Jackfruit365

Is jackfruit flour good for diabetics?

Jackfruit flour, falsified from a tropical green fruit, recently gained favour and took the media by blitz claiming that it could help people fight diabetes.

But before you make your acquisition of the jackfruit flour on Amazon or Big Basket, know the pros & cons and the science after this food item from Jackfruit365′s in-house expert — Ms Shilpa Joshi, Registered Dietitian & Head of Metabolic Nutrition with 20+ years of experience in diabetes managing. Further, Shilpa is also the National Vice President of the Indian Dietetic Association and Hon. Secretary of the All Indian Association for Advancing Research in Obesity.

This blog will cover the nutritive value of jackfruit flour and explore what science has to say about its sugar-reducing effects.

Jackfruit Flour for Diabetes: How Does Jackfruit Flour Impact Blood Sugars?

Jackfruit is native to South India, grown especially along the Western Ghats.

The green or unripe jackfruit is packed with dietary fibre, carbs, vitamins, and minerals. Thus, it is used as a vegetable in several formulae like kathal ki sabzi, jackfruit payasam, jackfruit gyros, kathal kabab, jackfruit pickle etc.

We’re certain the thought of jackfruit makes you think of sugar and how it would impact diabetes. Nevertheless, Shilpa Joshi, Head of Metabolic Nutrition, Jackfruit365 dispels some tales.

Shilpa said, “Several marketing crusades stimulate green jackfruit flour as a powerful food that helps control blood sugar levels. The drop in blood sugar levels is due to the low glycemic index of this fruit which lets the food break down slowly in your body and prevents spikes in your blood sugars.

It is also rich in fibre and protein that help contain blood sugar levels from rising too quickly after a meal. Further, the antidiabetic effect of this flour is due to the presence of various bioactive phytochemical compounds like carotenoids, flavonoids etc.”

Let’s see what medical research has to say about its effectiveness in controlling diabetes.

Medical Research On Jackfruit Flour

The green, unripe jackfruit powder is making news for its sugar-reducing powers. To prove its efficacy, a study was performed on 40 patients with diabetes. These patients were haphazardly divided into two groups where some patients were given jackfruit powder daily with their daily meals.

At the end of the study, patients who consumed jackfruit powder had a 0.25% higher average decrease in HbA1c than those who consumed placebo flour. In addition, actually, the fasting and post-prandial blood sugars showed progress with a significant drop in their numbers in patients who consumed jackfruit flour.

As a Registered Dietitian and specialist in diabetes management, Shilpa was sceptical about new nutrition trends like jackfruit flour because there are a limited number of studies confirming its efficacy in people with diabetes. Further, these studies are done on a small population size.

She said, “A larger study with more study participants is needed to assure the efficacy of green jackfruit flour in reducing blood sugars in people with diabetes. Additionally, in the above study, the percentage fall in HbA1c (0.25%) was inconspicuous in the patients who consumed green jackfruit flour for 3 months”.

Jackfruit flour is prepared from dehydrated, mature, unripe jackfruits. The below table summarizes the nutritive value of green jackfruit flour and sliced fruit.

Jackfruit Flour Diabetes: Our Take

“Although several marketing companies and manufacturers certify the benefits of green jackfruit flour for controlling diabetes, it cannot be used as an alternate for a healthy lifestyle that includes a well-balanced diet with physical training.

It is certainly quite alarming when the statistics suggest that around 100 million people in India will be impacted by Type-2 Diabetes by the year 2030. Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus is a chronic metabolic disease that leads to heightened blood glucose levels, ultimately leading to hyperglycemia in patients with no cure or management.

A recent study concludes that green jackfruit flour is a beneficial inclusion in medical nutrition therapy to oversee Type-2 diabetes.

Mostly found in the world’s tropical regions, Jackfruit is a very common fruit grown in the Western Ghats of India. It is depleted as a vegetable in its unripe form as well as  eaten as a fruit when it is completely ripe.

