Hello and welcome back to Ask a Nutritionist, our weekly mini episode of Dishing Up Nutrition.

I'm Teresa Wagner.

I am a registered and licensed dietitian at nutritional weight and wellness,

and today we're talking all about the pancreas. Most people don't think about their pancreas

until something goes wrong, but this important organ is constantly working on digestion,

blood sugar balance, metabolism, and overall energy.

And when it becomes inflamed enough to the point of pancreatitis, the effects can be painful,

serious, and sometimes even life-threatening.

In this episode, we're breaking down what the pancreas does, the cause of pancreatitis, and how

diet and lifestyle choices can either stress or support your pancreas.

Let's start with explaining the role of the pancreas in the body.

The pancreas is a long, flat gland that sits behind your stomach, and it has two major jobs.

The first is blood sugar regulation.

Think of the pancreas like your blood sugar thermostat, sensing when it gets too high or when it gets too low.

The pancreas produces insulin, the hormone that helps move glucose

from your bloodstream and into yourselves. And it produces the hormone glucagon, which helps raise

blood sugar when it drops too low. If your blood sugar drops too low, you may feel that hangary feeling. Weak, shaky,

unable to focus. This means your pancreas is hard at work, signaling the liver to bring that

store glucose back into circulation. The pancreas is always working to keep your blood sugar

stable. So when you eat for blood sugar balance, it makes your pancreas job easier.

In contrast, high carb and high sugar diets puts our blood sugar on a roller coaster ride,

making our pancreas work tirelessly, which can lead to burnout long term. Its other job is to help with

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