Diabetes mellitus, or simply diabetes, is a chronic disease that occurs when the pancreas is no longer able to make insulin, or when the body cannot make good use of the insulin it produces.
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas that allows glucose to enter into the body’s cells to produce energy. During the digestive process, carbohydrates are broken down into glucose, which travels via the bloodstream to the cells, where insulin acts as a key to unlock the cells and let the glucose enter them.
There are three main forms of diabetes: type 1, type 2 and gestational diabetes.
