South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) recently highlighted a worrying trend of rising pre-diabetics and hypertension rates in the country. It has developed a customised nutrition guide to help individuals control their diet and prevent the onset of diabetes.

Two in five of the adult population (46.7 per cent) were “pre-diabetic” as of 2021, which the MFDS described as a “high” rate, based on findings of the National Health and Nutrition Survey published in December 2023.

Back in 2015, the prevalence of pre-diabetic was lower at 27.1 per cent, or nearly three in 10 adults.

The number of actual diabetic adults also increased from 10.2 per cent in 2015 to 13.2 per cent in 2021.

“Recently, the number of patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension has been increasing due to various causes.

“In particular, the rate is high, with 4 out of 10 adults being in the pre-diabetic stage, and it is known that between five and eight per cent of people with impaired fasting blood sugar can progress to diabetes within a year,” said the MFDS.

One is considered a pre-diabetic when their fasting blood sugar is between 100–125 mg/dL, glycated haemoglobin between 5.7–6.4%, and their blood sugar is between 140–199 mg/dL two hours after oral glucose tolerance test.

The ratio of pre-diabetic adults increases with age.

Based on the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2018-2022 data, the ratio of pre-diabetic adults was the lowest among those aged 19 and 34, with 16.4 per cent of them found to be pre-diabetic.

Among those aged 35 to 49, the rate goes up to 36.9 per cent, and 54 per cent for those aged 50 to 64, and 57.7 per cent for those who are 65 and older.

The MFDS also pointed out that diabetic treatment costed approximately 3.4tr won (US$2.3bn) in 2022, based on data from the National Health Insurance Corporation, in 2023.

It has thus developed a customised nutrition management guide in hopes of improving the eating habits of pre-diabetic adults and prevent the onset of chronic diseases, including diabetes.

Industry efforts

Korean companies such as Pulmuone, Korea Ginseng Corp, and CJ Wellcare are some examples that have launched blood sugar management products in the past year in view of growing interest.

In February, Pulmuone Green Juice said it planned to expand its range of low-sugar health functional foods on the back of strong sales of its sugar management product Dangslim X2 launched in August last year.

The tablet and liquid shot dual-format product claims to provide blood sugar care and support intestinal health.

Korea Ginseng Corp, on the other hand, launched in South Korea and China two products targeted at blood sugar management and body fat reduction in recent months.

The products contains red ginseng, which the company has obtained officially recognition from the KFDA for its blood sugar control functionality last year.

A 12-week clinical study funded and conducted by KGC also reported that pre-diabetic adults could benefit from red ginseng supplementation.

The reported benefits include significant reduction in fasting and post-meal blood glucose levels, and an increase in GLP-1 levels.

CJ Wellcare, on the other hand, had launched health functional foods containing corosolic acid extracted from banaba leaves last year, in hopes to tapping on a growing blood sugar management health functional food market.

MFDS: Customised nutrition guide improved blood glucose levels

In view of the growing pre-diabetic prevalence, the MFDS has also developed and released a customised nutrition management guide in February this year.

The guide was developed together with the Korean Society of Clinical Nutrition by analysing the 2018-2022 National Health and Nutrition Survey data and the dietary habits and behaviours of 194 pre-diabetic Korean adults between June and October last year.

“The guide suggests dietary guidelines for pre-diabetes by age group (young, middle-aged, older, and elderly), such as recommending that young people (19-34 years old) reduce their intake of late-night snacks, fast food, and convenience foods, and drink water instead of sweet beverages,” said the MFDS.

The MFDS said that by following the guide for eight weeks, the 194 pre-diabetic Korean adults who participated in the guide development process, had seen improvements in their blood sugar levels.

“As a result of applying and evaluating online focused nutrition management using customised nutrition education materials for a total of eight weeks, 38.7 per cent of the pre-diabetic subjects saw improvements to normal blood sugar levels.

“Based on these results, a customised nutrition management guide that can be used by the general public, public health centers, and elderly welfare facilities was developed,” said the MFDS.