What is the pancreas? How do they work?

At the bottom of the ribs, you will find the pancreas located between other organs, acting as a personal health professional.

The pancreas helps regulate blood sugar levels and secrete special fluids that release nutrients from food, helping the body maintain the best possible state.

AIDS digestion

The pancreas is located behind the stomach, assisting digestion by secreting a special fluid: a mixture of sodium bicarbonate salts and digestive enzymes.

1. Sodium bicarbonate neutralizes the natural acid environment in the stomach, creating favorable conditions for digestive enzymes to do their job.
   The lipase enzyme has the ability to shred fat molecules.
2. Protease shred proteins.
3. Amylase breaks down carbohydrate molecules into energy-rich sugar molecules.

After that, most of the metabolic nutrients will be absorbed into the bloodstream and continue to other organs to feed the body. During this process, the pancreas performs another important function, which regulates the body's blood sugar level.

The pancreas is located behind the stomach, assisting digestion by secreting special fluid.

It performs this function thanks to the hormones Insulin and Glucagon, which are produced from special cells called 'Langerhans' . Too high or too low blood sugar is dangerous, so the pancreas must be ready to respond.

Regulate the body's blood sugar level

After a full meal, the blood sugar level usually rises, to adjust the sugar level to normal, the pancreas must release Insulin to bring excess sugar to the cells, be used as an energy source or stored for use. after. Insulin also signals the liver to stop producing sugar molecules.

In contrast, when blood sugar is low, the pancreas releases the hormone Glucagon, which signals to the cells and liver to bring the stored glucose back to the blood.

The interaction between Insulin and Glucagon is a factor that helps balance blood sugar. But if it is "broken ," the pancreas will no longer function, meaning the blood sugar balance is broken.

If the pancreas is weakened by disease, the ability to produce insulin decreases, even stops, causing high blood sugar levels to rise, causing diabetes. Eventually, it leads to hardening of the blood vessels and causing heart attacks, kidney failure and stroke

Similarly, a lack of insulin prevents cells from using the energy-rich sugar molecules needed for growth and function.

In diabetics, the level of Glucagon also tends to increase, making the blood sugar circulate even more. Without the control of this "expert," blood sugar levels would fluctuate and we could not digest important nutrients.