Since man turned from hunting-gathering to agrarian living, bread in some form or the other has been a staple. This is true for people across the world. From soft white breads to homemade flatbreads, there is perhaps no dish as ubiquitous as bread.
Across the Indian subcontinent, the chapatti or roti, as unleavened (made without yeast) flatbreads are known here, are a ubiquitous accompaniment to every meal. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner just wouldn’t be the same without the humble chapatti. And while it has gained much acceptance as a low-calorie food, given its lower Glycemic Index, not all varieties are equal, nor good for diabetics.
Wheat Nutrition
- 100 grams of wheat contain the following nutrition
- Carbohydrates: 72 grams
- Sugar 0.4 grams
- Protein: 13.2 grams
- Water: 10 – 11%
- Calories: ~ 340
- Fiber: 12- 15% (bran)
Advantages and Disadvantages of Wheat
Advantages of wheat
Where diabetics are concerned, wheat—in moderation—makes a good addition to the diet, for the following reasons.
Heart-healthy
Whole wheat’s high fiber content helps reduce cholesterol, bringing down the risk of heart-related diabetic complications
Good for digestion
The fiber in wheat is also good for your digestion, as its fiber content helps improve digestion and improve gut health.
Improves BSL
The fiber in wheat helps slow down the absorption of glucose, keeping your blood sugar levels from spiking, as compared to refined grains such as white bread and rice.
In addition, wheat has a Glycemic Index (GI) of 54, which puts it in the low GI category. This means that it has a low effect on blood sugar levels.
Energy booster
The low GI of wheat combined with its carbohydrate content provides a controlled and sustained calorie release, making it a clean source of energy for the body.
Disadvantages of wheat
Diabetics need to be careful about the quantity of wheat consumed, despite its positive health effects for the following reason.
All wheat varieties are not created equal. Which is good news for diabetics, because some varieties are proven to help lower blood sugar and provide other health benefits too.
Recommended wheat varieties:
Khapli (emmer wheat)
Spelt wheat
Durum wheat
Bansi wheat
Red wheat
At Freedom From Diabetes, we strongly recommend shifting from regular wheat to these varieties, for the following reasons. They have a lower GI, which makes them suitable for the diabetic diet.
They are also rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals that offer a variety of health benefits from regulating blood sugar levels to improving cardiovascular health.
1. Regulates BSL
Wheat varieties like khapli have a low Glycemic index and are also high in fiber. The combination of the two helps reduce the rate of sugar absorption in the blood, thus avoiding spikes in Blood Sugar Levels (BSL), making it the wheat of choice for anyone suffering from insulin-resistance related disorders
2. Easy to digest
Compared to other grains these wheat varieties are lighter on the digestive system. These varieties are higher in fiber than the regular varieties and they have a lower gluten load as well.
As a result, these wheat variants break down easily in the stomach, avoiding problems like flatulence, bloating, and constipation
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