A Taiwanese family doctor recorded a sharp glucose rise after eating creamy takeaway soup, highlighting how hidden starches can make seemingly light dishes behave like fast-absorbing carbohydrates.
A report on Lolleroll described how a Taiwanese family doctor used his own blood sugar readings to show how a seemingly ordinary takeaway soup can trigger a sharp glucose rise. Dr. Lee Sze-hin, who runs the health-awareness page “Dr. Neill, Your Healthy Friend”, said his reading climbed from 105 mg/dL to 174 mg/dL within 30 minutes of eating a thick cream soup, a jump he linked to hidden starches used to create the dish’s smooth texture.
Lee said the main issue was not the soup’s flavour or appearance, but the use of refined starches such as cornstarch and potato starch. Those ingredients are widely used as thickeners, yet they can make a meal behave more like a fast-absorbed carbohydrate than a slow, filling dish. Nutrition resources from WebMD, Healthline and other food-education sites back the broader point that potatoes and other starchy ingredients can raise blood sugar quickly, depending on how they are prepared and portioned.
That distinction matters because the shape and processing of a carbohydrate can change how fast it enters the bloodstream. Healthline notes that potatoes may be classed as complex carbohydrates, but they can still produce a rapid rise in glucose because of their high glycaemic index, while Potatopedia says cooking method and variety can alter the response. In contrast, Healthline also notes that uncooked cornstarch can be used in some medical settings to help prevent hypoglycaemia, showing that starches do not affect the body in the same way in every form.
Lee used the soup example to warn about other takeaway traps, including creamy sauces, sticky marinades and refined bases that can conceal a large carbohydrate load. His message was that people often judge meals by the headline ingredients alone, when the bigger issue may be what has been added to change texture. For people trying to manage diabetes or avoid large post-meal swings, the practical advice is to ask about thickeners, choose clearer broths when possible and pair starch-heavy dishes with protein or fibre-rich vegetables to slow absorption.
The broader lesson is that modern takeaway food can be more metabolically complicated than it looks. A dish that appears light may still behave like a concentrated source of fast-digesting carbohydrate once thickeners and processing are taken into account. Lee’s experiment, as reported by Lolleroll, is a reminder that preparation method can matter as much as ingredient list when it comes to blood sugar control.
Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical judgment, advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
