New Study Links Carb-heavy Indian Diet To Diabetes And Obesity; Here’s What It Means

A regular Indian thali consists of white rice and rotis as its staple. The sides usually include curries, mostly made with potatoes, and dal. While nothing is wrong with having rice or roti, one must make sure that it is part of a proportionate or balanced meal – which also has sufficient proteins, nutrients and good fats. Otherwise, it will be a carbohydrate heavy meal.

As per a new study, the Indian diet is dangerously imbalanced with 62% calories derived from carbohydrates. This is believed to be linked with the rising cases of diabetes and obesity. Without further delay, let’s take a look into what this study says about a balanced diet and whether carbs are good or bad for us.

What Are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates, also known as carbs, are sugar molecules. They are one of three main nutrients found in foods. Other nutrients include proteins and fats. Our body breaks down carbohydrates into glucose throughout the day. Glucose is converted into energy for our body cells, tissues, organs and muscles.

Carbs like starches and sugars can raise our glucose (blood sugar) levels. Frequent blood sugar spikes can raise our risk of heart attack, diabetes and stroke.

These are three main types of carbohydrates:

• Sugars: They are also called simple carbs because they are found in the most basic form; like the sugar that is found naturally in fruits, vegetables, and milk.
• Starches: They are complex carbs. Our body needs to break starches down into sugars to use them for energy. Starches include bread, cereal, pasta and potatoes.
• Fiber: It is also a complex carb. Our body cannot break down most fibers. Fiber-rich foods include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains.

Which Foods Have Carbohydrates? 

Carbohydrates are necessary for a healthy and balanced diet, but too much of it could be harmful. On this note, let’s take a look at some of the common foods with carbohydrates:

• Grains, including bread, noodles, pasta, crackers, cereals, and rice.
• Fruits, such as apples, bananas, berries, mangoes, melons, and oranges.
• Dairy products like milk and yogurt.
• Legumes, such as dried beans, lentils, and peas.
• Sweets, such as cakes, cookies, candy, and other desserts.
• Juices, regular sodas, fruit drinks, and energy drinks that contain sugar.
• Starchy vegetables, like potatoes, corn, and peas

What are Good and Bad Carbs?

Carbs are important because they are turned into fuel for your body. But despite this, not all forms of carbohydrates are good for us. Bad carbs are the ones which are added to processed foods as starches and sugars. These are simple carbs, which get absorbed into the bloodstream and become blood sugar.

These foods are acceptable only in moderation for some people. While many others will benefit by cutting them as much as they can.

• Sugary drinks.
• White bread.
• Pastries, cookies and cakes.
• Ice cream.
• Candies and chocolates.
• French fries and potato chips.

It is always better to focus on increasing foods which are whole, instead of heavily processed ones. These foods are said to be a better source of carbs.

• Vegetables. It is advisable to eat a variety of vegetables every day.
• Whole fruits like apples, strawberries and bananas.
• Legumes like kidney beans, peas, and lentils.
• Nuts like almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, and peanuts.
• Seeds,such as chia and pumpkin seeds.
• Whole grains, such as pure oats, quinoa, and brown rice.
• Tubers, including potatoes and sweet potatoes.

Also Read: https://www.onlymyhealth.com/common-foods-that-seem-healthy-but-are-not-12977823576

What Is The New Study All About?

The Indian Council of Medical Research-Indian Diabetes (ICMR-INDIAB) study is a cross-sectional survey that was conducted in collaboration with the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF). It was conducted on 1,21,077 adults from urban and rural areas across 36 States and Union Territories. The findings were published in Nature Medicine.

The study discovered that the average Indian diet is highly imbalanced, with a staggering 62% of its calories derived from carbohydrates – that too often from refined sources like white rice, milled flours and added sugar. Moreover, India’s protein intake has been found to be suboptimal at just 12% of daily calories, and saturated fat intake exceeded recommended thresholds in all but four states.

Regional patterns revealed that white rice is more prevalent in the South, East and Northeast, while wheat dominates in the North and Central regions. Millets, despite being nutrient-rich, are staple foods in only three states: Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.

The investigators discovered a strong association between high carbohydrate intake from refined sources to an increase in metabolic risks. The analysis further stated that substituting just 5% of daily calories from carbs with plant or dairy proteins could significantly lower the risk of diabetes and prediabetes.

How To Fit Carb Into A Healthy Balanced Diet 

One question that often comes to our mind is: how much carb is too much carb? To be honest, there is no definite answer to this. It depends on several factors such as one’s age, sex, activity level, diet, insulin response and gut. Similarly, which carbs are best for you, this also needs to be decided based on these factors.

On this note, let’s see how we can make carbohydrates part of our healthy diet.

• Make carbs part of your balanced meal: A balanced meal should be a combination of carbs, fat and protein. This may lead to a better glucose response in the body.
• Focus on fiber-rich fruits and vegetables: Whole fruits and vegetables are good for your health. They contain nutrients and beneficial compounds like fiber and water.
• Replace refined grains with whole grains: Whole grains are full of good nutrition. They can provide vitamins, minerals, fat, protein, fiber and other beneficial compounds. Refined grains go through a process that strips out some of the nutrients and fiber.
• Stick to low-fat dairy products: Choose low-fat versions of dairy products to help limit calories and saturated fat.
• Add more beans, peas and lentils to your diet: These vegetables are protein-packed and nutritious. They add fiber, vitamins, minerals, plant-based iron and health-supporting fats to the diet.
• Limit added sugars: Food and drinks with added sugar can raise the daily calorie intake in your diet.

The Final Word

Carbohydrates are essential for our body. But too much of it, especially refined carbs, can spike one’s blood sugar. Thus, one should focus on a balanced diet with appropriate amounts of carbs, proteins and fats.