Our country is projected to enter a super-aged society starting in 2025. A super-aged society is one in which one out of five citizens is elderly, with the population aged 65 and over accounting for more than 20%. As we approach this super-aged society, concerns about dementia, a common age-related disease, are growing, and blood sugar management is emerging as a key factor in preventing dementia.

 

Fluctuating blood sugar and blood pressure cause dementia

 

There is a close relationship between blood sugar and dementia. Poor management of blood sugar increases the risk of developing dementia. Recent studies have also focused on the connection between blood sugar and dementia. The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's National Institute of Health conducted an analysis of over 2,600 elderly dementia patients using a cohort of patients with senile dementia. Participants consisted of healthy individuals and those with mild cognitive impairment. The analysis showed that greater fluctuations in blood sugar and blood pressure were associated with a higher risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. The study found that increased blood sugar variability damaged blood vessels within the cerebral white matter and increased beta-amyloid accumulation. Beta-amyloid is a toxic protein that, when excessively accumulated in the brain, destroys nerve cells and impairs cognitive function, thereby increasing the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Larger fluctuations in systolic and diastolic blood pressure were associated with increased tau protein accumulation, and the hippocampus, a brain region responsible for long-term memory, showed atrophy.

Blood sugar stability is key... providing proper nutrition to the brain

 

In particular, the success or failure of dementia prevention depends on reducing blood sugar variability. Chronic fluctuations in blood sugar not only negatively affect brain memory and cognitive functions but also increase the risk of developing dementia due to both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia. When blood sugar is high, blood vessels supplying the brain are damaged, preventing proper delivery of oxygen and nutrients. Excess insulin secretion to lower blood sugar causes insulin-degrading enzyme to focus solely on breaking down insulin, which impairs the normal breakdown of beta-amyloid proteins, the causative substances of Alzheimer's disease. Repeated hypoglycemia prevents glucose, the brain's energy source, from reaching the brain, damaging cells. Thus, the first step in preventing dementia is to maintain stable blood sugar levels to preserve brain function.

 

Post-meal blood sugar is an indicator for managing blood glucose variability.

To reduce blood sugar variability, it is necessary to lower post-meal blood sugar levels and maintain stable readings. Dietary control is a priority. Reducing carbohydrate intake that causes rapid increases in blood sugar and appropriately adding dietary fiber or protein-rich foods to each meal can help. However, carbohydrate foods should not be completely eliminated; instead, it is recommended to choose complex carbohydrate foods that have less impact on blood sugar fluctuations. A representative example is whole grains. Whole grains are minimally processed and are more nutritious than refined grains such as white rice and flour. They are complex carbohydrates with three or more sugar molecules linked together, which are broken down more slowly than simple sugars, resulting in a lesser increase in blood sugar. Among whole grains, it is advisable to select 'low-sugar grains' that provide additional help in stabilizing post-meal blood sugar levels.

 

Recently, the ancient Italian grain 'Farro' has gained attention as a low-sugar grain effective in blood sugar management. Farro is a natural, non-GMO grain rich in dietary fiber, protein, and vitamins, and has a lower sugar content compared to other grains. It is also abundant in resistant starch, which is slowly digested in the body, preventing rapid spikes in blood sugar and reducing blood sugar variability. Resistant starch also promotes the secretion of GLP-1, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. It is known that GLP-1 is effective in preventing diabetes and reducing weight, and it is currently used as a key ingredient in obesity treatments that are gaining attention.

 

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Recently, ancient grains like Kamut and Farro are gaining immense popularity.

I'm only eating camu camu, so please soak this a bit.

It seems to take a long time to chew.

 

Perhaps because of that, I tend to eat my rice more slowly.

 

Low-grade grains, these days whole grains are continuously coming out.