Since ripe jackfruit contains a very high sugar level, there are problems with eating it among Type-2 diabetes patients. However, on the flip side, jackfruit is increased with carotenoids, proanthocyanin, flavonoids, volatile acids, sterols, and tannins.

It doesn’t stop there. Prior scientific research ascertains the effective anti-diabetic properties of jackfruit, mainly due to the diverse presence of phytochemicals in it.

Biworo et al. report that the primary manner of action of these chemicals is inhibiting lipid peroxide formation in the bloodstream. Owing to these findings, researchers from Kerala additionally looked into jackfruit’s nutritional and glycemic value as a potent alternative for rice for Type-2 diabetes patients. Kerala revealed a reduced demand and need for antidiabetic medications during the jackfruit season.

To additionally ascertain the use and impacts of jackfruit on the health of diabetics, another study was performed to assess the impacts of jackfruit atta instead of the actual fruit.

The study was a randomized, double-blind report completed at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences in Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh. All the included issues in the trial were randomized using a computer-based, predetermined randomization procedure and then divided into two groups.

Group A

Received 15 g of Jackfruit365 green jackfruit flour with breakfast and dinner meals created with rice and wheat flour.

Group B (Control Group)

Obtained 15 g of placebo flour with their breakfast and dinner meals made with rice and wheat flour.

Following that, the experimenters did the randomization at the CRO site. Amidst all the partakers, five patients from each group underwent continuous glucose monitoring for 14 days straight.

The full period of study participation for each subject was 13 weeks. The analysis of the green jackfruit flour nutritional facts includes:

Calorie – 108 kCal Carbohydrates – 20 g Dietary fiber – 4 g Soluble fibers – 1 g

The nutritional realities of the placebo flour include:

Calories – 146 kCal Carbohydrates – 30 g Dietary fiber – 2.5 g Soluble Fiber – 0 g

Following the randomized sample of the subjects, each participant had to submit their elaborate medical history.

The primary clinical examination concerned the HbA1C evaluation, while the secondary clinical examination involved surveying the fasting and post-prandial blood glucose, body weight, BMI, etc.

Replacing a tablespoon of rice or wheat flour in daily meals with green jackfruit flour is significantly adequate at reducing the plasma glucose level in patients with Type 2 diabetes, a new study has said.

The study published in reputed Nature Journal found that the mean decrease in glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) at week 12 was very higher in patients supplemented with jackfruit flour, while those who were given placebo flour registered a slight increase in HbA1c at week 12

Food is basic and important for every human being. Diabetes has been known to confine your food preferences and render many edible items harmful. The flour used must be appropriately analyzed for its composition and a conscious choice is necessary. Let’s read what is the best atta for diabetics.  

Diabetes flour must be carefully chosen by reading the fine print on its packaging about its nutritional value. The final meal plan for the day is not only tasty but also safe to consume.

Let us give you an overview of some preferred variants of Atta suitable for diabetics

Ragi Atta The most effective ingredient which can be ruined by diabetics is Ragi. Hence, Ragi flour is the most convenient variant and a great alternative for the normal carbohydrate-rich atta. Ragi flour also encourages better blood sugar control along with a reduction in hyperglycemic and oxidative stress. Ragi has also been proven to improve harm healing in diabetics, which otherwise remains a serious problem for them.

Jackfruit Atta Jackfruit atta is a suitable way to control your blood sugar levels. It helps you to stay fit and energetic the whole day. You can assemble idli to upma and roti to poori from jackfruit flour.

Oats Flour Combining health with taste, oats are one of the most valuable ingredients to be added to a diabetic diet. Cinnamon oats are a great variant with regard to adding a new taste and flavour to your typical meal. Relish it in your breakfast or make your evening snack more interesting.

