What is diabetes?

Diabetes is an illness that affects the way the body uses digested food for energy. Most of the food we eat is broken down into a type of sugar called glucose. Glucose is an important source of fuel for the body and the main source of fuel for the brain. The body also produces a hormone called insulin. Insulin helps cells throughout the body absorb glucose and use it for energy. Diabetes reduces or destroys the body’s ability to make or use insulin properly. Without insulin, glucose builds up in the blood, and the body’s cells are starved of energy.

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