Lee Se-mi, “What is that on your arm?”… What are the effects of ‘this’ diet?

Comedian Lee Se-mi measured her blood sugar using a continuous blood glucose meter for two weeks.

On the 10th, a video titled ‘(-20kg dieter) 2-week long journey’ was posted on Lee Se-mi’s YouTube channel ‘Hello, Se-mi’.

In the video, Lee Se-mi attached a continuous blood sugar monitor to her arm, saying, “I usually manage my diet diligently, but I became curious about my blood sugar.” He ate a variety of foods, including shakes, salads, sweet potatoes, dried persimmons, drinks, meat, raw fish, and alcohol, and checked his blood sugar in real time through an app linked to a blood sugar meter.

Contrary to his concerns, his blood sugar level was stable, and the highest level was after eating chicken, beer, and tteokbokki. Lee Se-mi was surprised by the level, which was close to 200 mg/dl, and started exercising after eating.

At the end of the video, Lee Se-mi said, “I’m a person with stable blood sugar, so it was rather boring. Still, I’m glad. “I’ve been doing it for two weeks, so I’m going to stop now,” he said, removing the blood sugar meter.

Using a continuous blood sugar monitor in normal people may cause anxiety and eating disorders.

The continuous blood sugar meter used by Lee Se-mi is a blood sugar monitoring method that measures blood sugar every 5 minutes and objectively examines changes in blood sugar. Even if you do not have to prick your fingertip with a needle every time to collect blood, you can specifically check the fluctuation pattern of how much your blood sugar rises and falls and when and under what circumstances through a sensor attached to your forearm or abdomen.

When a ‘blood sugar spike’ occurs, which refers to a situation where blood sugar levels suddenly soar, insulin is secreted from the pancreas to process the blood sugar. If this process is repeated frequently, the pathway that converts glucose into fat is promoted, thereby accelerating fat accumulation.

Accordingly, even people without diabetes are increasingly using continuous blood sugar monitors for weight management purposes. However, studies have shown that the use of continuous blood glucose monitors by healthy adults does not have any significant health benefits and may actually cause anxiety or eating disorders.

A meta-analysis of 25 existing studies on the effectiveness of continuous blood glucose monitors by a research team from University College London and Birmingham Children’s Hospital in the UK found that there were no clear health benefits for adults without diabetes using continuous blood glucose monitors. Dr. Adrian Brown, who led the study, said, “Continuous blood glucose monitors have improved the quality of life of diabetic patients, but the benefits to the general public have not been medically proven.”

The research team concluded that there may be a difference between the blood sugar measured with a continuous blood sugar meter and the actual blood sugar level, and that the use of a continuous blood sugar meter in normal people may actually cause obsession and anxiety about diet management and blood sugar level control, and there is a potential risk of causing eating disorders, including loss of appetite. It was analyzed that there was this.

The Korean Society of Obesity also expressed concerns. The Korean Society of Obesity said, “There is very little medical evidence that the use of a continuous blood glucose monitor is definitely helpful in people without diabetes.” As a result of the society’s analysis of medical feasibility based on research to date, there were few studies that showed the effectiveness of continuous blood glucose monitors for weight management.

Diet management and exercise help prevent blood sugar spikes.

Instead, the society recommended a balanced diet, regular physical activity, sufficient sleep, and stress management in efforts to manage a healthy weight.

If you want to avoid blood sugar spikes, it is best to refrain from binge eating and overeating and eat fresh foods rather than processed foods. In particular, you should be careful with refined carbohydrates and simple sugar foods such as candy, cakes, cookies, white rice, and white bread, as they rapidly raise blood sugar levels.

Regular exercise also helps control blood sugar. Taking a walk for 10 to 15 minutes after a meal can help prevent blood sugar spikes. Doing strength and aerobic exercise consistently for at least 30 minutes a day is also a good way to manage your overall health, including blood sugar.