A new hope for health

An important and positive news has come for the people suffering from diabetes and malnutrition in India. Scientists at CSIR-NIIST, Thiruvananthapuram, have developed a special type of designer rice, which has three times more protein than normal rice. This innovation can be helpful in controlling blood sugar and eradicating hidden hunger in the country without changing the eating habits.

white rice borders

White rice is a staple food in India, but it is high in starch and lacking in protein and fiber. This is becoming one of the main reasons for increasing cases of diabetes. The glycemic index (GI) of this new rice is less than 55, due to which the blood sugar level does not rise suddenly. Normal rice contains 6-8 percent protein, whereas this designer rice contains more than 20 percent protein.

protein deficiency problem

Protein deficiency is a serious problem in India, affecting 70-80% of the population. Most people depend on cereals (rice/wheat), while proteins from pulses, dairy and meat are lacking. The main reasons behind this include lack of nutritional information, high price of protein-rich foods and vegetarian diet for many people.

rice manufacturing process

Under the leadership of Dr. C Anandramakrishnan, Director, CSIR-NIIST, this project has been developed through food architecture technology. No genetic modification has been done in it. Scientists have ground cheap broken rice obtained from rice mills and added essential micronutrients like extra protein, iron, folic acid and vitamin B12. This mixture has been reprocessed to the size of normal rice, which has the same taste and texture as normal rice.

Increasing risk of diabetes in youth

The problem of diabetes is increasing rapidly in India, and it is estimated that 77 to 90 million people are affected by type 2 diabetes. 25 million people in the country are already suffering from diabetes. The disease is caused by lifestyle, urbanization and genetic factors and is spreading rapidly among the young population.

improving nutritional quality

According to clinical nutritionist Nidhi Rastogi, this high protein rice is an important achievement for countries like India. It improves the nutritional quality of the things consumed on a large scale in the country. The biggest advantage of this innovation is that people will not need expensive and foreign grains to stay healthy.

beneficial for health

To make this technology available to the general public, Tata Consumer Products has been entrusted with the responsibility of commercial production. The move is not only beneficial for health but will also help in promoting circular economy in the agriculture sector and preventing food wastage by making proper use of cheap broken rice. This designer rice, which originated from a lab in Kerala, may soon become an important part of every Indian kitchen.