The Problem of DiabetesWhat is Diabetes?

Just what is diabetes?  

To answer that, you need to understand the role of insulin in your body.  

When you eat, your body turns food into sugars, or glucose. At that point, your pancreas is supposed to release insulin.  

Insulin serves as a “key” to open your cells, to allow the glucose to enter -- and allow you to use the glucose for energy.  

But with diabetes, this system does not work.  

Several major things can go wrong – causing the onset of diabetes. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes are the most common forms of the disease, but there are also other kinds, such as gestational diabetes, which occurs during pregnancy, as well as other forms.   

For more information, read this "fact sheet"
>>What is diabetes?
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© 2008 Diabetes Research Institute