Contents:
- Medical Video: Can diabetics eat rice and potatoes ? | Health Facts for all
- Foods for diabetes should be those that have a low glycemic index
- Which foods for diabetes are the most healthy between rice vs corn vs. potatoes?
- Also pay attention to the glycemic load
- Corn is the healthiest staple food for people with diabetes
- Alternative sources of carbohydrates that are healthier than rice and potatoes
Medical Video: Can diabetics eat rice and potatoes ? | Health Facts for all
Having diabetes makes you have to be more careful about choosing the food you consume. Selectively choosing foods aims to keep your blood sugar levels stable, so that diabetes does not get worse and risk complications. One food source for diabetes that you must pay attention to is basic food.
Foods for diabetes should be those that have a low glycemic index
The glycemic index is a standard measurement of how fast carbohydrates in food are converted into sugar (glucose) to be used as energy. This size is a scale from 0-100. For example, sugar has a glycemic index number of 100. That is, carbohydrates in pure sugar are very quickly converted by the body into energy.
IG numbers also affect how quickly the body produces insulin. The lower the IG value of a food, the smaller the effect on increasing insulin and blood sugar. That is why people who have diabetes are highly recommended to consume foods with low GI. High glycemic index values are usually found in carbohydrate food sources.
The problem is that most staple food sources in Indonesia are high-carbohydrate foods. For example, rice, potatoes, and corn. Then, between rice, potatoes, and corn, which one is the healthiest to eat? Or, are there other basic food alternatives for diabetics?
Which foods for diabetes are the most healthy between rice vs corn vs. potatoes?
Before "tapping the hammer" determines which is the healthiest staple food source for diabetics, let's first review one by one about IG numbers from rice, corn, and potatoes. Remember, the higher the glycemic index number, the higher the ability to increase blood sugar levels.
Based on the IG value table from Harvard Medical School, per 150 grams of plain white rice has a glycemic index value of 72. Meanwhile at the same portion, the IG value of potatoes is 82 and corn is 48.
The glycemic index is called high if it is above the number 70, medium if it is in the range of 56-69, and low if it is below 55. Judging from the figures above, it can be concluded that corn is a staple food which has the lowest IG value among all three.
Also pay attention to the glycemic load
Glycemic load also affects your blood sugar levels. The glycemic load focuses more on how much carbohydrate the body absorbs from food. That means the more servings of carbohydrate foods you eat, the greater the glycemic load you receive.
To determine the glycemic load of a food, we need to know the glycemic index and the amount of carbohydrate contained in the food. For example like this: 100 grams of cooked carrots, containing 10 grams of carbohydrates. Carrots have a glycemic index of 49, so the glycemic load of a carrot is 10 x 49/100 =4,9.
Then, what is the comparison of the glycemic load between rice, potatoes and corn? Still from the IG value table from the Harvard Medical School page, the glycemic load of 150 grams of white rice is 29, while the potato is 21 and corn 14.
Basically, the lower the glycemic load of a food the better for blood sugar. From the information above, it can be seen that again corn is ranked lowest both in IG values and in its glycemic load.
Corn is the healthiest staple food for people with diabetes
Medical research now says that eating corn regularly can help the body control blood sugar better.
Reporting from the Asian Journal, professor from the University of Philippines Los Banos, Dr. Artemio Salazar explained that corn could be a good staple for diabetics. This is because corn has a higher amylose content than rice. Fiber from corn will be digested more slowly by the body, so that blood sugar will be more controlled.
So, should you avoid eating rice and potatoes at all if you have diabetes? Eits. Not necessarily.
Alternative sources of carbohydrates that are healthier than rice and potatoes
Although white rice has a fairly high GI value, you don't have to really eat rice if you have diabetes. Besides having to pay attention to the portions (read more in the rules for eating rice for diabetics), the type of rice also turns out to be important to note if you still want to eat rice.
Some types of rice have a lower glycemic index than other types of rice. As a healthier alternative to white rice, you can use it Brown rice (IG value 50) or Basmati rice (IG value 63). Both are included in the medium glycemic group which is safer for blood sugar. Based on a study of researchers at Harvard, eating brown rice regularly helps reduce the risk of diabetes by 20 percent.
Oatmeal Porridge (oatmeal) You can also substitute rice because it contains a 55 glycemic index which is low. High oatmeal fiber content also helps slow the rate of absorption of carbohydrates in the body. This certainly has a beneficial effect in controlling blood sugar levels.
Other than that, sweet potato You can consume it as a substitute for a healthier potato because it has an IG value of 70. Sweet potatoes are good for consumption because they contain beta carotene which is good for preventing various diseases. Sweet potatoes also contain more fiber than potatoes, so eating sweet potatoes will not suddenly raise your blood sugar level.