The outer build does not matter in many cases, and one of the best instances of that is Jackfruit. You can see considerable jackfruits in India as it is an Asian fruit, and this fruit comes from the breadfruit family. The external appearance of this Jackfruit looks so hard in green color but inside the fruit which is in green color is so tasty and nutritious. By comprehending the health benefit of this Jackfruit, some experts find an ideal way to use the Jackfruit’s benefits, and that is Jackfruit flour. Here, you will see some of the uses and advantages of jackfruit flour.

What is Jackfruit Flour?

Actually, though Jackfruit has many benefits, it cannot be eaten by all people, and it is a seasonal fruit so it won’t be unrestricted in all seasons. So many people need the health benefits of Jackfruit, and for that, the specialists convert the Jackfruit into jackfruit flour which can be useful for many people and it may change their lifestyles. The green jackfruit flour uses is typically high, but it does not have the sweetness and aroma of the raw fruit since it is healthy flour. Individuals can add a tablespoon of this flour with their food’s flour or batter-like Chapatti, Dosa, Oats, etc. It has many benefits and uses and those are listed below for you.

Health Benefits of Jackfruit Flour

Jackfruit powder is popular among people because of its health benefits and easy usage, and here are some of its positive impacts.

Diabetes: Diabetes is a major problem for many people and it stands on top of the medical survey. People are struggling with Diabetes and are paying huge amounts for dialysis or transparent organs at the end-stage. The rice has high carbohydrate and glycemic levels, but the Jackfruit atta has nearly 40% less than rice. Due to this inferior level of carbohydrates, the jackfruit flour for diabetes is best. By adding jackfruit flour diabetes can be controlled by the people, and the constant usage can maintain the energy level of those people. Typically, there will be a decrease in energy levels for diabetes patients.

Lower Cholesterol: It is important to carefully manage cholesterol levels in every human’s body because both low and high levels are dangerous. The food habits of people have altered a lot and mostly choose fried items which will easily increase the cholesterol level in their body. Jackfruit atta is suggested as best for reducing the cholesterol level since the soluble fibre is there and it is one of the major jackfruit flour benefits. People can add this flour to their meals and get its uses easily.

Colon Cancer: Occasionally in the colon and rectal, the cells may be in strange growth, which is said to be colon cancer. You can also call this cancer a considerable intestine’s cancer, and insoluble fibre is important for managing this cancer, and it is available in rice and loaves. But people with colon cancer can use jackfruit powder because it has more insoluble fibre in matured Jackfruit than rice.

Blood sugar: When the blood sugar is low, it may result in hypoglycemia, and people may undergo headaches, blurred vision etc. To maintain blood sugar, people can ingest Jackfruit flour, and it becomes easy to control it. Along with blood sugar, the blood pressure can also sustain when you consume the jackfruit flour, and it has an iron-absorbing capacity for your body. In this flour, the Vitamin C is there, and it can boost the exemption in your body and help manage your weight.

How to use Jackfruit flour for your health?

 You can use jackfruit flour to enhance your health and fight against some health issues. You cannot eat this flour presently since it is flour and it has no sweetness and aroma of the fruit. So there are some ways for jackfruit flour employs, and those are listed below.

Jackfruit flour with food items: Mostly you can add the jackfruit atta in other flours and batters like Idly, Dosa, Chapatti, etc. and these flours will be used in everyone’s home frequently. Now you have to add either one or two teaspoons of jackfruit flour as it is sufficient to get the full health benefits and add in any one meal per day, which is good for you.

Some common ingredients:

Water

Salt

Jackfruit flour

Specific flour/batter like chapati or idly

Using this ingredient, design the idli dosa batter and mix one or 2 tablespoons of green jackfruit flour after fermentation and mix it well. For chapatti, take both jackfruit powder and wheat flour, add water and salt, and mix it well. After completing this process, you can use those melded flours and eat healthy to acquire the jackfruit flour benefits.

Jackfruit flour with Drinks: Typically, people use Jackfruit flour for Diabetes, and they can witness extreme changes in their health because of this green jackfruit flour. So they can also prepare healthy drinks by using this green jackfruit flour.

