Insulin: What is it and what is it for?

All of us have heard about insulin from time to time, although in many of us we do not know exactly what it is and what it is for. In simple terms, it is a key that opens the doors of the cells of the human body so that glucose, the sugar in the blood, can access and be used as energy. Insulin is produced in the pancreas, inside cells called beta cells.The main functions of insulin The main function of insulin is to reduce the concentration of glucose in the bloodstream, which is called glycemia . What it does is promote transport into cells on adipocytes, muscle fibers and heart fibers. What happens when a person without diabetes eats a certain food? The amount of insulin is increased rapidly to take care of the glucose in the food. Most of the carbohydrates are stored in the liver in the form of glycogen. In short, the most important functions that insulin fulfills are three: allow the passage of glucose into the cells, help the cells to use glucose for energy creation and to stimulate the storage of glucose in the liver organ in the form of glycogen. What happens if glucose cannot access the interior of the cells? It accumulates in the bloodstream and, if the person does not receive adequate medical treatment, serious health problems can develop in the long term. When sugar levels are too high, the kidneys come into play, trying to eliminate them through urine.The body begins to form glycogen, which is stored in the muscles, and also in the liver. The liver turns glycogen into glucose and releases it into the blood. If insulin is present, the muscles can use glycogen for energy without releasing it into the blood.What happens with type 2 diabetes is that the liver releases a large amount of glucose, especially at night. What insulin injections do is help utilize the glycogen released by the liver at night and keep glucose at normal levels in the morning.