Old Mr. Zhu in Wuhan celebrated his 60th birthday, and despite being cautious about preventing various diseases, he eventually could not escape the invasion of diabetes.
Going back two years, Old Mr. Zhu unexpectedly found his blood sugar slightly elevated during a medical check-up. The doctor suggested he first adjust his lifestyle and did not immediately need medication.
Heeding the doctor’s advice, Old Mr. Zhu strictly controlled his diet when he returned home, giving up his previous favorite high-calorie foods and switching to sweet potatoes as his staple food. He firmly believed that this coarse grain could effectively lower blood sugar.
However, after consuming sweet potatoes, Old Mr. Zhu often experienced bloating and frequent flatulence, leading his family to humorously refer to him as the “walking fart king.”
Two years passed quietly, and one day, Old Mr. Zhu suddenly fainted at home, and was immediately rushed to the hospital. The test results showed his blood sugar had soared to 18 mmol/L, and it was this terrifying high blood sugar that had caused his fainting spell.
After a detailed understanding of Old Mr. Zhu’s dietary habits over the past two years, the doctor had a conclusion in mind: long-term consumption of sweet potatoes was not a wise choice for him.
In response to Old Mr. Zhu’s doubts, he explained, “While sweet potatoes can promote intestinal peristalsis, making you feel increased flatulence, this does not mean that blood sugar will decrease. In fact, the sugars and starches in sweet potatoes convert to glucose in the body, which may actually lead to elevated blood sugar.”
In clinical practice, cases like Old Mr. Zhu’s are not uncommon, and doctors are already very familiar with them. Next, let’s delve deeper into Old Mr. Zhu’s questions to uncover the truth.
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