Insulin is a hormone that controls blood sugar by helping absorb it into cells

Diabetes 101: Insulin deficiency leads to high glucose levels in the blood

Glucose, the brain's preferred energy source, enters the bloodstream when the body breaks down consumed carbohydrates. To manage this increase in readily available energy, the body releases the hormone insulin, which allows glucose to enter and fuel our cells. Without insulin, glucose remains in the blood, causing health issues.

Diabetes is a hormonal disorder that occurs when the pancreas does not produce enough of a hormone that regulates blood glucose, called insulin, or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

The pancreas releases digestive enzymes and regulates blood sugar

The pancreas weighs about the same as a deck of cards and is smaller than the average adult human hand. This lopsided glandular organ controls blood sugar levels through insulin production and helps the body digest food by creating a neutralizing tonic filled with digestive enzymes.

Type 1 diabetes, affecting about 5%-10% of people with diabetes, is an autoimmune disorder inhibiting insulin production.

Diabetes is a chronic disease linked to insulin production and high blood sugar

Diabetes is a chronic, progressive disease caused by a lack of, or problems processing, the hormone insulin, leading to persistently high blood sugar. Around 90 to 95% of cases are Type 2 (chronic and caused by factors like diet and environment). The remainder are Type 1 diabetes (an autoimmune disorder).

Understanding insulin

Scientists Daniel and Kelly talk with researcher Dr. Katrine Whiteson about diabetes, the history of insulin production, and Dr. Lydia Villa-Komaroff—an essential member of the team who discovered that bacteria could be induced to produce insulin. Listen to discover interesting facts about the life-saving medicine and how it works in the human body.

Diabetes has downstream effects on the heart, eyes, kidneys, and more

High blood sugar levels in untreated diabetes roughen artery walls, increasing plaque buildup, heart disease, and high blood pressure risk. High levels also cause acid to build up in the bloodstream, potentially making the brain swell, the lungs fill with fluid, and the heart to beat arrhythmically—all fatal complications.

A 201-level at how GLP-1 drugs lead to appetite reduction

It's well-established that drugs which mimic the hormone GLP-1 can help people lose weight and control blood sugar levels, primarily through appetite reduction. This technical review provides an overview of how both natural and therapeutic GLP-1 interacts with the gut and brain to produce its effects.

Semaglutides, which belong to a class of drugs called GLP-1s, are prescribed for weight loss in combination with diet and exercise because they trigger the release of the appetite-suppressing hormone incretin.

GLP-1 drugs, first used to manage diabetes, were derived from Gila monster saliva.

The myth of sugar rushes vs. the reality of sugar crashes

It's generally accepted that sugar rushes are a myth, and that hyperactivity is a more psychological experience. However, there is real science behind the rare sugar crash that primarily impacts those with diabetes. Read this article to understand how historical and cultural factors have shaped sugar perceptions, and how low blood sugar can trigger shakiness, fatigue, weakness, and more in diabetes patients.

The additive effects of smoking, diabetes, and poor diet are the biggest risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer.

An overview of 200 years of diabetes treatment

Diabetes treatment became truly effective after the advent of insulin injections in the early 1900s. Diabetes is becoming increasingly common. Current trends estimate one in three Americans will have diabetes by 2050. This overview explores two centuries of diabetes treatment—starting in 1812—and outline potential challenges to treatment and prevention.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that develops over time

Almost 90 to 95% of people with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes, occuring when the pancreas doesn't make enough insulin or the insulin fails to work correctly. Insulin malfunction causes the pancreas to crank out increasingly high amounts of the blood sugar-regulating hormone, leading to overwork and reductions in production.

Overmedication has put type 2 diabetics at risk of low blood sugar

Type 2 diabetics in the US risk dying from low blood sugar, an epidemic traced to a decades-old, multi-million-dollar drug industry campaign encouraging an average blood sugar level below 7%. Contemporary research correlated such levels with reduced risk of eye, nerve, and kidney damage and increased hypoglycemia risk.

Diabetes drug GLP-1 is a peptide (that's what the 'P' is for).

The discovery of insulin led to a controversial Nobel Prize in 1923

For centuries, Type 1 diabetes was fatal. The 1920s "discovery" of insulin netted two of its creators—Frederick Banting and his boss, John Macleod—a Nobel prize. Separately, the German doctor Georg Zuelzer synthesized an effective version of the life-saving drug years earlier but was interrupted by World War I.

