Thursday, February 1, 2018

Coconut Flour Mix Reduces White Rice Glycemic Index

Diabetes mellitus patients are advised to eat foods with low glycemic index, which is below 55. White rice is one type of food that is not recommended for people with diabetes mellitus because it has a high glycemic index, which is 89.

Alternatively, people with diabetes mellitus are advised to replace white rice with brown rice that has a low glycemic index. However, not all diabetics like this alternative because the taste of red rice is not as good as white rice.

The addition of coconut flour turned out to be a new alternative for people with diabetes mellitus who want to keep eating white rice safely. Research shows that adding 25 percent coconut flour while cooking can lower the white rice glycemic index to 49.

"47 grams of coconut flour in 185 grams of white rice or equivalent to six to seven tablespoons of coconut flour in one cup of white rice," explained Head of Food Analysis Services Development Bogor Agricultural Institute Dr. Didah Nur Faridah in the launch of H2 Health & Happiness Coconut Teping in Jakarta , Wednesday (31/1).

The process of cooking white rice with a mixture of coconut flour is no different from ordinary rice cooking process. Coconut flour is mixed enough with white rice and water into a rice cooker container. Before cooking, stir the coconut flour, rice and water until well blended.

Coconut flour can reduce the white rice glycemic index because it has a high fiber content, which is almost 22 percent. High fiber content of coconut flour can make the process of absorption of glucose from white rice in the body becomes slower. That way, the spike in blood sugar levels due to consume white rice can be avoided.

Consumption of foods with low glycemic index is basically not only recommended for people with diabetes mellitus only. Foods with low glycemic index are also recommended for healthy people as well as people at risk of developing diabetes as one of the prevention efforts.

On the other hand, Didah asserted that food with a low glycemic index does not mean it should be consumed in larger quantities. Meal portion adjustment should be noted even if the food consumed has a low glycemic index.

"Do not eat the low-glycemic index, the food portion doubled," said Didah.

The use of coconut flour when cooking is much different from the use of coconut milk rich in saturated fat. The coconut milk is made from the grated coconut, where the grated coconut itself is not used. In fact, coconut milk dregs that actually have a high fiber content. While the coconut flour is produced from the coconut that contains many fibers.

"We also do identification to throw away the bad fat first, then we pack it, so it's not coconut milk," explained Deputy Director of Corporate Business Development of PT Kalbe Farma Tbk FX Widiyatmo.

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