Diabetes, type 1

What is glucose?

Glucose is a type of sugar. Sucrose is another type of sugar: it's the type that people put on their food. Sugars are one form of a type of chemical called a carbohydrate. Starch is another type of carbohydrate.

Foods like rice, pasta and potatoes contain a lot of carbohydrates, which your body breaks down into glucose. You can also get glucose from fruits and vegetables.
When you eat food, your digestive system breaks it down into a form that your body can use.
The broken-down food products travel to your liver. Your liver turns them into glucose.
Glucose goes into your bloodstream from your liver. The glucose can then be carried around your body.
Your body uses glucose to supply your cells with the energy they need to work.

For more information, see How does my body control my blood glucose level?

This information was last updated on Jan 07, 2009

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