How does your body turn food into energy?

Cells get energy via a process known as cellular respiration, which involves turning glucose into ATP or adenosine triphosphate. Breaking the phosphate bonds of ATP results in usable energy being released into cells, which can then use that energy to power biological processes. This 10-minute video explains how glucose turns into ATP, giving the body the energy it needs to survive.

See the first dog ever treated with insulin—a peptide

Frederick Banting and his graduate student Charles Best were the first to isolate the peptide insulin from dogs. They induced diabetes in the animals and then treated them with this peptide.

Is it possible to cure diabetes?

Treatments for diabetes depend on the type of condition a patient has. Gestational diabetes typically goes away after birth, and those with Type 2 diabetes may be able to reverse their condition through diet, exercise, and blood sugar management. Type 1 diabetes has no cure, but can be successfully managed.

Gestational diabetes occurs when the body can't produce insulin during pregnancy

Globally, pregnant people are increasingly at risk to develop gestational diabetes due to rising maternal ages and obesity rates. The condition is associated with heavier fetal weight, congenital abnormalities, and perinatal mortality, which includes stillbirths and deaths of babies younger than 7 days old.

People with schizophrenia have triple the risk of developing diabetes

It remains contentious if something inherent about the disease or antipsychotics' side effects (weight gain) are mostly to blame. Some newly diagnosed schizophrenia patients already have insulin resistance, raising questions about if patients' brains are getting enough energy from glucose, and if dietary changes—like a high-fat, low-carbohydrate, moderate-protein diet—may help alleviate symptoms.

Early peptide research focused on isolating the substances from animal tissue

In the first half of the 20th century, peptides including insulin and adrenocorticotropic hormone were isolated from animals to provide life-saving medicines. ACTH was isolated from the pituitary glands of cows and pigs and insulin was isolated from the pancreas of dogs and cows.

GLP-1 helps reduce obesity through a number of mechanisms

Clinical studies show GLP-1 drugs, including semaglutide, promote weight loss through a number of effects. These include reduced appetite, slower emptying of the digestive tract, increased insulin production, and more.

Leonard Thompson was the first human to receive an insulin injection for diabetes

In January 1922, the 14-year-old was the first person to receive an insulin injection to treat diabetes, just months after insulin was isolated in dogs and used to treat their induced diabetes. Thompson had an allergic response to an apparent impurity in the injection, but his second dose, 12 days later, was a success.

The second phase of acute stress: the 'slow' response

The body's reaction to acute stress involves two responses: fast and slow. The first occurs immediately, with the central nervous system triggering the release of adrenaline. The second releases cortisol, which elevates blood sugar and blood pressure and restricts nonessential functions like digestion and the immune system.

How meal timing factors into health outcomes

The world is trending toward weight gain, a development that comes with a corresponding rise in risk for health conditions, including diabetes and heart disease. This article explores how meal timing has become a factor in nutrition and weight maintenance.

When people stopped using GLP-1, they regained two-thirds of the weight back.

In June 2026, EU food safety regulators approved sales of a GLP-1-inducing food additive, a change that may lead to 'supercharged' cereals and breads in Europe within a year. (free w/email)

The dark side of modern sugar production

Humanity's ancestors evolved to wring more calories from sugary fruits by storing excess sugar as fat, an adaption that's culminated in many peoples' palettes preferring calorie-rich sweet. Now, the desire for sugar has both contributed to a widespread health crisis and been at the center of atrocities around the world.

GLP-1 drugs mimic a natural hormone that triggers appetite-suppressing effects

Ozempic, one of the brand names for the drug semaglutide, was originally developed in 2012, to help treat Type 2 diabetes. Among other effects, the drug mimics a naturally produced hormone known as GLP-1, which is released while eating to let our bodies know we are full.

12% of adults were taking injectable GLP-1 for weight loss according to 2025 survey

Weight loss injectable use rose sharply between 2024 and fall 2025. The percentage of adults who reported taking this class of medicine specifically for weight loss increased to 12.4%, compared with 5.8% in February 2024 when Gallup first measured it.

