Diabetes is defined as a condition in which the body is unable to produce sufficient quantities of what?

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder primarily characterized by the body’s inability to produce or properly use insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels. In individuals with diabetes, insufficient insulin production leads to elevated glucose levels in the blood, which can result in a variety of health complications if not managed properly.

While dietary fiber, calcium, and sodium play important roles in overall health and nutrition, they do not directly relate to the fundamental issue in diabetes, which revolves around insulin. Dietary fiber is important for digestive health, calcium is crucial for bone health, and sodium is essential for fluid balance; however, none of these nutrients are central to the mechanism of diabetes. Therefore, recognizing insulin's critical role in glucose metabolism is key to understanding why the definition of diabetes focuses on this hormone.