The difference between available carbohydrates and glycaemic index of white rice and brown rice flour food in healthy and diabetes

Carbohydrates in foods are in two broad groups, 'available' and 'unavailable'. The true meaning of carbohydrate of a food means available (digestible) carbohydrate. Moreover, only a percentage of total carbohydrate ingested will be absorbed and the percentage absorbed will vary between carbohydrates and the availability of fibre contents in the food ingested. Unavailable carbohydrate, which is not digested by the endogenous secretions of human digestive tract. The digestible carbohydrate content in a food is an important factor in determining postprandial blood glucose levels. Rice and rice flour consumption in the world population is increasing. The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans identifies grains, including rice, as one of the primary sources for carbohydrate intake and recommends that at least half of carbohydrate intake come from whole grains. The objective of the study was to determine the available carbohydrates of white and brown rice flour made food and glycaemic index (GI) for same flour made food in healthy and diabetic patients. The available carbohydrate in white and brown rice flour made food were 24.2 ± 2.5%, 23.1 ± 0.9 respectively. The GI of white and brown rice flour made food in healthy individuals, controlled and uncontrolled diabetes were 75.1 ± 3.3, 72 ± 2.74, 89 ± 2.6, 84 ± 1.4, 97 ± 1.1 and 95 ± 1.3 respectively. Available carbohydrate is low in brown rice flour compared to white rice flour. Healthy individual shows low GI compared to both controlled and uncontrolled diabetes for the same amount of available carbohydrates contained food. Available carbohydrate of a food and GI are important when advising people with diabetes.