'Kalabati' black rice: Odisha's answer to malnutrition with proven health benefits

Kalabati is proving vital in the fight against malnutrition in Odisha. The black rice has proved to be a powerhouse of nutrition and essential vitamins. A study in Sambalpur University highlights its high nutritional value and potential to improve infant health.

Payal Sharma, a PhD scholar of the Food Science Technology and Nutrition department of Sambalpur University, through her one-year-long research work, has discovered that the rice variety, which is on the verge of extinction, can work wonders in combating malnutrition in babies due to its high nutritional values.

As part of her research, Sharma prepared a mixture of Kalabati rice powder, peanut, raggi, soybeans, jiggery, and milk powder with the black rice being the major component in the powder mix named 'Nutri Nest'. Later, she divided 21 mouse pups into three groups.

While the first group was given traditional baby food, the second group was provided baby food available in the market and the last group was fed Nutri Nest for 14 days in the lab.

The mouse pups group, that consumed the rice power came up with good health as compared to others. After its application on mouse pups became a success, Sharma is now waiting for a patent.

“After observation, we found the mice who were supplied with Nutri Nest were more healthy and weighed more than the other groups. We are yet to undertake a human trial,” Sharma said.

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The research scholar is also hopeful that her discovery will get a patent and it will be soon available in the market.

“We have par-boiled the Kalabati paddy so that it can be easily digested. We have added soybean, peanuts, raggi, jiggery and some amount of milk substitute, ” said Dr Aparajita Priyadarshini, guide of Sharma.

The experiment by the Sambalpur University scholar is expected to revive the Kalabati paddy again which is on the verge of extinction.