Science Speaks: Can Jackfruit Flour Control Diabetes?
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.
The antidiabetic impact of jackfruit has been reported in several animal and human studies, and it is beneficial for you as a good dietary fibre replacement if your diet is low in fiber. However, you need to comprehend that it is not a benefit and it is just an add-on to your diabetes management plan”, Shilpa added.










