Posted by Al Gordon on October 28, 2001 at 06:01:13:
In Reply to: insulin use posted by L on October 27, 2001 at 18:37:07:
The liver can release glucose into the blood stream, either by releasing its reservoir of stored glucose or by converting fat to glucose (glucose neogenesis). These processes normally only happen when the body thinks it is starving or the glucose content of the blood has dropped to a dangerously low level. Insulin appears to be a key regulator of glucose release by the liver, and when it is absent, the liver will tend to release glucose, raising the level of blood sugar.
Therefore, insulin reduces blood glucose levels in 2 ways: (1) By causing body cells to take up glucose from the blood, and (2) By preventing the liver from releasing glucose.
At least that's how this layman understand it.
Al