Why is there too much sugar in the blood? What's wrong with having high blood sugar?
The cells of the body run on a fuel called glucose. This is the sugar that the body manufactures from the food we eat. Glucose is carried to the cells in the bloodstream. But the body cells are locked up tighter than a Manhattan apartment. Glucose can't get into a cell without a key. That key is insulin. Insulin is a hormone that comes from a gland called the pancreas. In the case of diabetics who must take insulin, the pancreas is either no longer making any insulin or not making enough of it. That is to say, all or some of the keys (insulin) may be missing. On the other hand, in those who don't require insulin often there are plenty of keys or even too many, but the cells either do not have enough locks (called insulin receptors) to let the insulin in, or something is keeping the locks from working. For example, they may be gummed up with fat. What wrong with having high blood sugar? High blood sugar is an indication that your body is getting little or no fuel. In des...