Thin but Still Have the “Three Highs”? Refined Starches Are a Dietary Landmine | Chairman Chen Chang-Hung on Metabolic Health EP03
Crystal dumplings, pastries and white buns are refined starches; eating too many can spike blood sugar, and extra calories may hide in the organs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMUCXgLGzIg
Many people assume that only overweight people get the “three highs” (high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high blood lipids). In reality, some people are slim and never seem to gain weight, yet their health checkups reveal fatty liver or blood sugar problems. In this episode, Chen Chang-Hung, developer of Herbtail GlucoMetabol and chairman of Landmacy Healthcare Tech Company, explains that people who develop the “three highs” are not necessarily overweight. What matters is what you eat and how you live.
People with the “three highs” aren’t always overweight
The “three highs” are not directly tied to body weight. They are closely linked to eating habits and daily routines. If you often eat fried foods or refined starches, then even if you don’t look overweight, problems may already be building up inside your body.
Refined starches: a common dietary landmine
What are refined starches? They are processed ingredients that have been reduced to little more than starch, for example:
- Pastries made from glutinous rice flour
- Snacks such as vegetable buns and crystal dumplings made with glutinous rice flour or corn starch
- Bread and pastries made from white flour
When you eat these foods, they tend to make your blood sugar rise quickly. Chairman Chen describes them as “a great many landmines,” the traps in everyday eating that are easiest to step on.
Where do the extra calories hide?
When you eat too many refined starches, the calories your body can’t use get stored. These calories don’t necessarily show up in places you can see. They may be stored in the liver or build up around the internal organs.
If you don’t get enough protein, muscle can’t grow, yet the excess calories quietly get stored in the organs. This is why some people look thin but have fatty liver or metabolic problems.
Asians are leaner, yet have plenty of the “three highs”
Compared with Westerners, Asians have a much lower rate of being overweight, but the rate of the “three highs” is about the same. This again shows that the “three highs” have more to do with what you eat than with whether you are fat or thin.
Besides refined starches, also watch out for high-calorie drinks such as frequently drinking baijiu (Chinese white liquor). Calories that your body can’t digest or use may likewise be stored around the internal organs, causing problems such as fatty liver.
Key takeaways from this episode
- The “three highs” are not directly related to being fat or thin; they are related to diet and daily routines.
- Foods made from glutinous rice flour, corn starch and white flour are all refined starches.
- Refined starches tend to make blood sugar rise quickly and are a common dietary landmine.
- Calories that go unused may be stored in the liver and around the internal organs.
- High-calorie drinks such as baijiu may also contribute to fatty liver.
Video series | Chairman Chen Chang-Hung on Metabolic Health
This series has 13 episodes. This is episode 3.
- EP01 Aloe Lowers Blood Sugar, So Why Shouldn’t You Take It All the Time? Eastern Balance × Western Science
- EP02 Normal Blood Sugar Means You’re Fine? Insulin Resistance Damages Six Major Organs
- EP03 Thin but Still Have the “Three Highs”? Refined Starches Are a Dietary Landmine (this post)
More videos will be released in the coming weeks. Subscribe to our YouTube channel, or keep following the Healthcare 520 website.
※ This article and video are for sharing health knowledge and cannot replace professional medical advice. If you feel unwell in any way, please consult a physician.
