One in three Korean adults aged 30 or older has diabetes or is at risk of developing it. According to the Korean Diabetes Association, 5.33 million people aged 30 or older have diabetes, and including those in the pre-diabetes stage, the high-risk group approaches 20 million.
Behind this trend lies the post-meal surge in blood sugar known as a "blood sugar spike." This phenomenon, in which blood sugar shoots up and then drops sharply within a short period after eating, causes fatigue, reduced concentration, and sugar cravings in the short term. When repeated over the long term, it raises the risk of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease.
According to The Mirror on Monday, Steve Bennet, a British health expert and author of "Sugar Tolerance," cited "changing the order in which you eat" as the most effective way to reduce blood sugar spikes. "You don't need to cut out carbohydrates," Bennet said. "If you eat fiber, protein, and healthy fats together and first, the rate of sugar absorption slows, reducing the range of blood sugar fluctuation." A study published by a research team at Weill Cornell Medical College in the United States in the journal Diabetes Care in 2015 supports this. When diabetic patients ate the same diet in different orders, the group that ate vegetables and protein first had blood sugar levels approximately 29%, 37%, and 17% lower at 30, 60, and 120 minutes after eating, respectively, than the group that ate carbohydrates first.
On the other hand, foods that are easily mistaken for healthy choices actually raise blood sugar quickly. Granola bars, fruit juice, low-fat yogurt, and smoothies are prime examples, as are rice crackers, dried fruit, white rice sushi, and fried sweet potatoes. Experts recommend always checking the sugar content on the nutrition label before purchasing food.
Moving after a meal is also an effective measure. According to a meta-analysis by a research team at George Washington University in the United States, walking for just 2 to 5 minutes immediately after a meal can significantly reduce the post-meal rise in blood sugar. One study found that exercising for 10 minutes after each meal lowers average blood sugar by approximately 12% compared with exercising for 30 minutes at a random time during the day. Aidan Buffey, who led the research, explained, "Even a short walk stimulates the muscles to consume blood glucose as energy, easing the blood sugar spike." Even people who have not been diagnosed with diabetes can expect substantial benefits in blood sugar management simply by adjusting meal order and engaging in light activity after eating.
