KOCHI: The jackfruit is hiding a lot under its thorny exterior. At a time when Kerala is witnessing a rise in lifestyle disease cases, a recent study published in an international medical journal has found that the green unripe jackfruit may help reduce blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglyceride levels.
The study was conducted at Alappuzha Medical College over three months among 100 diabetes patients using unripe jackfruit.
“Partial dietary substitution with unripe jackfruit flour produced significant improvements in glycemic indices and cardiovascular risk markers compared with routine breakfast intake,” says the study, whose findings were published in the journal Current Nutrition and Food Science. The study was led by Dr B Padmakumar, the former principal of Alappuzha Medical College.
The study concludes that incorporating unripe jackfruit flour into the diet may improve glycemic control by reducing Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG), Postprandial Plasma Glucose (PPPG), and Glycated Haemoglobin (HbA1c).
The finding assumes significance in the backdrop of the latest National Family Health Survey 2023-24 (NFHS-6) which said the number of people suffering from lifestyle diseases in Kerala was higher than the national average.
As per the NFHS-6 report, 28.9% of Kerala women and 31.9% of men have high blood sugar levels or are taking medicine to control sugar levels. This is much higher than the national average of 17.8% and 20.9%, respectively. The 2019-21 survey, NFHS-5, had said 24.8% of Kerala women and 27% of men had high blood sugar levels.
The NFHS-6 also revealed that 31.9% of Kerala women and 36.6% of Kerala men have elevated blood pressure or are taking medicine to control blood pressure. This too is higher than the national average of 19.4% women and 22.1% men.
James Joseph, founder of the Jackfruit365 start-up based in Kerala, said with jackfruit abundantly available in the state, the elderly population should be encouraged to use more green jackfruit products.
“Kerala has the highest proportion of elderly people and people with diabetes. The government should take the initiative to promote jackfruit consumption,” he said.
In 2021, another study, ‘Efficacy of green jackfruit flour as a medical nutrition therapy replacing rice or wheat in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study,’ also found that including green jackfruit flour in meals, replacing rice or wheat in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, could help lower blood sugar levels.
“Kerala recorded its highest jackfruit consumption in 2018 and 2020. During those years, the consumption of sugar-lowering medicines declined significantly in the state, according to the Kerala Medical Services Corporation,” said James, the co-author of the 2021 study. He said the latest findings strengthen the case for using jackfruit-based products as a substitute for rice in the diets of people with diabetes.
What figures say
1. As per the NFHS-6 report, 28.9% of women and 31.9% of men in Kerala have high blood sugar levels or are taking medicine to control sugar levels
2. 31.9% of women and 36.6% of men in Kerala have elevated blood pressure or are taking medicine to control it. This is higher than the national average of 19.4% women and 22.1% men