Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease in which the body’s natural ability to produce enough insulin is defective, leading to the progression of elevated glucose levels in the blood. It is first important to understand how the body produces glucose. When you eat foods containing sugars and carbohydrates, the body breaks these substances down into a special sugar known as glucose. Glucose is used by the body to provide energy and to fuel cells. Insulin is a hormone produced by the beta cells in the pancreas. Insulin is what moves glucose from the blood to the liver, fat, and muscle cells. When there is a deficiency or absence of insulin, the cells do not have the energy needed to perform their processes.