Doctor: "Eating Tteokguk Makes You One Year Older? There's Some Truth"... Here's Why?

"Lunar New Year Foods Are a Collection of Accelerated Aging Foods"
Rice Cakes, as Refined Carbohydrates, Accelerate Aging... "Just One Bowl"

Professor Jeong Heewon of the Geriatrics Department at Seoul Asan Medical Center said, "The saying that eating a bowl of rice cake soup (tteokguk) on Lunar New Year’s morning makes you a year older is a reasonable statement."

On the 25th, Professor Jeong uploaded a video titled "Lunar New Year, the Festival of Accelerated Aging" on his YouTube channel.

In the video, Professor Jeong said, "Lunar New Year foods are a collection of accelerated aging foods."

He explained, "Among the foods eaten by kings during the Joseon Dynasty, there were many refined carbohydrates. Back then, it was okay because they were eaten only occasionally, but now that is not the case. People already eat abundantly on a regular basis, and during holidays, they eat even more."

He continued, "Rice cake soup contains rice cakes, which are refined carbohydrates," adding, "There is a saying that eating tteokguk makes you a year older, and if you eat a lot of tteokguk, it accelerates aging, so there is some truth to it."

Simple sugars and refined grain foods are known as representative foods that cause accelerated aging by rapidly raising blood sugar levels and inducing insulin secretion, which promotes aging.

Professor Jeong said, "On Lunar New Year morning, after going early to pay respects, people eat tteokguk, which is made from refined grains and tastes really good. It goes down smoothly with the broth," adding, "I am quite sensitive to insulin, so I can feel my legs swelling right after eating tteokguk."

He advised, "It’s Lunar New Year, so you can’t not eat it, and it’s very delicious, but I hope you eat just one bowl."

Finally, Professor Jeong recommended multigrain rice and vegetable bibimbap as Lunar New Year menu options, saying, "It’s good to eat multigrain rice with beans. If you replace white rice with multigrain rice in ancestral rites food, substitute red meat with fish, and increase the ratio of vegetables and seasoned greens, you can create a healthier ancestral rite table."