The rice and idlis immersed in sambar that South Indians are so fond of, are the worst enemies for the heart and also are major causes of diabetes, according to leading nutritionists.
“Rice, idli, milk, potatoes and basically all that is tempting to the palette make sugar levels in the body shoot up drastically and result in increased glycemic index,” Dr Chenniappan, senior consultant cardiologist, Ramakrishna Hospitals, Tiruchy, said at a national conference on Nutrition in Metabolic Disorders at Women’s Christian College, Chennai.
Staple foods were traditionally eaten with less refined grains high in dietary fibre but have been replaced by polished rice, resulting in an increased calorie load.
“This is not bad just for the heart but also causes diabetes. The recent India diabetes study ranks Tamil Nadu as the city with the second highest prevalence of diabetes in the country with 13.7 per cent of urban population suffering from diabetes,” said Dr. Mohan, director of the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation.
Healthier dietary choices along with increased physical activity play a vital role in checking this, he said.
Health experts also said that as many as 90 people in India would have died because of cardio-metabolic diseases even as this article is being read.
Dr. D. Prabhakaran, executive director, Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Initiative for Cardiovascular Health Research in the Developing Countries, New Delhi, said, “Endocrine and metabolic disorders are caused by environmental factors in India. Finding a proper diet based on healthy foods is imperative.”
Smoking, drinking, physical inactivity, improper diet and stress contribute to diabetes, heart diseases and hypertension.
Dr. Sesikeran, director of NIN, said, “In India obesity co-exists with malnutrition,” adding that a combined effort of individuals, local environment, government policies.
