Insulin is a hormone secreted into the blood by the pancreas and it assists with controlling your blood sugar levels. When the blood glucose level increases, insulin forces the body cells to take in the extra glucose and use it for energy production. This helps to lower the blood glucose level to a normal range. However in insulin resistance, the insulin is still produced and secreted by the pancreas but the body’s response to insulin is impaired. The cells no longer respond to insulin as they normally would so the body attempts to produce even more insulin.
Diabetes, commonly referred to as ‘sugar’ or ‘sugar diabetes’, is a disorder characterized by fluctuations in the blood glucose (sugar) level often resulting in elevated (high) ‘sugar’ levels. Diabetes mellitus is often considered to be a disorder caused by both lifestyle and genetic factors and is a growing problem in South Africa.
