Glycaemic Response to Selected Cereal-based South Indian Meals in Non-insulin-dependent Diabetics

Abstract

There is a lack of data on the glycaemic response of Indian foods, particularly that of South Indian foods. In South India the bulk comes from cereal-based carbohydrates. The glycaemic response of three different meals in 20 non-insulin-dependent diabetic volunteers was therefore assessed. Each meal was isocaloric and balanced. Each meal comprised 60% carbohydrate, 20% protein and 20% fat, varying only in the type of carbohydrate. The carbohydrate exchange in each meal (rice, wheat and ragi, which form important staple foods of South Indians) contributed 39% of the total calories of the meal. The wheat-based meal showed the lowest glycaemic response, followed by ragi. The results confirmed the important role played by wheat in diabetic diets because of its blood sugar-reducing properties.