Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas in the body. Its main role in the body is to regulate blood glucose levels. 

After you eat, carbohydrates break down into glucose, a sugar that is the body’s primary source of energy. Glucose then enters the bloodstream. The pancreas responds by producing insulin, which allows glucose to enter the body’s cells and provide energy.

When insulin is deficient (insulin-dependent diabetes) or inefficient (insulin resistance), glucose levels will continue to rise after you eat because there is not enough insulin to move the glucose out of the bloodstream and into the body’s cells.

To regulate blood glucose more efficiently when insulin is disrupted, you will need to regulate the amount of glucose you put into your bloodstream. Since it is mostly carbohydrates that make glucose in the bloodstream, it would make sense to regulate or control the amount of carbohydrates that are eaten at meals.

Depending on how much insulin your body produces, how sensitive your body is to insulin, and how your body uses insulin will determine how much carbohydrates your individual body can tolerate. See Glucose tolerance.

Stress levels, exercise, hormones, age, food combinations, drinks, and many other factors can affect how insulin works in your body. Therefore, regular testing is essential in achieving blood glucose control.

You can use the mySugr app to keep an insulin diary log, noting how much you injected and the effects it had on your blood glucose levels and the food you ate, and send it to your healthcare practitioner every week so that he/she can help with dose adjustments until you have reached the target glucose levels.

Header image by FreePik