Can Diabetics Eat Matta Rice?
People with diabetes are constantly reminded that their rice consumption is to be blamed. Is this true? Can rice be a part of your diabetic food list? If so, what variety is better?
What is Diabetes?
Diabetes is a chronic health condition that affects your body and its ability to turn food into energy. Most of the food you eat is broken down into sugar (also called glucose) and released into your bloodstream. The amount of sugar in the blood is controlled by a hormone called insulin, which is produced by the pancreas (a gland behind the stomach). When food is digested and enters your bloodstream, insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into cells, where it’s broken down to produce energy. However, if you have diabetes, your body is unable to break down glucose into energy. This is because there is either not enough insulin to move the glucose or the insulin produced does not work properly.
There are mainly three types of diabetes. Type I, Type II and Gestational diabetes (diabetes while being pregnant).
There are no lifestyle changes you can make to lower your risk of Type I diabetes. However, you can help manage Type II diabetes through healthy eating, regular exercise, and achieving a healthy body weight.
Matta Rice and Diabetes
Matta rice is packed with a compound called anthocyanin which makes it rich in antioxidants. Moreover, due to the nutritional and fiber content being the same, this variant of rice can be consumed with or without the hull in place. Matta rice miraculously helps control the insulin levels within the body and is extremely beneficial for someone who is diabetic and would still like to enjoy the goodness of rice. Most importantly, matta rice is also rich in magnesium, which helps the body fight certain ailments with considerable ease.
Another exciting attribute associated with matta rice is its ability to increase oxygen absorption within the body. As matta rice is rich in iron, it helps fix oxygen right into every cell and tissue of the body which eventually helps to elevate mood and energy levels. People with diabetes are mostly low on energy due to erratic insulin levels and this is where matta rice comes into the scheme of things by helping individuals stay energetic throughout the day.
Moreover, the higher fiber content in matta rice also helps ease out a majority of digestive functions. While the soluble fibers lower the blood sugar levels and balance out insulin sensitivity, the insoluble one’s aid with their laxative properties and ease bowel movement.
That being said, a lot of issues like higher cholesterol and heart ailments can crop up in a diabetic person but regular consumption of matta rice helps to mitigate these threats and even prevents impending heart issues.
Therefore, it can be inferred that matta rice has its place in combating diabetes and helping patients lead a normal life. However, it is necessary to purchase good quality organic matta rice like Keerthi Nirmal just to make sure that the best quality rice is being consumed.