No sugarcoating here
But more significant than fat to health in Asia may be the region’s heavy reliance on carbohydrate-rich staples like rice, noodles and bread. Eating large amounts of carbohydrates is linked to diabetes, a growing epidemic worldwide—but especially in Asia. Not only is the continent home to more than 60 percent of the globe’s diabetics, Asians are also more susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes than those of European ancestry.
However, not all carbohydrates are created equal. When consumed, some carbohydrates produce a gradual rise in blood sugar levels, while others cause a rapid spike. The glycemic index (GI) measures the degree to which a food raises blood sugar, with reduced GI options being better for preventing and managing diabetes. Measured out of 100, a GI value of 70 and above is considered high, whereas 55 and below is low.
To inform consumers and corporations alike of the types of carbohydrates in Asian dishes from the Indonesian-style stir-fried noodle dish mee goreng to the Filipino sponge cake mamon, Henry’s team took on the mammoth task of compiling the most comprehensive list of non-Western foods and their GI values yet. Despite the region being an epicenter of type 2 diabetes, paradoxically, Asian food has not been a major feature of GI tables in the past, which instead mainly listed dishes common to Europe, Australia and North America.
“If someone wanted to know the GI of jasmine rice, they wouldn’t have been able find it as there was no data. All of the data came from Western foods, like chocolates, cookies, croissants and crumpets, among others,” added Henry.
With the compendium, people across the continent now have access to the GI of not only jasmine rice, but a whopping 940 common carbohydrate food items eaten in 16 countries across West, South, Central and East Asia.
Not only can health-conscious foodies learn about alternatives to high GI staples, but policymakers can also translate the information into dietary recommendations that benefit the wider community. For example, simply swapping white rice for brown rice can lower the GI from about 79 to 51. Meanwhile, using the latter in favorites like fried rice and congee also has the added benefit of providing more fiber to improve gut health and extra micronutrients like vitamin B and antioxidants.
The effects of carbohydrate meals on blood sugar can be further reduced by incorporating other macronutrients like oils and proteins and even condiments like vinegar. These additional ingredients not only brighten the dishes’ flavor, but also slow the conversion of starch to simple sugars—lowering GI in the process. Rice with pickled vegetables, for instance, has a slightly lower GI of 73, while eating rice with curry and cheese surprisingly brings GI further down to 67.
