Diabetes is a disease that affects how your body uses food. Food gives you energy and keeps you healthy. In the body, food breaks down into basic nutrients so that the body can use it. Carbohydrates and fats are the nutrients primarily used for energy. Your liver takes these nutrients and converts them into glucose, which it releases when needed.
Blood carries glucose through the body.
The amount of glucose in the blood is normally controlled by insulin, a hormone produced in the pancreas. Insulin helps glucose leave the blood and get into the cells where it can be used for energy. If your body doesn't make enough insulin, or it isn't using it right, glucose stays in your blood. This is the start of diabetes. The bad news is that if left untreated, diabetes can cause other health problems.