Employee Health Managed Through Dietary Welfare!

A special meal at the company cafeteria every day has changed employees' health metrics. Maeil Health Nutrition's dietary change experiment conducted over five months with employees is attracting attention.

From November 2024 to March 2025, an unusual menu appeared at the cafeteria of Maeil Dairy's Pyeongtaek plant. A spoonful of 'Sunfiber Rice,' which includes water-soluble dietary fiber 'partially hydrolyzed guar gum,' was added to the rice.

This project was not merely a change in meals but part of a welfare program aimed at naturally managing employees' health in daily life. It was planned to see if health metrics could improve by eating as usual without separate exercise programs or difficult dietary regimens.

A total of 282 people participated in the study, and data from 160 people (blood sugar analysis) and 87 people (cholesterol analysis) were finally analyzed, excluding those taking diabetes medication or with low intake frequency.

Simply eating Sunfiber Rice led to remarkable results after five months. The average blood sugar of pre-diabetic and diabetic groups with fasting blood sugar over 100 mg/dL decreased by 7 mg/dL. The average cholesterol of the high cholesterol risk group with total cholesterol over 200 mg/dL decreased by 15 mg/dL.

A representative from Maeil Health Nutrition stated, "It is a very meaningful case to observe improvements in blood sugar and cholesterol levels with just a change in the regular diet without separate health management programs or medication adjustments," and added, "We will continue to secure scientifically based data and implement various programs to improve employee health."

This study was presented at the '2025 Korean Society of Food and Nutrition Science International Conference' held at BEXCO in Busan on October 31. It was noted as a field study observing how major health indicators such as blood sugar and cholesterol change through dietary changes in an actual workplace rather than a laboratory.

Maeil Health Nutrition plans to expand this study's results to employee diet and health improvement projects at major business sites nationwide and develop it into a health-focused dietary model for consumers in cooperation with catering companies.

The partially hydrolyzed guar gum used in this study is a water-soluble dietary fiber extracted from guar beans, known as the 'treasure of the desert,' and serves as a prebiotic that feeds beneficial gut bacteria. It is a safe functional material with various international certifications, including the U.S. FDA's GRAS, the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism's recommended intake material, and Japan's FOSHU certification. It is also recognized by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for its four functions: suppressing postprandial blood sugar rise, improving blood cholesterol, promoting beneficial gut bacteria, and aiding smooth bowel movements.

Various research results published in academic journals also report improvements in blood sugar and cholesterol.

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published a study where nine diabetic patients consumed partially hydrolyzed guar gum four times a day for six weeks, resulting in a 19.5% decrease in fasting blood sugar, a 7.2% decrease in glycated hemoglobin, and a 16.3% decrease in harmful LDL cholesterol.

Even for non-diabetics, the so-called 'blood sugar spike,' where postprandial blood sugar rises sharply, is dangerous, and studies show that partially hydrolyzed guar gum lowers blood sugar peaks. According to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition, when cereal containing partially hydrolyzed guar gum was provided as breakfast to healthy adults of normal weight, the blood sugar peak was reduced by more than 20% over four hours of postprandial blood sugar observation. Additionally, the short-chain fatty acids abundantly produced in the gut when consuming partially hydrolyzed guar gum help prevent fat accumulation, aid in weight control, and inhibit cholesterol synthesis, contributing to the prevention of hyperlipidemia.

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