Evaluation of Glycemic Indices of Rice (served with stew) prepared from four Varieties of Rice in Abakaliki, Nigeria.

Abstract

Objectives: The increasing rate of diabetic patients in Nigeria calls for concern. There is also the need for enough information on the glycemic index (GI) of many commonly consumed foods in Nigeria. This study was therefore designed to determine the glycemic indices of local varieties of rice produced in Abakaliki and to identify the variety that would be better tolerated by diabetic patients in the locality. Subjects/materials and methods: The GIs of four rice varieties namely FARO-44, FARO-51, FARO-52 and NERICA-1 were determined by feeding a fixed portion of the prepared rice containing 50g of carbohydrate to 12 healthy volunteers. Finger-prick blood samples were investigated at 30 minutes intervals after a period of 2 hours following the ingestion of the prepared meal. Blood glucose response was monitored using a glucometer. Blood glucose curves were then constructed using blood glucose values at time 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 minutes after the meals. The GIs were calculated by dividing the incremental area under the curve (IAUC) for tested food by that of the standard food IAUC (white bread). Results: The results showed that FARO-52 had GI of 75, FARO-44, with GI of 77; NERICA-1 had GI of 88, while the GI of FARO-51 was 98. Therefore FARO-44 and FARO-52 with the lowest GIs should be preferred to the other varieties for diabetic patients. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that some rice varieties (FARO-52 and FARO-44) in Abakaliki area could be used for dietary management of diabetes when appropriately prescribed.