Refined carbohydrates, simple sugars, and oils consumed casually in daily meals place a heavy insulin-secretion burden on the pancreas. Experts agree that controlling eating habits is the first step to protecting pancreatic health, as the organ is difficult to restore once damaged.
Acute pancreatitis is far from a rare condition among Koreans, according to the medical community on Wednesday. A multi-center joint research team led by Professor Park Ji-young of Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital tracked 501 patients first diagnosed with acute pancreatitis at three university hospitals in Korea for up to 60 months. The results showed that one in three patients (32.7%) experienced two or more recurrences, while 14.2% progressed to chronic pancreatitis.
The risk of progression to chronic pancreatitis among patients with one recurrence was 70.69 times higher than for those without recurrence. About 90% of acute pancreatitis patients recover within seven days through initial hospitalization, fasting, and fluid therapy, but 25% remain exposed to the risk of recurrence. Chronic pancreatitis often presents no notable symptoms until the pancreas is roughly 80% destroyed, and 20% to 30% of cases can develop into pancreatic cancer.
Yang Hyuk-yong, a director and full member of the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity who appeared on a health information program, identified three foods that negatively affect pancreatic health and diabetes management in daily life: bibim guksu (spicy mixed noodles), gamja jorim (braised potatoes), and jeon (Korean savory pancakes).
The first food Yang pointed to was bibim guksu. He explained that the dish combines refined carbohydrate noodles with large amounts of red pepper paste, corn syrup, and sugar, concentrating carbohydrates and simple sugars all at once. In Yang's own blood glucose measurement experiment, blood sugar levels spiked to as high as 220 after eating bibim guksu.
The second food cited was braised potatoes. "Many people think of braised potatoes as a healthy dish, but the more cooked the potato, the higher the blood sugar rise," Yang said. He recommended that those who eat steamed potatoes consume them after cooling, either refrigerated or frozen, because the cooling process increases resistant starch. Resistant starch is a carbohydrate that does not break down well into glucose during digestion, so it has less impact on blood sugar.
The third food to watch out for is jeon and buchimgae. "Cooking buchimgae uses a large amount of cooking oil, and when combined with its main ingredient, wheat flour, blood sugar remains elevated for hours after eating," Yang analyzed. Another risk factor is that the pan-frying method results in high calories per unit volume, making overeating easy.
The foundation of pancreatic health and diabetes management is preventing the "blood sugar spike," in which glucose levels surge rapidly.
The Korean Diabetes Association recommends eating the right amount at regular times, reducing intake of simple sugars such as sugar and honey, and consuming sufficient dietary fiber. Dietary fiber slows the rise in blood sugar and helps regulate blood lipid levels.
Exercise is another key pillar. Walking or doing light aerobic exercise for 30 minutes to one hour, starting about 30 minutes after a meal at the same time every day, is effective. Post-meal exercise directly lowers blood sugar and enhances insulin efficacy, reducing the burden on the pancreas. The habit of checking blood sugar and pancreatic status through regular health checkups is also necessary.
