Insulin Therapy

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Insulin Therapy
To be able to function optimally, the body needs
energy. This need is there for the muscles,
nerves, vital organs and all the systems we
barely ever give cognizance to. Glucose
circulating in the blood caters to this need and
it is obvious that the maintenance of blood
glucose levels is essential for the body to
function at its best. The blood glucose is either
derived from the food that we eat which is broken
down and assimilated from the gut or produced by
the liver through some complex biochemical
pathways. A level of circulating glucose below
the normal range is called as hypoglycemia and
conversely any higher than normal reading is
termed as hyperglycemia. Both these conditions
are detrimental to the health of the human body.
The human body is a magnificent machine which has
enough mechanisms to regulate the blood glucose
levels. Of all these the foremost is a hormone
called Insulin.
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WHAT IS INSULIN?
Insulin is a naturally occurring protein produced
by the pancreas and released into the bloodstream
to make sure that the excess glucose is taken up
by the skeletal muscles and body fat. Moreover,
insulin prevents the liver from producing glucose
from fats. Any deficiency of Insulin which may
occur due to various reasons may result in
upsetting the bodys delicate metabolism. This
disturbance in metabolic activity results in
diabetes and these patients need supplemental
doses of insulin.
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HOW DOES INSULIN WORK?
Insulin is a peptide hormone which is found in
one form or the other in most of the living
organisms. In human beings, it is produced by the
Beta cells in the pancreas. The closest animal
insulin which resembles the human Insulin is
porcine (pig) derived insulin and the next
nearest is the bovine (cow) insulin.
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TYPES OF INSULIN
There 3 things that you need to know when you are
prescribed insulin. These 3 things differentiate
different types of insulin and they are, onset of
action, a peak time, and a duration time. The
onset is how fast the insulin starts working
after you take it. The peak is the time the
insulin reaches to its maximum action in reducing
glucose before it starts wearing off. The
duration is how long the insulin lasts-the length
of time it keeps lowering your blood glucose.
http//www.fightdiabetes.com/insulin-therapy/
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