Nutrition and Obesity Prevention 

Biography

Biography: James Joseph

Abstract

For 60 years since its founding, Kerala took pride as the number one state in the country on life expectancy, receiving praise from world-renowned global health expert, Professor Hans Rosling. Prof Rosling puts Kerala ahead of Washington DC on human health index at a fraction of per capita income. However, lifestyle diseases like diabetes are now in the order of an epidemic in the state reducing the life expectancy of our adult population above the age group of 30. For the first time, Kerala lost out its number one position on life expectancy to Jammu and Kashmir due to an alarming drop in life expectancy after the age of 30 compared to J&K as per 2010-14 census data. The root cause of our problem with diabetes and lifestyle diseases is the rapid increase of starch in our diet over the past 60 years through rice, wheat and tubers like cassava. Through years of policy interventions, we were able to make starch more affordable but the overcorrection is now hurting our health than helping it. In order for Kerala to get back and retain our number one position in life expectancy, we have to cut back our starch consumption from half a plate to a quarter as recommended by American diabetes association and increase consumption of our grossly under-utilized unripe fruits, vegetables and legumes. This paper will scientifically explain why one of Kerala’s oldest traditions of eating unripe jackfruit as a meal is the perfect plate for diabetes and weight loss. These are the results from the first glycemic research conducted on unripe jackfruits from Kerala at Sydney University.

Results:

1. Green Jackfruit prepared as a meal is the most ancient meal of Kerala and is nutritionally equivalent to the Mediterranean Plate.

2. Green jackfruit as a meal is good for Diabetes and Weight Loss because a cup of green jackfruit has 40% lower glycemic load, calories and carbohydrates and has four times more fibre than a cup of rice or two rotis.

3. An all-purpose flour can be made from green jackfruit to reduce energy density and increase vegetable content in pasta to pizza.

Conclusions:

Contrary to the existing advice given by medical professionals in Kerala, its tradition of eating green Jackfruit as a meal instead of rice & roti is actually good for controlling diabetes and obesity. Kerala can reverse its explosion of non-communicable diseases by bringing back green jackfruit to the centre of its plate replacing rice and wheat. Green Jackfruit as a flour is an easy way for food companies to follow WHO advice to reduce energy density and increase vegetable and fruit percentage in processed food to beat non-communicable diseases. 

This research shows a global parallel between the Mediterranean diet, now considered as the perfect plate for diabetes and weight-loss and our god’s own plate through a 40,000-year-old early man migration and human settlement.