Some common ingredients

Milk

Jackfruit flour

Sugar

The 1st step to preparing a healthy drink with jackfruit flour is to boil the milk and add the needed amount of sugar and two teaspoons of jackfruit flour. There is the option for granules formulation, and so to avoid that mix it well. Eventually, you can add a bit of cardamom powder for taste and drink your jackfruit flour healthy drink.

Jackfruit flour with Cakes: Many people in this world bear the best method to provide healthier items to their loved ones is to add those things to their favourite food. People love to eat cakes, and you can schedule a healthy cake with jackfruit flour for everyone.  

Some common ingredients

Sugar

Maida / Wheat flour

Jackfruit flour

Eggs and oil

Green jackfruit flour reduces blood sugar levels glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) in diabetes patients. The research published in the Diabetes journal offers a therapeutic potential of Green Jackfruit Flour in improving glycemic control in Type 2 Diabetes mellitus patients.

When prepared as a meal, Green Jackfruit is similar in consistency to mashed potato and is a traditional replacement for cooked rice in Sri Lanka and Kerala. In flour form, Green Jackfruit is easy to blend with a variety of daily food such as idli, dosa, upma or roti.

India does not ingest sufficient fruits and vegetables, and instead, it depends on excess refined rice and wheat. When one spoon of rice or wheat flour is substituted by that of jackfruit, there is a reduction of carbohydrates which is revealed in one’s sugar levels. There is also a lowering in calories, which helps in losing weight. Thirdly, the flour which has fibre aids largely with bowel movement.

The researchers performed a double-blind randomized trial to test the effect of 30g of green Jackfruit flour in participants with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) as a necessary part of the daily meal by obeying the change of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), fasting blood sugar (FBS) and postprandial sugar (PPS) in blood from baseline.

Jackfruit, when ripe is one of the best sweetest fruits. But raw jackfruit powder has appeared as a defense against diabetes.

Remarkable Health Advantages of Green Jackfruit Flour

Helps in managing diabetes or blood sugar.

Decreases bad cholesterol levels and obesity.    

Its high potassium range helps lower elevated blood pressure, and its high antioxidant and flavonoid content protect against cancer.

Green jackfruit flour also increases the human body’s ability to absorb iron, making it extremely effective in preventing and curing anemia.

Gluten-free food.

Neutral in taste – Neutral in taste and can be added easily to your famous daily meal items such as roti, paratha, dosa or idli etc. to decrease carbohydrate and increase vegetable intake.

High soluble fibres – With high levels of soluble fibre and much lower levels of carbohydrate and calories as likened to wheat and rice.

Aids in weight management.

Immunity booster – The existence of vitamin C is an immunity booster.

Jackfruit also has cancer-curing properties.

Great replacement for maida - Green jackfruit flour can be used in baking items such as cakes and cookies rather than maida.

How Jackfruit Flour Is Made?

Jackfruit365 Jackfruit flour or Jackfruit Powder or Jackfruit atta is made using top-quality green or raw jackfruits sourced from ranches across the state of Kerala.  After a thorough cleaning, the jack fruits are cut open and the seeds, rinds, rags and seed cases inside the jackfruit are removed to get the nutrient-rich palatable portion known as the jackfruit pods.  These pods are again cleaned, dried and then ground to a fine powder to get raw jackfruit powder or jackfruit flour.

Jackfruit Flour or Jackfruit Powder Ingredients -

Powdered Raw Jackfruit Pods (100%)

Does not contain added savours or preservatives.

How to Use Jackfruit Atta?

Mix one spoon of jackfruit flour to your everyday rice/wheat flour or batter used to make any dish of your choice. Does not vary the taste or texture of your regular food items.

For controlling blood sugar levels consume one spoon of jackfruit through your regular staple food.

