Effects of Glucose Ingestion on Acupoint Conductance

Traditional Chinese medicine considers the nutritive Qi-which is transported and regulated by the meridian system-to be the major source of energy for the human body. Modern medicine indicates that glucose provides the energy requirements of the body via blood circulation. The hypothesis examined in this study was that there is a correlation between glucose in modern medicine and nutritive Qi in traditional Chinese medicine, which was tested by measuring the changes in the Ryodoraku electrical conductances of acupoints during an oral glucose tolerance test. Twenty subjects drank a glucose solution after 10 hours of overnight fasting. Both acupoint conductance and blood glucose concentration were measured continuously at 30-minute intervals for a total of 2 hours. Since this study had a time-series design, data were analyzed using generalized estimating equations. The results demonstrated that the acupoint conductances varied following glucose digestion. Certain meridian vessels indeed appear to exhibit regular fluctuations : the conductances first decreased, indicative of energy consumption from glucose digestion, and then increased, indicating energy acquisition from glucose and its distribution. Glucose metabolism induces significant physiological responses in the meridian system, implying that the meridian vessels are the measurable indicators of energy distribution and transformation. These observations are very meaningful for clarifying energy regulation in traditional Chinese medicine.