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Due to today’s sedentary lifestyle, excessive junk food and physical inactivity, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) has become a common but serious health challenge. Normally, it is natural to have some fat in the liver, but when the amount of fat in the liver cells exceeds 5 to 10 percent of its total weight, then it is called ‘fatty liver’. If it is not controlled in time, it can take the form of fatal diseases like liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. The most effective treatment to reverse fatty liver is not any expensive medicine, but proper eating habits and weight management. There are two main bases of carbohydrates in Indian food – roti and rice. In such a situation, there is often a dilemma in the minds of fatty liver patients whether it is safer to keep roti or rice in the plate? Let us understand what hepatologists and clinical nutritionists have to say on this.
The selection of carbohydrate in fatty liver depends on how fast it increases blood sugar after entering the body. in medical language Glycemic Index (GI) It is said.
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White Rice: The bran and germ are completely removed from polished white rice, leaving almost negligible fiber content in it. Its glycemic index is quite high (between 70 to 75). When you eat white rice, it releases glucose into the blood very quickly. The increased excess glucose causes an insulin spike in the body and the liver converts this excess sugar directly into triglycerides (fat) and stores it inside.
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Whole Wheat Roti: Roti made from bran whole wheat flour is rich in soluble and insoluble fiber. Its glycemic index is moderate (about 55 to 60). Due to the presence of fiber, it gets digested slowly in the stomach, due to which the blood sugar does not increase suddenly and the insulin level remains stable. Due to this, there is no pressure on the liver to produce extra fat.
According to nutritionists, if white rice and traditional wheat bread are compared directly, Bread is clearly a better option.
The dietary fiber present in roti slows down the absorption of fat and cholesterol in the intestines. It keeps the stomach full for a long time, which prevents frequent hunger and prevents overeating. To cure fatty liver, it is mandatory to reduce the total body weight by 7 to 10 percent, and fiber rich bread directly helps in weight loss. In contrast, eating white rice makes you feel hungry again within a few hours, leading to increased calorie intake.
If you are fond of rice and cannot completely eliminate it from your diet, you will have to change the type of rice and the way you cook it:
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Switch to brown rice or red rice: Eat unpolished brown rice or hand-pounded red rice instead of white polished rice. Fiber and antioxidants remain safe in them, due to which their glycemic index is low.
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‘Resistant Starch’ Funda of Chilled Rice: If after cooking rice, instead of eating it hot immediately, it is cooled for a few hours, its starch gets converted into ‘Resistant Starch’. It acts as a prebiotic, nourishing gut bacteria and preventing blood sugar from rising rapidly.
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Portion Control: If you are eating rice, the amount of rice in the plate should be only a small bowl. It is mandatory to include double the quantity of green vegetables, pulses or salad with it so that the total glycemic load of the food can be reduced.
If you want to reverse fatty liver fast, make ‘millets’ (coarse grain) breads your first choice instead of ordinary wheat bread:
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Barley and gram: Barley contains a fiber called ‘beta-glucan’, which plays a miraculous role in reducing internal inflammation of the liver and reducing bad cholesterol. Make roti by mixing 50% gram and barley sattu in wheat flour.
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Jowar, Bajra and Ragi: These traditional millets are gluten-free, have an extremely low GI and are rich in magnesium, iron and zinc. They break insulin resistance and accelerate the melting of fat stored in the liver.
Fatty liver will not be cured by changing bread or rice alone, along with this it is also important to follow these lifestyle rules:
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Complete avoidance of refined carbs and sugar: ‘High fructose corn syrup’ present in packaged fruit juices, cold drinks, bakery products, flour and sweets is like poison for the liver. Fructose is directly metabolized in the liver and is immediately converted into fat.
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Divide the plate into ‘quarter plate’ formula: Fill half of your lunch and dinner plates with green leafy vegetables and raw salads. Keep proteins (pulses, cottage cheese, tofu, egg whites) in one-fourth portion and have roti or brown rice only in the remaining one-fourth portion.
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40 minutes brisk walk daily: At least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or brisk walking a week is essential to bring liver enzymes (SGOT/SGPT) back to normal levels.