MUMBAI, Mar 31: Indians are consuming only about 10 per cent of the recommended whole grain intake, a habit that is causing a steep increase in non-communicable diseases across the country, a white paper has revealed.
The white paper titled ‘Opportunities with Whole Grains to Support Metabolic Health among Indians: Evidence Mapping’ revealed that despite having over 20 millet varieties available, the shift toward refined alternatives is stripping essential vitamins and minerals from the plate.
According to the white paper, India’s average daily consumption of whole grains stands at approximately 42 gm, just 10 per cent of the total daily grain intake of 432 gm, as opposed to the 125 gm per day recommended by the Indian Council of Medical Research’s National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN).
The expert-led evidence-mapping exercise was released by the Protein Foods and Nutrition Development Association of India (PFNDAI), in collaboration with ITC.
With over 20 millet varieties available domestically, India has the agronomic resources to bridge this gap. The country, however, lacks the policy will and public awareness to do so, the report stated.
Non-communicable diseases such as obesity, hypertension, type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular conditions are on a steep rise across India, driven in large part by dietary shifts away from fibre-rich, nutrient-dense whole grains toward refined alternatives, the document stated.
The white paper also revealed that the removal of bran and germ during processing stripped grains of key nutrients, including vitamins B1 and B6, folate, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, niacin, selenium and iron, making them calorie-dense but nutritionally poor.
It recommended fortified whole grain flours, digital recipe tools, communitybased pilots, nutritionist counselling for women and vulnerable populations, and sustained research on the effects of whole grain across age groups, pointing towards a policy shift that will treat nutrition not as a welfare add-on, but as a public health imperative. (Agencies)
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