The Pancreas

The pancreas is a small organ behind your stomach. It has two big jobs. It helps break down food and it makes a hormone called insulin that controls the sugar in your blood.

Helping with Digestion

When you eat, the pancreas makes special juices called enzymes. These enzymes break down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates in your food. The enzymes flow into your small intestine to do their work.

Without these juices, your body could not get the nutrients it needs from the food you eat.

Controlling Blood Sugar

The pancreas also makes insulin. Insulin helps sugar from your food get into your cells for energy. If the pancreas does not make enough insulin, a person can get diabetes.

Eating balanced meals and staying active help your pancreas do its job. Too much sugar can make the pancreas work extra hard.

Fun Facts

• The pancreas is about six inches long, roughly the size of a banana.
• It makes about one cup of digestive juice every day.
• The word pancreas comes from Greek words meaning all flesh.

Did You Know?

Insulin was discovered in 1921, and it has saved millions of lives of people with diabetes!