| A study has found that chewing food properly helps control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. (Photo = DB) |
[메디컬투데이=한지혁 기자] Research has shown that chewing food properly helps control blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes.
The results of a study on the impact of dental health on blood sugar control in patients with type 2 diabetes were published in the journal PLOS One.
Type 2 diabetes can be diagnosed when the pancreas does not produce enough of the hormone insulin, which causes a large amount of glucose to remain in the blood and cause various symptoms and complications.
If not managed properly, type 2 diabetes can lead to stroke, heart attack, nerve damage, dementia, vision and hearing loss, skin problems such as ulcers, and sleep apnea.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 37 million people in the US have diabetes, and 90 to 95 percent of these people have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Formal recommendations for the management of type 2 diabetes include weight management, regular exercise, smoking cessation, and blood pressure control.
The idea that healthy teeth can help manage type 2 diabetes is a form of conventional wisdom, but no research has yet been published that has specifically investigated this.
In this study, researchers from Turkey analyzed the health data of 94 people with type 2 diabetes. The participants were classified into a group that could chew well because the upper and lower teeth occluded properly, and a group that could not chew right because too many teeth are missing.
To assess the participants’ blood sugar control, the researchers measured their glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels, which reflect their average blood sugar over the past two to three months.
As a result of the analysis, the average HbA1c level of the participant group without chewing problems was 7.48%. This was significantly higher than the 9.42% in the second group who were unable to chew properly. According to previous studies, even a 1% increase in HbA1c concentration can increase the risk of cardiovascular death by around 40% in diabetic patients.
In addition to these findings, the researchers noted that patients with poor or poor chewing skills saw a gradual improvement in their blood sugar levels when they received implant treatment and were chewing well.
They explained that not only can the nutrients in food be properly absorbed through the act of chewing, but it can also help to feel full and reduce food intake in general by sending signals to the hypothalamic center in the brain.
Medical Today Reporter Han Ji-hyeok (hanjh3438@mdtoday.co.kr)
[저작권자ⓒ 메디컬투데이. 무단전재-재배포 금지]