Food companies are exploring 'GLP-1 friendly' diet labels

Producers of foods like Healthy Choice frozen meals are placing "GLP-1 friendly" labels on their food, but there's no regulation about what that label means. Nutritionists say that GLP-1s can help reduce appetite, but healthy, balanced diets are a necessary complement to the medications. Data shows that about half of GLP-1 users quit these medications within a year and then rapidly regain weight, underscoring the importance of also prioritizing healthy eating.

One in 10 adults worldwide has diabetes.

Blood Pressure and Diabetes

New meta-analysis shows blood pressure reductions with ACE inhibitors and ARBs are associated with a lower diabetes risk, but other types of antihypertensive agents have the opposite effect.

Short-term cortisol spikes can boost the immune system

Elevated acute levels can enhance the immune system's ability to fight off infection or respond to injury. Chronic heightened cortisol levels, however, can lead to inflammation that harms cells and tissues over time.

Stress activates the "fight-or-flight" response when we face threats, a reaction that can help keep us alive.

GLP-1 drugs are under investigation for treating Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and drug addiction

Researchers are investigating GLP-1 applications for a variety of chronic conditions. One area of interest stems from how study participants using GLP-1 for diabetes and obesity reported describing less longing for wine and cigarettes while taking the medication—intriguing researchers about using the drugs for addiction applications. The drug, they theorize, could bind to receptors that mediate desire. (Some users may experience a paywall.)

Type 1.5 diabetes is typically found in adulthood

Clinically referred to as latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, or LADA, this condition is often diagnosed as Type 2 diabetes. However, it’s an autoimmune disease that eventually requires insulin, just like Type 1 diabetes. Misdiagnosis can result in uncontrolled high blood sugar and a slew of other serious health issues.

Fake sugars may disrupt metabolic health.

Artificial sweeteners may disrupt gut health, throwing off the balance of beneficial bacteria in the gut and shifting the composition of the microbiome.

See which GLP-1 drugs are currently approved (along with their cost)

Around 75% of prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs are used to treat diabetes, while the remainder is used for weight loss. This overview from GoodRX includes a list and overview of currently available options along with prices for each.

Blood pressure readings correspond to the peaks and valleys of heart beats

Pushing 2,000 gallons of blood through the body every day exerts a force known as blood pressure. Blood pressure is highest during the heart's contractile phase, known as systole, which forces blood through the circulatory system, and lowest during the heart's resting phase between beats, known as diastole.

Modern pregnancy tests detect a specific hormone in a woman's urine or blood.

What does blood do?

Blood's primary purpose is to ferry oxygen and nutrients to cells in need while collecting cell waste and byproducts for removal. It also enables the body's repair and immune systems to traverse our internal landscape to address cell damage or external invaders, such as viruses and parasites. Zooming out from the exact roles of blood's various cells, the fluid connective tissue also assists with maintaining homeostasis via temperature regulation and pH balance.

The stages of fasting

What happens to the body when it goes without caloric intake? This article overviews the immediate physical effects of fasting. Within a day of going without food, the body will have used up its glucose stores and ordered the liver and muscles to convert their glycogen (glucose storage) into usable glucose. By the second day, glycogen stores will run out, forcing the body to use fat as energy. This process is known as ketosis.

Honeybees vomit nectar into one another's mouths to transform it into honey

Digestive enzymes break down long chains of complex sugars into simple monosaccharides, while the fanning of their wings helps honeybees evaporate water away. This process increases the acidity of the resulting honey, increasing its shelf life when sealed in beeswax.

GLP-1s may weaken the effectiveness of birth control and affect other medications, hindering how and when they circulate through the blood.

What is biohacking? An overview

Biohacking is a broad collection of self-improvement techniques meant to enhance a human's health, lifespan, or ability. There are basic biohacks, like the use of caffeine, and more extreme ones, like under-the-skin implants. The difference between biohacking and standard medicine is that biohacking is primarily a do-it-yourself approach and is mostly unregulated.

Allergies occur when our immune system mistakenly considers a substance a threat

Immunoglobulin E antibodies, or IgE antibodies, may bind to an allergen, effectively labeling it as a threat. That triggers a cascade of actions in the body, including the release of histamine, which causes the characteristic itching and hives of allergies. Sometimes a cooked version of an allergen—like a cooked carrot—may look different enough from its raw form to the immune system that antibodies ignore it, and no allergic response takes place.