Odisha farmer produces low-carb rice for diabetes patients

People across the globe are increasingly falling prey to diabetes owing to the changing lifestyle and food patterns. Once affected by diabetes, patients have to follow a strict diet with several restrictions.  

Intake of sugar-rich or high carbohydrate food like rice is a prohibition for them. However, a special kind of rice with lower levels of carbohydrates is available in the market. 

Umesh Nayak, a farmer of the Binjharpur area in Jajpur, is producing -- RNR15048 Sona variety of paddy– which is suitable for consumption by diabetes patients. 

In common paddy varieties, carbohydrate content is usually 71 percent while the rice cultivated by Umesh reportedly has 50 percent carbohydrates.

Umesh, after quitting a good job in a company, is now focused on producing this variety of rice in his farmlands. He is planning to increase the production of rice, as it has high demand in the market. 

Khitish Biswal, Medical officer of Binjharpur CHC, said that carbohydrate metabolism does not happen properly in diabetic patients. "Low carbohydrate-content rice or food is advisable for them. Such type of rice will be helpful for glycemic control in blood sugar," he added.

Agriculture Officer Gyana Prakash Sahu said, "I have visited the farmland of Umesh. He is producing this variety of rice. We will look for what we can do to encourage production of this variety of rice.”