A Turkish-American study suggested that chewing food well could reduce blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.
- Type 2 diabetes is characterized by hyperglycemia, in other words a long-lasting excess of the concentration of glucose in the blood.
- Various factors can promote the onset of type 2 diabetes. This is particularly the case with overweight and obesity.
- A recent study observed that proper chewing of food could lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes.
Nearly 90% of diabetic patients are affected by type 2 diabetes, according to the National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm). This pathology results in hyperglycemia, that is to say a lasting excess of the concentration of glucose in the blood.
Lifestyle is mainly involved in the onset of type 2 diabetes. A diet that is too fatty and sugary combined with a sedentary lifestyle can, for example, lead to overweight and obesity, which are major risk factors for this type 2 diabetes. disease.
In a recent study published in Plos OneAmerican and Turkish researchers have observed that chewing food could also have an impact on blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Indeed, thorough chewing could lower blood sugar levels.
Proper chewing may lower high blood sugar levels
During this research, the scientists analyzed the data of 94 patients with type 2 diabetes, who had been cared for in an outpatient clinic of a hospital in Istanbul (Turkey).
The participants were divided into two groups: the first group consisted of patients who had good “occlusal function”, i.e. enough teeth placed correctly and in contact to allow a person to chew their food well , and the second group included people with diabetes who couldn’t chew well because they were missing some or all of their teeth.
During the study, the researchers found that the blood sugar of the first group was 7.48 g/l, while that of the second group was at 9.42 g/l. “Our results show that there is a strong link between chewing and glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes”noted Mehmet A. Eskan, study co-author, researcher and assistant professor in the department of periodontics and endodontics at Boston University School of Dentistry (USA).
Type 2 diabetes: correct chewing promotes satiety
As the researchers explain, digestion begins when chewing stimulates the production of saliva. Some nutrients also help lower blood sugar, especially fiber, which is obtained largely by chewing foods containing it. “It has also been found that chewing stimulates reactions from the gut thus leading to increased insulin secretion, and from the hypothalamus, which promotes a feeling of satiety and leads to a decrease in food intake (…) Eating less decreases the likelihood of becoming obese, which is a major risk factor for the development of type 2 diabetes”the study authors said.
According to scientists, a 1% increase in blood sugar is associated with a 40% increase in cardiovascular or ischemic heart disease mortality in people with diabetes. Chewing could therefore reduce these risks. Further research is needed, however, to confirm this hypothesis and to investigate possible causal relationships between chewing and blood sugar levels.
