Did you know that before 1921, a diagnosis of diabetes was considered a death sentence? Everything changed with the discovery of insulin.

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar and helps cells absorb energy. Today, everyone knows about it, but a hundred years ago doctors could not help patients with diabetes, and the disease was fatal.

The discovery of insulin became one of the greatest milestones of the 20th century. In 1921, Canadian surgeon Frederick Banting and medical student Charles Best extracted a substance from the pancreas of dogs and proved that it lowered blood glucose. In 1922, insulin was given to a boy with diabetes for the first time — and it saved his life. Banting received the Nobel Prize for this discovery, and medicine entered a new era.

✔ Insulin regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.
✔ Without it, cells cannot absorb glucose, and blood sugar rises.
✔ A lack or inefficiency of insulin leads to diabetes.

At first, patients were treated with insulin from animals, but it wasn’t always safe. Over time, purified preparations were developed, and in the 1980s, the first genetically engineered human insulin was created. Today there are different types — short-, medium-, and long-acting — allowing precise blood sugar control.

Modern therapy also includes insulin pumps, continuous glucose monitors, and even prototypes of an artificial pancreas. These innovations allow people with diabetes to live active and fulfilling lives.

Interestingly, insulin is important not only for people with diabetes. This hormone regulates energy distribution throughout the body and even plays a role in muscle growth.

The discovery of insulin is a powerful example of how science can change the destiny of millions. To this day, it remains one of the greatest triumphs of medical research.