Indians Get 62% of Calories from Low-Quality Carbohydrates, Says Study

A recent study on the dietary patterns and their associated metabolic risks has found that a majority of Indians get their calories from low-quality carbohydrates – mostly white rice. According to the research, a part of the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Madras Diabetes Research Foundation, at least 63 per cent of Indians in the southern, eastern, and north-eastern regions are dependent on rice, and wheat in northern and central regions. Overall protein intake remains below average – around 12 per cent of daily calories. The study included more than a lakh adults from urban and rural areas across 36 States and Union Territories. Researchers said that every fifth participant was made to undergo a dietary assessment, with the data

being used to characterise the country’s dietary profile across regions and examine inter-and intra-regional differences in macronutrient intakes and associated metabolic risk. Findings of the study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, focused on the quantity of carbohydrates consumed by Indians. “This is not about rice or wheat, but how much of these you eat. Substituting one for the other does not reduce the risk. We recommend replacing 5 per cent of daily calories from carbohydrates (rice or wheat) with protein,” said R.M. Anjana, lead author and president, MDRF, told reporters in a news conference.

How can changing food habits lower diabetes numbers?

According to the scientists, replacing carbohydrates with more protein, specifically from plants, is associated with a lower likelihood of type 2 diabetes and prediabetes, as you may be consuming fewer calories. However, it was observed that replacing carbohydrates with animal protein does not bring down the risk of type 2 diabetes except when the source was an egg or fish.

What were the key findings of the study?

According to the study, white rice is the primary source in the northeast, accounting for more than 99 per cent of consumption, along with 87 per cent in the southern regions. It is surprising that 90 per cent of people in the north eat white rice. Scientists said millets were consumed only in three States — Karnataka, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. At least 21 states also exceeded the recommended intake of sugar, which should ideally be no more than 5 per cent of total daily intake. Also, the intake of saturated fats has surpassed the recommended threshold for metabolic health in all but four states: Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Manipur. Consumption of monounsaturated and omega-2 polyunsaturated fats remains extremely low across all regions.

Low protein intake across India

Scientists said the most worrying factor is the total protein intake in India, which is 12 per cent - with just northeast having the highest intake (13.6 per cent). According to Dr Anjana, just 9 per cent of protein comes from plant sources, followed by dairy protein and animal protein. “The northeastern region accounted for the highest carbohydrate intake, but had low diabetes prevalence, because they are substituting with protein intake,” she said.

Calls for policy reforms on public health

The study has called for policy reforms - especially regarding food subsidies and public health messaging to make sure that diets become richer in plant-based and dairy proteins, and the dependence on carbohydrates and saturated fats should drastically come down.