Diabetes test centre set up in Chennai

New Delhi: A glycemic index (GI) test centre for foods, to analyse blood glucose responses to food, was set up in Chennai on Thursday.

Chairman of Madras Diabetes Research Foundation V Mohan, which is setting up the facility, said glycemic centre measured the speed at which the foods got digested and converted into blood glucose.

Due to advances in the milling technology and for better consumer appeal and shelf life, highly refined cereals had replaced whole grains and this had led to the higher blood glucose responses to food, he said.

Sudha Vasudevan, research nutritionist at the foundation said GI data could be used to make choices for food selection within food groups for people to both manage and prevent diabetes.

Professor Jaya Henry, head of food sciences and nutrition at the Oxford Brookes University said an understanding of GI level was imperative if we were to manage to treat diabetes in India successfully.