Diabetes

Your roti is the single biggest lever in your day. Not because it is bad, but because you eat it three times.

India has over 77 million adults living with type 2 diabetes and roughly as many again in the pre-diabetic range. Most advice you will get is about what to cut. This page is about one thing you are going to eat anyway, and how to make it work harder.

What actually moves the needle

Three things decide how sharply a roti lifts your blood sugar.

• The grain. Millets average a glycaemic index of about 52.7, against 71.7 for milled rice and 74.2 for refined wheat. That is roughly 36% lower.
• The fibre and the bran. Whole grain means the bran and germ are still there. That is the part that slows digestion. Roller milled "whole wheat" often is not.
• How coarsely it is ground. Bigger particles take longer to break down. Stone grinding runs slow and cool, so the flour stays coarser and the starch stays less damaged than in a high speed roller mill. Minimally processed millets were found to be about 30% more effective at lowering the glycaemic index of a meal than milled rice or refined wheat.

Recommended for you

Six flours from our range, chosen for this concern and ranked by how much difference they make.

Ragi Atta

The low GI workhorse. High fibre, gluten free, and more calcium than any other cereal.

From Rs. 56.19

Jowar Atta

Low GI, gluten free and forgiving. Makes a soft bhakri without wheat, so it is the easiest full swap.

From Rs. 113.33

Pure Besan

The lowest GI flour we make. Blend 25% into your atta and the whole roti comes down.

From Rs. 76.19

High Protein Barley Flour

Beta glucan is one of very few grain compounds with an authorised claim for blunting the post meal glucose rise.

From Rs. 113.33

Khapli Atta

If you want to stay on wheat. An ancient high fibre wheat that still rolls into a soft roti.

From Rs. 189.52

High Protein Atta, 23g

Protein alongside carbohydrate slows gastric emptying. More protein per roti, same roti.

From Rs. 141.90

How to actually do this, this week

• Do not go 100% millet overnight. Your family will revolt and the rotis will crack. Start at 70:30 wheat to jowar, or wheat to besan, and move from there.
• Never eat roti alone. Dal, sabzi, curd. Protein and fat alongside carbohydrate flatten the curve.
• Ask for coarse. Our whole wheat comes in fine and coarse. Coarse is the one you want.
• Test it on yourself. If you have a glucometer, check 90 minutes after your usual roti and again after the swap. Your numbers beat anyone's blog post.

Where this comes from

• Anitha S, et al. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the potential of millets for managing and reducing the risk of developing diabetes mellitus. Frontiers in Nutrition, 2021. Read the paper
• Anitha S, et al. Impact of regular consumption of millets on fasting and post prandial blood glucose level. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2023. Read the paper
• EFSA. Beta glucans from oats or barley and reduction of post prandial glycaemic responses. Read the opinion
• Aune D, et al. Whole grain consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and all cause mortality. BMJ, 2016. Read the paper

This is nutrition information, not medical advice. Changing your diet can change how much medication you need. If you are on insulin or oral hypoglycaemics, talk to your doctor before making a big switch, and keep monitoring.