Why raw jackfruit flour can lower blood sugar and replace rice and wheat in your diet

Raw jackfruit has a diabetes-friendly glycaemic index. ‘Its fibre and protein slow down digestion, resulting in the slower release of glucose from food in your intestinal tract, which helps stabilise blood glucose levels. Also, the fibre and protein keep one full longer and prevent overeating, leading to healthy weight management,’ says Dr V Mohan, Chairman, Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, Chennai

Jackfruit, on its own, is a good plant food. (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

Imagine if you could have your dosa, idli or chapati guilt-free and without the high carbohydrates, with no difference in flavour and giving you the pleasure of a starchy meal? That’s why jackfruit flour, which has been patented by Kerala-based James Joseph, is in the news as the next superfood. He has developed a method for pounding dried, unripe jackfruit seeds and strands into a high-fibre mix for people living with diabetes. He claims that just adding one tablespoon of the flour per person per meal to rice or wheat flour can significantly reduce the caloric load of a meal and add to a range of gluten-free options. “Even if one were not having the flour, which could be an alternative for carbohydrate-loving Indians, including jackfruit as a significant part of your diet helps in the management of diabetes,” says Dr V Mohan, Chairman, Dr Mohan’s Diabetes Specialities Centre, Chennai.

Dietary interventions, he feels, are key to controlling diabetes and reverse prediabetes. “I have been following the development of the jackfruit flour with great interest. There have been some scientific studies too to prove its efficacy. The basic principle is that if we can replace carbs with high glycaemic index (GI) with a lower one, it can control blood sugar levels. His own studies show that replacing rice flour with 50 per cent raw jackfruit powder does reduce the glycaemic index and glycaemic load of the meal and prevents swings of blood glucose. But remember the flour is of the green and not ripe jackfruit. The latter, like mango, can cause sugar spikes. The use of raw jackfruit flour is unlikely to increase blood sugar levels and can reduce overall consumption of white rice-based products,” says Dr Mohan.

An Indian study at the Government Institute of Medical Sciences, Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh, which involved randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled human trials, had suggested a therapeutic potential of the green jackfruit flour meal in improving glycaemic control in Type 2 diabetes, after test subjects consumed the green jackfruit flour meal thrice a day (a total of 30 grams) for 12 weeks. “The fibre and protein in green jackfruit slow down digestion, resulting in the slower release of glucose from food in your intestinal tract, which helps stabilise blood glucose levels. Also, the fibre and protein keep one full longer and prevent overeating, leading to healthy weight management,” says Dr Mohan. A study conducted by Sydney University’s Glycaemic Index Research Service, too, had found that the consumption of unripe jackfruit can help bring down blood sugar levels. As per the study, 30 grams of dehydrated unripe jackfruit was used as a replacement for cooked rice or two wheat chapatis. It also reported increased feelings of satiety among participants.

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Jackfruit, on its own, is a good plant food for those living with diabetes. But it, too, has to be had in moderation as it is in the middle of the glycaemic spectrum. “Jackfruit has a medium GI of 50–60 and a medium glycaemic load (GL) of 13-18, which work for those with diabetes. It is rich in fibres, contains flavonoids, B vitamins, Vitamin C and other nutrients that may aid long-term blood sugar control. The green, slightly unripe banana is high in resistant starch, which functions like soluble fibre and adds bulk to your food. The conversion of this resistant starch to glucose happens during the ripening process. But in the unripe jackfruit, this carbohydrate is difficult to break down and has all the virtues of a vegetable. The amount of glucose is less in this form, so its absorption is reduced considerably. Fibres are good for the gut bacteria, which train our immune systems and avoid body functions that cause self-harm. The gut health is determined by short chain fatty acids, which are very limited in the kind of food we eat. It is the bacteria which convert fibres or resistant starch into short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which help in the prevention of chronic diseases,” explains Dr Mohan.

However, even if consumed in the raw form, portion control is important to avail the benefits effectively and include jackfruit in a diabetic-friendly diet.

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