Indian rice variety found to contain valuable antioxidants, helps prevent diabetes
10 ก.ค. 66
A scented rice variety grown in India's remote northeast, known as Joha rice, not only prevents type 2 diabetes but is also rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which work against heart disease, scientists have found.
Diabetes is a major global health problem, affecting an estimated 537 million adults aged 20 to 79 years in 2021, according to the International Diabetes Federation. The figure is predicted to rise to 783 million by 2045. Early onset of type 2 diabetes is increasingly common but the condition is reversible through changes in lifestyles and diet, including the moderation of white rice consumption. Rice is a staple in many countries but it can affect blood sugar levels and increase the risk of diabetes. Joha rice, a short-grain, winter variety known for its unique aroma and taste, drew the attention of researchers at India's Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST) because of the popular belief that those who consume it regularly are spared diabetes and cardiovascular illnesses.
"Such claims ascribing important nutraceutical properties [health benefits] to Joha rice called for scientific validation and that is how we began investigations at our laboratories," says Rajlakshmi Devi, research leader and professor at IASST's Life Sciences Division at Guwahati, capital of the northeastern state of Assam.Investigations at the IASST showed the presence of two unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic (omega-3) acid, which are important for human health and need to be included in diets because they are not naturally produced in the human body, says Devi.
Joha rice also proved effective in lowering glucose levels and preventing the onset of diabetes in so-called "in vitro" tests in the laboratory and on rats. The rice variety was found to contain valuable antioxidants making it a "nutraceutical of choice" in diabetes management, according to India's Department of Science and Technology. It says a number of bioactive compounds were found in Joha which are reported to have antioxidant effects, control blood sugar levels and protect the heart. "Given that rice is a staple in the Asia Pacific region and also widely consumed around the world, we believe that popularizing a rice variety with potent anti-diabetic activity such as Joha could greatly help reduce the prevalence of type 2 diabetes," Devi tells SciDev.Net. ....
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