Diabetes, or to give its full name ‘Diabetes Mellitus’, is a common condition in which the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood is too high because the body is not able to use it properly. Over 1.8 million people in the UK have diabetes and probably another million have the condition but do not know it, so you are not alone. The main two types of diabetes are Type 1 and Type 2. Diabetes cannot presently be cured, however it can be controlled and you can lead a full and active life.

The Glucose Pathway in our Bodies and What Goes Wrong in People With Diabetes

Glucose to the body is like petrol to a car, it provides the energy we need to live, grow and function.

When you eat starchy and sugary (carbohydrate) foods they pass through your digestive system where they are turned into glucose.

The glucose then enters into your blood stream. Everyone has some glucose in their blood all the time.

Glucose needs insulin in order for our bodies to make use of it.

Insulin is an essential hormone produced by the pancreas (a gland underneath your stomach) that helps glucose leave the blood and enter cells where it is used as a fuel by the body.

With diabetes you either do not produce enough insulin or the insulin does not work properly.

This means that the body cannot use the glucose to provide the body with the energy we need to live, grow and function. So without the correct treatment we would not be able to survive.

Diabetes is diagnosed when your blood glucose level is too high.