Green Jackfruit Flour Powder Health Benefits

Good source of palatable proteins and fibres A rich source of dietary fibre that can enhance digestion Aids in weight management Has lower glycemic index - a measure of how fast a food increases the sugar level in the blood Helps in stemming diabetics or blood sugar on regular use

Jackfruit365 jackfruit Powder Product Specifications

Material Feature - Vegetarian Storage  - Jackfruit Powder should be held in a dry place in an airtight container. Shelf Life - Jackfruit Powder retains a long shelf life. It can preserve well for up to 3 months or longer. Packing Type - 200 Gm packet, 400 Gm packet, 800 Gm packet

Jackfruit Flour (jackfruit Powder/Kathal Atta)

Born and cultivated in Southern India, jackfruit is one of the most favored choices of products for vegetarians and vegans, mainly in the last few years. The combination of its sweet flavour and high nutritive value makes it a summer favourite. Usually, the standard form of consumption for jackfruit is either in its flesh or its fruit pods, cooked up as a curry or a dessert. However, the newest expansion to this is green jackfruit flour.

Devised in India, jackfruit flour is made from 100% fresh unripe jackfruits and unlike its natural form, the flour does not have a typical taste to it.

Unlike other flours in India that are only open for purchase in supermarkets, you can easily buy jackfruit flour online today.

Does jackfruit Atta subside diabetes?

Health Benefits Of Jackfruit Flour -Diabetic Friendly Raw Jackfruit Powder

Jackfruit is one favored fruit in every Indian household. It is fibrous, crunchy and can be depleted in various forms. While some prefer using the raw rendition of it as a vegetable to whip up spicy and juicy kathal ki sabzi, others enjoy it ripe, sweet and juicy. But have you ever attended to jackfruit flour? Made out of green, unripe jackfruits, this atta has no sweet taste or pungent aroma of the fruit. Moreover, the neutral flavour and low carb and calorie content make this flour a wholesome for daily consumption. You can equip roti, idli, dosa etc. with jackfruit flour.

This unique flour newly made it to the headlines when 'Jackfruit365', a patented Indian green jackfruit flour brand, got praise from the American Diabetes Organization (ADA) for its diabetes-management qualities. Founded by James Joseph, this jackfruit flour of this brand experienced a clinical study, which monitored its effect on Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients. The conclusions of the research were published in the ADA journal, Diabetes.

The researchers performed a study on 40 participants with Type 2 Diabetes, for 12 weeks. "The test was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, that tried the effects of 30g Jackfruit365 Green Jackfruit Flour in participants with Type 2 Diabetes (T2DM) where it was dispensed along with participants' daily meal," read a statement in ANI.

At the end of the study, it was found that participants who included green jackfruit flour in their everyday meals experienced reduced glycated hemoglobin. For the uninitiated, glycated hemoglobin is a form of hemoglobin that is chemically related to blood sugar. Actually, the fasting and postprandial plasma glucose levels revealed similar improvements in those people.

Earlier in 2016, a study by the University of Sydney also confirmed the benefits of Jackfruit flour for diabetes management. According to the study, this flour "would be appropriate for consumption in controlled amounts by people with diabetes, in line with their personal dietary requirements, especially if used to replace higher GL carbohydrate in a meal."

Diabetes can be controlled by adding green jackfruit flour to your daily diet as per an ICMR (Indian Council of Medical Research) study published in the journal Nature and recognized by the American Diabetes Association.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a metabolic disease that is characterized by high blood glucose (blood sugar). Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body doesn't sufficiently produce/utilize a hormone made by the pancreas called insulin (which allows glucose from food to get into your body cells for energy).

The glycated hemoglobin test is a commonly preferred method to diagnose type 2 diabetes. The average result is the following:

Below 5.7% - Normal.

5.7% to 6.4% - Prediabetes.

6.5% or higher - Diabetes.

