What Is Type 2 Diabetes?

Here’s the quick scientific explanation behind Type 2 diabetes. Blood sugar, or glucose, is the main sugar found in the blood. It comes from the food you eat and it is the body’s main source of energy. The blood carries glucose to the body’s cells, where it gets converted into energy.  Diabetes is a disease in which the blood sugar levels are too high. This happens because of two problems that involve a hormone in the body called insulin.

First, the body isn’t producing enough insulin. This is harmful because insulin regulates the movement of blood sugar into the cells. Second, the cells are responding poorly to insulin and are not absorbing sugar the way they should. This is also known as “insulin resistance.” As a result of these two things, too much sugar is circulating in the bloodstream. Over time, it builds up and the blood sugar levels become too high. Once the levels rise beyond a certain threshold (which can be shown by a blood test), you are classified as having Type 2 diabetes.