How Insulin Works

Insulin is a hormone in the body that converts food into energy. Like all hormones, it's produced by a gland, in this case the pancreas. Specifically, insulin is produced by certain cells in the pancreas called "beta" cells. Your body uses insulin to move the glucose obtained from food from the bloodstream into cells throughout the body, which then use the glucose for energy.

People with diabetes don't make enough insulin. Luckily, manufactured insulin allows us to replace the insulin the pancreas can't make. Because insulin is a protein, it can't be taken by mouth. It would be digested, just like the food you eat. That's why insulin is taken by injection. Over the last decade, several new types of insulin have been introduced to the market to meet the different needs of people with diabetes.