Last Updated on August 1, 2021 by Dr Sharon Baisil MD
Today, we will cover a very interesting topic. Rice and wheat are often the major grains had as staples in various diets. But is it still ok for diabetic patients to have rice and wheat?
As we already mentioned, rice and wheat flour are easily digestible carbohydrates. They can affect health and lead to several blood sugar complications. Diabetes is a condition in which doctors have prevalently advised to reduce or eliminate the consumption of digestible carbohydrates such as starch.
Therefore, removing rice and wheat from the diet can help in the controlling and even the reversal of type 2 diabetes. This change will help in creating a safer environment internally with managed normal blood sugar levels.
On top of that, removing rice and wheat flour from the diet is also helpful in preventing the body from gluten and starch allergies. These are also factors that contribute to the growth and severing of the diabetic health life.
The high-starch content in these foods is derived from the refining processes. These grains are already higher in carbohydrates. Moreover, the fiber and nutrient layering on its outside are removed during refining these grains.
This adds to the existing sugar content in these grains, thus making them unfit for diabetic consumption.
A healthy and safe diabetic diet must be free from sugar and other forms of digestible. It must be filled with nutrients that promote slow and controlled digestion.
There are many healthy alternatives to regular rice and wheat flour or wheat bread-filled diets. They also add nutrition and prevent the spiking of blood glucose levels over the natural limits.
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Many doctors and health experts advise relying on multigrain or whole grains for the daily grain requirement needs. This is overly applicable for diabetic patients.
Moving on, we will tell you how you can improve your choices when it comes to replacing everyday grains or bread types.
Are rice and wheat good for diabetes?
Rice and wheat fall under the category of starchy and carb-rich grain category. Thus, they are on the higher ends of food items with calories.
Due to these reasons, it is not advisable to continue including a lot of rice or wheat in your diets as staple items. They can lead to rising blood sugar levels and lead to the severing of diabetic conditions.
Rice and wheat make up the staples of diets and almost all meals in bread, roti, cereals, etc. Their consumption in the same frequencies can thus have a harmful effect on the body of those with blood sugar complications.
Rice and wheat are both refined grains. These grains are higher in carbohydrates as they are stripped off their outer nutrient and fiber layers.
Refined wheat, which is the regularly used white wheat for bread, pasta, etc., is comparatively higher in starch than its whole-grain variety.
Starch in foods is an easier way to add carbs. Starch is a form of sugar, which is easily and immediately converted into sugars. This quick reaction in the body gives rise to spikes in blood sugar levels.
Thus, wheat and rice can be risky for those with diabetes. It is recommended to include very low quantities of these grains to avoid any casualties when it comes to diabetes management.
Well, there is no need to be worried or confused. There are plenty of ways to substitute these carb-rich grains with healthier food choices. Moreover, you can learn about managing and beating diabetes to have an overall healthy lifestyle with us.
Let us see the glycemic indexes of rice and wheat to understand their impacts on the body in detail.
What are the glycemic indexes of rice and wheat?
Rice and wheat, as we discussed, are among the topmost consumed grains. But they are also higher in carbohydrates, too much of which can be bad for the health.
Rice has a medium glycemic index of about 60. But it is to be kept in mind that there are a lot of varieties of rice available. On top of that, the way rice is cooked also causes variation in blood sugar levels.
Thus, it can be higher or lower depending on the type of rice you use and the cooking method put to use.
On the other hand, wheat bread is usually a dietary supplement, has a glycemic index of 75 and above. This is a very high number, and it can go higher depending on the quality and type of wheat used and the making process behind the bread.
The glycemic scales and their readings give us a more solid understanding of why they are not the recommended ones among grains, especially for diabetics.
The Glycemic Index of foods is studied and assigned to each item based on its carbohydrate content. They help determine how a particular food may affect diabetic health and lead to quickened or slowed rises in sugar levels.
The foods are ranked from 0 to 100 and categorized into either safe, medium, or unsafe categories. The three classifications are as follows:
| Sl. No. | Glycemic Index categories | Glycemic Index ranges |
| 1. | Low Glycemic Index (safe for diabetics) | 0 to 55 |
| 2. | Medium Glycemic Index (safe if taken in controlled quantities) | 55 to 69 |
| 3. | High Glycemic Index (unsafe for diabetics) | From 70 and above |
Hence, it is essential to take care of your rice and wheat bread intakes, especially as a diabetic patient. It is to be had in very limited and safe amounts.
One should follow all the restrictions and try to keep away from the predicted harms. Diabetes is a chronic condition to take care of and cannot be neglected.
But is the removal of these two ingredients from one’s diet all which is needed? Well, we will have a look.
What are the side effects of having rice and wheat in Diabetes?
Well, by now, you must have understood that rice and wheat are grains against our diabetic preferences. They must be either limited or completely rules out of one’s diabetic diet.
Let us see, apart from blood sugar rises, what are harms they can have on one’s diabetic body:
1. Cause for weight gain
Grains, especially refined grains, are among the major reasons for gaining those extra pounds. Everyday inclusion of these grains makes it more difficult to lose weight as they are filled with sugar.
Adding more and more carbs can lead to more accumulation of fats in the body. This can be very harmful to diabetics as they require keeping a healthy and normal body weight.
2. They are all carbs
Grains are included in the diets to benefits from their overall nutritional properties. But when it comes to polished grains such as rice and wheat, they are stripped of all their good nutrients and roughage.
This leaves the grains only with excess amounts of starch left in them. Hence, they are a total no for diabetics.
3. Filled with gluten
Gluten is a harmful element for ones with an allergy. The consumption of gluten can lead to or increase the occurrence of celiac diseases in the body.
This results in serious discomfort and digestive issues. Thus, gluten is to be avoided by ones with prevailing celiac disorder.
It is riskier for anyone with diabetes as they are already prone to digestion issues.
What are the rice and wheat alternatives in Diabetes?
Well, there are plenty of grain varieties out there. You can opt for other choices in place of rice and wheat without having to compromise on your diet. Here are some healthy alternates for rice and wheat:
Rice alternatives
Instead of rice, you can include red rice, brown rice, Dalia, oats, quinoa, etc.
Wheat alternatives
Instead of wheat, you can include whole wheat, multigrain, barley, Sorghum, Millets, corn, rye, chickpea flour, buckwheat, etc.
Ensure you include other nutrients in the right amounts to help keep the body enriched with all that is needed.
Making healthier shifts in your diabetic lifestyle is the best way to maintain and control it.
References
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12870-016-0968-0
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0733521013001537
- http://www.ijdonline.com/issues/4.pdf
- https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Cesar-Moreno-9/publication/319199537_Mechanisms_by_Which_the_Ketogenic_Diet_Reverses_Obesity_and_Diabetes/links/5a87c73b0f7e9b1a954cd5f4/Mechanisms-by-Which-the-Ketogenic-Diet-Reverses-Obesity-and-Diabetes.pdf
- https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/13/10/12952
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2012/816501/
- https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/book/10.1002/9780813804149#page=109
- https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/using-both-principal-component-analysis-and-reduced-rank-regression-to-study-dietary-patterns-and-diabetes-in-chinese-adults/DFABCD935028CD4E138DDBB35BC16F83
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5466941/
- https://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/34/6/1249.short
