Understanding diabetes
A protein hormone called insulin normally controls the levels of sugar in your blood. After a meal, your blood sugar level rises and insulin is released from your pancreas into your blood. This helps your body's cells to remove sugar from the blood and use it for energy. In childhood-onset diabetes, the cells in the pancreas that make insulin are gradually destroyed by the body's own immune system. In adult-onset diabetes, either the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body becomes resistant to its effects.
