temporarily. As a response to this process, the pancreas produces insulin that helps glucose enter body cells for the body’s use of energy.
- It stores excess glucose – After eating, when your sugar levels are high, the liver stores the excess glucose as glycogen. On the other hand, if your insulin levels are low between meals, glycogen is released from the liver into the bloodstream. This time, glycogen functions in the form of glucose. These processes help stabilize blood sugar levels and prevent them from spiking.
Insulin plays a vital role in diabetes management. Whether you have diabetes or not, this hormone helps balance the amount of glucose that the body receives after eating. Without it, blood sugar levels can spike abnormally, leading to severe complications of diabetes.
