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Anybody can eat rice - Conditions apply
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Friday, 17 February, 2023, 16 : 00 PM [IST]
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Dr M. K. Bhashyam
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The scourge of diabetes in the world, in general and particularly in India is affecting millions of people. Doctors, drug manufacturers and patients are working hard to delay, manage or control the disease. Diabetologists suggest, it is important to follow a healthy food regime, in addition to drugs and physical activities to keep blood glucose in a safe level. Hence the food industry has developed a diabetic rice with Glycemic Index of 55% for the first time, by an out of the box thinking, barrier pushing Technology.
Once diabetes enters human body, there is no cure! Caused by metabolic imbalance/disorder, and due to genetic factors and by poor food habits and lifestyle, blood glucose level, if uncontrolled, can slowly damage vital organs. It can adversely affect the quality of life and make us unproductive. India is considered the diabetic capital of the world.
According Dr Mohan of Chennai, an authority on diabetes, obesity, food – interaction on blood glucose, has attributed for higher incidence of diabetes in India due to environmental and migration of people from rural areas to urban cities and there is strong evidence, that, Indians have a great degree of insulin resistance, and a stronger genetic disposition to diabetes.
Facts and Figures
As per the survey done by ICMR-India diabetes study and referred (2) following data are presented (% prevalence)
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State
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Diabetics
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Prediabetics
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Tamil
Nadu
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10.4
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8.3
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Maharashtra
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8.4
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12.8
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Jharkhand
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5.3
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8.1
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Chandigarh
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13.6
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14.6
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Bihar
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4.3
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10.0
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All India figures for Diabetics (77millions) and Prediabetics (88 million). Above data show that, diabetes is causing havoc and is reaching alarming proportions!
It is generally observed, that diabetics crave for sweets on one side and try to follow basic dieting along with suitable lifestyle and medical check-up, on the other. However, with all the support help, advice of doctors, scientists and here say, diabetics are confounded and confused in following their menu.
About 3500 million globally and 500 million people in India consume rice daily as a staple. Of particular interest is, whether, diabetics can eat rice or not? It is further observed that rice consumption is linked to type 2 diabetes which has led to considerable fear, especially in south India. The south Indian diet/snacks mainly consist of rice and rice-based products like Pongal, fermented products like idli, dose, Uthappa (pan cakes), vermicelli (extruded products), noodles, roti (un-fermented pancakes).
It is so be noted that in social gathering, freelance advice is given to stop eating rice and switch over to wheat, ragi, millets, oats, chapatti (wheat-based pan cakes), dumpling, flakes. Then question arises is, how some of South East Asians stay healthy and live longer although their menu mainly consists of rice.
Good news
Findings of research in International Rice Research Institute, Manila, Philippines, point out that some of the rice varieties grown in India are healthy and have high amylose content (a fraction of starch) & have low Glycemic Index (G.I.< 55%.) and can be safely consumed by diabetics. IRRI scientists have tested 235 rice varieties.
Recently, NG Ranga Agricultural University, Telangana, India, have developed a low G.I. (51%) rice variety viz. RNR 15048 also known as Telangana Sona. Transgenic rices are also being attempted to develop low G.I. rice.
Basmati rice has a G.l. of around 55 % which is an acceptable type. Technology is developed for reducing the G.l. of basmati by about 5 % percentage points by suitable alteration of agronomical protocol and processing of paddy.
What Is Glycemic Index?
Glycemic Index is a measure of how rapidly the sugars are absorbed and result in the elevation of blood glucose level. The G.I.concept was first time developed by (8) (Jenkins et al 1981). High Gl foods are rapidly absorbed and cause rapid rise in our blood glucose (blood sugar) and generate demand for insulin. In rice varieties tested, G.I. varied from 24 to160.
Low Gl foods help to manage blood sugar level. Foods that have Gl below 55% are designated as low G.l. foods. (Refer Figure below). In India, Agri Choice Food Products Pvt Ltd. Mysore, for the first time, have developed with brand Dia rice which has low Gl of 55%! This rice has protein content of 10% and rich in thiamine, dietary fibre (2.6%) and resistant starch (7.5%) and iron (4.4 mg %).
Rice has a better amino acid profile compared to other cereals although it has lower protein content. Hence, its biological value is high compared to other cereals as it has high proportion of essential amino acid lysine.
Brown rice and minimally refined rice are healthy
Both brown rice and minimally refined rice (under milled) of certain varieties have low G.l. as reported by scientists of University of the Philippines and University of Toronto, Canada, and recommended for diabetics.
Brown rice is also rich in oryzanol (anti-oxidant, and Gama amino butyric acid (GABA) helps in hyper tension and alleviates mental stress.
A review by Patil, S.B and Khalid Khan M, have highlighted the importance of germinated brown rice(where GABA is released) in ameliorating blood pressure, hyper glycemia, anxiety and immunity booster. Brown rice has higher proportion of dietary fibre, vitamins, minerals and oryzanol compared to well-milled white rice and thus, nutritionally better.
However, very few people consume brown rice, due to their poor palatability, taste, texture; instead, one can use them in preparing idli, dose, noodles etc where spices, salt, vegetables or meat are added.
In case of under - milled rice, consumers wash it and remove adhering bran thus losing the nutrients.
Hence, dieticians recommend that, rice eaters having diabetes, need not stop eating rice, but have to keep a watch on the variety and quantity they daily consume. It is recommended that, one and a half katoris (one katori measures 150ml) of rice can be safely consumed per day. Suitable labelling of rice package, for its GI level, is recommended to allay fears of diabetics. Eating of rice in supper can be minimised.
The problem lies not in rice as a diet, but the type (variety) of rice we eat and the measure (volume) we are served. In the case of chapatti, bread slices, roti or dumpling of ragi (mudde), it is easier to keep the measure as one, two or three etc; but in case of rice, it is presented arbitrarily in a serving ladle and hence there is no quantitative measure, thus leading to higher intake.
(The author is retired assistant director CFTRI, Mysore. He can be reached at drbhashyam@gmail.com)
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