Short Answer: Suji is not very good for diabetes because it has a high amount of starch and a low amount of fiber. It can raise your blood sugar levels quickly and increase your insulin demand.
Diabetes is a condition that affects your blood sugar levels and how your body uses glucose for energy.
In diabetes, your body either doesn’t make enough insulin or can’t use it properly.
Insulin is a hormone that helps glucose move from your blood into your cells.
Without enough insulin, glucose builds up in your blood and can cause various health problems, such as nerve damage, kidney damage, eye damage, heart disease, and stroke.
One of the key factors in managing diabetes is diet.
What you consume can affect your blood sugar levels, which can impact your diabetes symptoms and overall health.
To effectively manage diabetes, you should consume fiber-rich foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes and avoid refined carbohydrates like white bread, white rice, pastries, and sugary drinks.
Now, suji is a type of semolina flour made from coarsely ground durum wheat.
People usually use it to make dishes like halwa, upma, idli, and dosa.
Suji is not very good for diabetes because it contains a high amount of starch and a low amount of fiber.
Starch is a complex carbohydrate that breaks down into glucose in your body.
Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that helps slow down the digestion and absorption of glucose and keeps you feeling full longer.
100 grams of suji can give you about 73 grams of carbohydrates (24% of your daily needs), 13 grams of protein (26% of your daily needs), and 1.1 grams of fat (2% of your daily needs).
Starch can raise your blood sugar levels quickly and increase your insulin demand.
This can worsen your diabetes control and increase your risk of complications.
Furthermore, suji is a high glycemic index (GI) food and high GI foods are bad for diabetes.
GI is a measure of how fast a food raises your blood sugar levels after you eat it.
High GI foods can cause spikes and crashes in your blood sugar levels, which can affect your mood, energy, and appetite.
That’s why I suggest you limit your suji intake to avoid high blood sugar levels and related problems.
Stick to one small serving (about 30 grams) of suji per day and pair it with some protein and healthy fat to lower its GI and make it more balanced.
For example, you can add some nuts, seeds, or yogurt to your suji halwa or some lentils, vegetables, or cheese to your suji upma.
Also, you shouldn’t eat suji if you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance to prevent allergic reactions and digestive issues.
Suji contains gluten, a protein found in wheat and some other grains.
Gluten can trigger an immune response that damages your small intestine and causes symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, gas, and abdominal pain.
If you are looking for a gluten-free alternative to suji, you can try rice flour, buckwheat flour, quinoa flour, or almond flour.
These flours are also lower in GI and higher in fiber than suji.
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Finally, remember, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a balanced diet, regular exercise, stress management and essential medical care is key to managing diabetes effectively.
I always recommend my diabetes patients to follow a diabetes-friendly diet to improve their blood sugar control, prevent complications, and enjoy a longer and healthier life.
