Wheat or Rice : Which is better for your health

Rice and wheat both are integral parts of Indian diet. One of the often raised question is which is healthier especially for diabetics or one who is looking forward to lose weight. Let us first understand about rice and wheat separately before comparing the two.

Basically rice which is consumed now a days is white rice which is polished, the fibre rich coat from it is removed and so it loses the micronutrients also. White rice is devoid of B-complex, vitamins and minerals whereas Brown rice has fibre and is enriched with vitamins and minerals. So it is healthy than white rice in all aspects. White rice also has  high glycemic index when compared to brown rice.

Glycemic Index

Glycemic index or GI classifies how rapidly carbohydrates like rice or wheat elevate blood sugar levels following a meal. So it is a very important aspect for diabetics and people looking forward losing weight. The foods with low GI than 55 is better choice has it has low impact on diabetes and also cuts the carbs in healthy way. GI between 56 to 69 has medium impacts and foods with GI 70 and above should be avoided. Brown rice has GI 67 and white rice has GI 73 so its better to cut white rice from your diet.

The wheat flour we get from market is actually wheat but refined or white flour otherwise called  maida which is very harmful for your gut and health. Maida is said to be the worst food because it has no fibre in it and is the waste product obtained after refining wheat flour. The GI of Maida is 89, so it is just like a slow poison. Consuming it in regular basis leads to increased blood sugar, weight gain, Hypertension, Dyslipidemia etc.  Maida is  seen in foods like pizzas , pastas, noodles and bakery items. So better go home prepared wheat flour which is rich in fibre, proteins and minerals.

Some people may suffer from intestinal inflammation because of gluten which is found in wheat, otherwise called gluten intolerance. If one has diabetes and gluten intolerance then it may worsen the condition. For those people, better avoid wheat, go for other options like buckwheat or brown rice.

Comparing Wheat and Rice

Both has almost same nutritional content and same GI. Still many times the doctor advises to stop rice and consume rotis especially in diabetics. Why?

This is because the fibre content in wheat is more that makes you fuller for a long time whereas rice digests pretty fast and you also make you eat more as it is not the numbers like you eat when you are having rotis or chappatis.

For a rice lover, just make sure you eat only one cup of cooked rice or 100 gms with adequate amount of veggies and proteins in your plate. This will make you fuller and sugar will also be under check and you prevent adding up more calories.

So we can conclude that whole wheat and brown rice are healthy choices but the key is to maintain the quantity moderation. And always accompany them with veggies, and proteins for a complete balanced diet along with exercise or physical activities.

And it is best to avoid white rice and refined flour for staying healthy and disease-free.