Growing Prevalence

Affecting almost 77 million people already, diabetes is acquiring epidemic proportions across India. India is ranked with the second-largest diabetic population in the world. As the tendency advances, it is calculated that every one in six Indians are diabetic.

With the immersive responsibility of the disease, not everyone would opt for managing their diabetes with medicines. Some instead prefer home remedies for a quality life. Among such alternative trials, the American Diabetes Association has supported jackfruit powder as one solution.

Benefits of Jackfruit

Jackfruit is mainly grown in Asia, Africa, and South America. It is the largest equatorial tree fruit weighing up to 40 pounds or more. It is distinguished by its thick, bumpy rind and stringy fibrous flesh that can be depleted either raw or even cooked in various palatable ways.

Asunder from serving as a treat to taste buds, the big fruit is also loaded with several nutrients like Vitamin A, C, riboflavin, potassium, magnesium, copper, manganese, antioxidants, and proteins. It is widely bought for its gut health regulation and immune-boosting capacity.

To further enhance its benefits, the extracted green jackfruit flour is found to reduce and control blood sugar levels as well.

Get your Blood Sugars Controlled

The study concludes that this significant drop in sugar levels was owed to the medium glycemic index (GI) of the fruit. This helps in breaking the glucose gradually in the body and avoids further spikes in blood sugar.

Since jackfruit is also low in carbs and rich in fiber and protein, along with crowded antioxidants like carotenoids and flavanones, it causes protection to the body from inflammation, heart diseases, and other chronic conditions too.

How to Consume?

The Jackfruit flour has just hit the jackpot of good news for all the diabetics out there. One can try out different dishes with flour or even eat a teaspoon of it thrice a day as per the study website.

Jackfruit is a standard vegetable that grows in almost all parts of India. Its fibrous formation on being cooked has given it the moniker of vegetarian chicken. But now the unripe jackfruit, its flour to be exact, is making news for its sugar-reducing powers. The American Diabetes Association, an 80-year-old uncoerced organization in the Us, recently recognized its role in managing diabetes.

There are many natural products - fenugreek seeds, cinnamon, millets, flaxseeds etc. - that are routinely urged to India's 7.7 crore diabetics because they have a low glycemic index, which means they release sugar slowly into the blood, keeping it in undisturbed amounts. But the flour is making news because it can effectively replace/ reduce the two biggest rivals of diabetics - white rice and wheat flour. Both have a high GI and are the first to be lowered from the diet of a diabetic. A 2012 study done at Harvard found that people who ate three to four servings of rice a day were 1.5 times more probable to have diabetes than people who ate the least portion of rice. The tie was stronger for people in Asian countries.

But since Indians love their carbs and don't feel full without a portion of roti or rice many diabetics toil to manage their disease.

Green Jackfruit Flour can be added to wheat flour to make diabetes-friendly rotis. Down south, people can add a ladle to the dosa or idli batter to reduce its sugar load. For those who can't give up rice, adding jackfruit flour to rasam to buttermilk or chaas can help. Not only will it bring down the GI but its high soluble fibre range will make you feel full and you won't end up eating too much rice.

Due to the risk presented by Covid to diabetics, we registered a 10-fold increase in demand in October, said James Joseph, CEO of Jackfruit365, a jackfruit flour brand. From selling at a few physical stores in Kerala, James Joseph now ships the flour pan-India through Big Basket, Amazon and Flipkart. A pack of 400g costs Rs 160.

The brand held also did a double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate to glucose-lowering results of green jackfruit flour in patients with diabetes mellitus. The results of the study were disseminated in the journal Diabetes in June. In participants taking jackfruit powder meal, the mean HbA1c at baseline was 7.23 and at end of the study, it was 6.98. In participants bearing placebo meals, the mean HbA1c at the beginning of the study was 7.26 and increased to 7.28 by the end of it.

One cup of jackfruit flour has 40% fewer carbohydrates and four terms higher fibre than a cup of wheat/rice flour said, James Joseph.