Diabetes refers to a condition where the blood sugar level is abnormally high. This happens when the hormone insulin, which lowers blood sugar, is insufficient or its performance declines, maintaining a chronically high glucose concentration in the blood. The problem is not only diabetes but also the complications that can quickly arise. Among the many factors that trigger diabetes, food plays a significant role. From now on, we will introduce foods that should be restrained to avoid diabetes.
Tanghulu
This year, the number of school-aged children with diabetes nationwide has increased by 24% compared to two years ago. The main factor behind this phenomenon is Tanghulu. Tanghulu is a Chinese snack made by skewering fruits or berries and coating them with sugar and syrup. It is a typical street food in China during the winter and has recently become very popular in our country. 90% of the ingredients in Tanghulu are fruits, with the rest being sugar, purified water, and syrup. Tanghulu can be considered a culprit in consuming simple sugars more than necessary when sugar intake is already sufficient.
Fruit Juice
Not only Tanghulu, but many popular foods recently have a higher sugar content. In particular, fruit juice can be considered a typical beverage that can consume a lot of fructose. This includes sugary drinks with added sugar and 100% natural fruit drinks. It is reported that the risk of type 2 diabetes is 16% higher in people who consume fructose drinks, including 100% fruit juice, more than 0.5 times a day than in those who do not.
Tteokbokki
The simpler the sugar structure, the faster our blood sugar levels rise. Foods made of simple sugars, such as fruits, rice cakes, bread, and more, are even worse. Tteokbokki is a typical example of such food. It contains a lot of red pepper paste and sugar, and rice cakes are also foods that can quickly consume carbohydrates. The spicy taste of Tteokbokki can cause taste addiction, and blood sugar levels rise sharply when consumed, causing a lot of insulin to be secreted to lower it. If insulin action is excessive and hypoglycemia occurs, you will again seek foods with high blood sugar levels, and if this process is repeated, insulin function may decline.
Kimbap
Gimbap or Kimbap is surprisingly considered a food that should never be consumed when worried about diabetes. It contains the calories of more than one bowl of rice, and it can contain flavor enhancers that can add sweetness. The high carbohydrate content is also a problem. If you want to eat Gimbap when diabetes is a concern, it is good to consider a menu that adds something other than rice to the filling. Gimbap made by mixing rice and konjac is recommended.
Pickles, Jangajji
Pickled vegetables, a favorite menu item with Western dishes, and Jangajji, often served on Korean dining tables, are also foods that can trigger diabetes. Pickles are a menu made by adding cucumbers, herbs, and spices to a mixture of vinegar, water, and salt. Jangajji is also made similarly. These pickled menus have high sodium content, which can be a risk factor for heart disease and stroke if consumed a lot and can exacerbate kidney problems common in people with diabetes.
Rice Cake
Tteok or rice cake is worse for diabetes than white rice. Rice cakes have smaller particles than rice, so digestion and absorption are fast, and when the rice cake is steamed, it gains stickiness, causing blood sugar to rise sharply as soon as it is consumed. To reduce the risk of diabetes, it is crucial to control the amount of carbohydrates consumed that day. Eating rice and then having rice cake as a dessert is not recommended; you need to choose rice cake instead of rice to control carbohydrate intake.
Corn
Corn is also known as Gangnaengi, Gangnaemi, and Oksigi. It is a crop grown as a substitute for food in mountainous areas where rice or barley cannot be produced, and is classified as a food that can raise blood sugar a lot. Especially steamed corn is a food with a high and medium blood sugar load index. When eating steamed corn, it is recommended to eat only one as a snack, and especially if you do not eat it as a dessert after eating rice, you can suppress a sharp rise in blood sugar.
Potatoes
Potatoes, a tuber crop that Koreans consume a lot, along with sweet potatoes, are a food that is used in a variety of dishes such as soup and stew. Primarily, it is a food often used in snacks, and it is a food that everyone enjoys eating because of its high satiety. However, it is better to avoid consumption if there is a risk of type 2 diabetes. According to a study released by Harvard University in 2016, the more potatoes consumed, the greater the risk of type 2 diabetes. Also, the risk increases even more when potatoes are finished as fries.
Dried Fruit
Eating a moderate amount of fruit can be beneficial for managing diabetes. The vitamins contained in fruit can remove active oxygen in the body and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, eating dried fruit is not suitable for blood sugar management. When fruit is dried, the moisture decreases, and the sugar content and calories increase. Dried fruits sold in the market can be processed with added sugar, sweeteners, etc., and calories can increase by more than 5 times. The lack of moisture can reduce satiety and cause overeating.
Carbonated Drinks
Sodas are beverages enjoyed by people worldwide, including in our country. Carbonated drinks are often cited as a food that can trigger diabetes. This is because most carbonated drinks contain excessive amounts of sugar. A single consumption can exceed the recommended daily intake, and regular sugar consumption from carbonated drinks can cause insulin resistance. It can also cause weight gain and obesity, which can trigger diabetes, so avoiding carbonated drinks containing sugar is recommended.
By. Choi Duk Su
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