Korea releases personalized nutrition management guide as diabetes rates spike

As global diabetes rates continue to rise, the South Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety unveils a nutrition management guide to combat the growing incidence of diagnoses in the country. Its commissioner, Oh Yoo-Kyung, says the nutrition management guide was made to help change the eating habits of pre-diabetic adults.

According to the ministry, pre-diabetics have fasting blood sugar levels of 100–125 mg/dL, glycated hemoglobin levels of 5.7–6.4%, and blood sugar levels of 140–199 mg/dL two hours post-meal.

Korea is facing spikes in patients with chronic diseases like diabetes and hypertension, with four out of ten adults being pre-diabetic. The ministry notes that 5–8% of people with impaired fasting glucose develop diabetes within a year.

According to the Korean Diabetes Association, 16.7% of adults aged 30 years or older had diabetes in 2020. Based solely on fasting plasma glucose, the prevalence of diabetes in adults aged 30 and over is 14.5% or one in seven adults. About three out of ten adults aged 65 years or older (30.1%) had diabetes.

Guidelines and study 

The Ministry and the Korean Society of Clinical Nutrition created a dietary guideline based on diabetes risk, nutritional index, and age group (young, middle-aged, old, and elderly). It also developed an operation guide for nutrition management education programs for senior welfare facilities and public health centers.

The ministry notes that 5–8% of people with impaired fasting glucose develop diabetes within a year.After analyzing the Korea National Health and Nutrition Survey data (2018–2022), they recommend that young people (19–34 years old) lower their consumption of late-night snacks and fast and convenience foods. They suggest drinking water instead of sweet beverages.

For those with high diabetes risk and urgent dietary improvement, the guide suggests a nutrition management education program to help manage weight through diet and exercise therapies. It also recommends balanced eating habits by watching not just sugar intake but also fat.

Using this guide, the ministry conducted nutrition management for eight weeks with 194 pre-diabetic patients, and it was found that approximately four out of ten patients (40%) had improved blood sugar levels.

In addition, the ministry launched a sugar content information book for processed foods, outlining the amount of sugar these foods contain for consumer access. For instance, each serving of grape juice contains 26.6 g of sugar, coke 21.5 g, orange juice 18.3 g, red bean bread 14.6 g, and donuts 13.4 g.

Industry developments

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