Rice
The spread of diabetes in India, particularly in
the south, is associated with the consumption of rice. Recently, studies have
established that the causative link to diabetes is with “polished white rice”
not any rice. It is increasingly being established that unpolished red and
brown rice do not cause diabetes. In fact, red rice is known to have many
beneficial health effects and is also nutritionally superior.
Rice is the most important crop for Asians. For us
in India, especially in the south, east and north eastern regions, rice is the
staple food and it decides the landscape and rural economy. It is our heritage.
It is our identity
Unpolished rice is rich in fibre, Vitamins B2, B12,
E and other minerals. As the grains are fibre-rich, the rice is digested slowly
and the release of sugar into the blood occurs at a slower pace than with white
rice.
White rice has come into our families only a few
decades back. If we ask our wise grandparents, they would say how they
cultivated their paddy lands and used unpolished rice in their kitchens.
Infact, there was a time when these terms ‘polished rice’ and ‘unpolished rice’
never existed! The Britishers established rice mills and unfortunately, polished
rice came into use.
We all buy polished white rice and are concerned
about the “quality” (for us, quality means how silky and bleached the rice is?)
and price. We are not aware of how it is cultivated and processed or polished
which removes all the vitamins and other nutrients which our body requires.
India had two lakh varieties of rice before Green
Revolution. More than five thousand varieties were available in Tamilnadu.of
which only 200 varieties are available now. Indian farmers had given up
traditional rice varieties for high yielding varieties (HYVs) during the Green
Revolution.
Each variety is unique and has healing properties.
There are varieties which can withstand flood, heavy winds and some varieties
can grow with very less water. Each one caters to people with different needs
like one with diabetes, pregnant women, one for lactating mothers due to its
high calcium content, and so on… Last but not the least they are tastier!
We as consumers have a bigger role in reviving
rice. We have to eat diverse foods, thereby promoting their cultivation to save
agro-biodiversity. We need to welcome these treasures into our homes and diets.
