|  | Conditions Treatments | Diabetes

Why Do Diabetics Take Insulin?

Diabetics take insulin because their bodies do not naturally produce enough of it for them to survive. In people without diabetes, specialized cells in the pancreas produce insulin in response to the body's needs. By injecting themselves with insulin, diabetics in effect take over the job of the pancreas.

  1. The Facts

    • Insulin is produced naturally by the body as a way of regulating the amount of sugar in the bloodstream. Its job is to "keep the level of sugar in the bloodstream within a normal range," according to the Mayo Clinic. After you eat, sugar enters your bloodstream in the form of glucose, which serves as your body's primary source of energy. Insulin moves the sugar out of the bloodstream and into the body's many cells, where the energy is put to work.

    Function

    • If you have Type One diabetes, your pancreas no longer produces insulin. If you have Type Two diabetes, your body either does not produce enough insulin or fails to make proper use of it. If you have Type Two, you probably won't have to take insulin unless other treatments fail.

    Delivery Options

    • Insulin cannot be taken as a pill because it would be broken down by the digestive process. Instead, it must be injected into the bloodstream multiple times a day, with dosages depending on such factors as diet, exercise and stress. Delivery systems have become increasingly sophisticated. For example, an insulin pump can be attached to the body that infuses insulin through a catheter under the skin. The pump can be programmed to deliver varying doses of insulin.

    Types

    • Insulin comes in various forms. Rapid-acting insulin starts working five minutes after it is injected and is effective for two to four hours. Regular-acting insulin starts working 30 minutes after the injection and lasts for three to six hours. Intermediate-acting insulin starts working two to four hours after injection, but it stays in the bloodstream for 12 to 18 hours. Long-acting insulin becomes effective in six to 10 hours and continues working over a 24-hour period.

    History

    • Before insulin was discovered, diabetes was "a feared disease that most certainly led to death," according to the Nobel Foundation. Dr. Frederick Banting, a Canadian surgeon, and his team received the Nobel Prize in 1923 for their successful experiments with insulin. Initially, insulin was taken from the pancreases of cows and pigs. Thanks to advances in DNA technology, pharmaceutical companies now manufacture insulin.

Diabetes - Related Articles