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Is poha better than oats?
To be honest there is not much similarity between poha and oats. The only common thing between the two is that both have been manufactured by employing similar kinds of machines.
While oats are typically processed out of oat groats that have been dehusked and steamed before being rolled out into flat flakes, poha is also subjected to an almost similar process – under heavy rollers – to produce rice flakes. However, the basic raw material is totally different.
It is difficult to say whether Poha is better than oats. It is comparing apples to oranges. It depends on the recipe. It depends on the type of rice used to manufacture Poha, and it depends whether the oats we are talking are instant variety or steel cut ones.
Basically, oats can have a glycemic index ranging from 50 – 80, and often Poha may also have a very high glycemic index owing to the presence of potatoes or onions. White rice, which is generally used to manufacture poha, itself can be in the same range on glycemic charts.
Carbohydrates are carbohydrates. Whether they are instant oats or steel cut oats or poha. According to William Davis, the author of Wheat Belly…“Oatmeal, for instance, whether “stone-ground,” Irish, or slow-cooked, will cause blood sugar to skyrocket. No diet should be dominated by any of these grains, nor do you need them.”
So if someone is desirous of controlling their blood glucose level, then he or she must stay away from both of these food products.
Is there sugar in POHA?
Some regional recipes of Kanda poha or Kande pohe include the sprinkling of sugar crystals. Most such recipes use sugar crystals as a secondary garnish, the primary ones being desiccated coconut or coriander or namkeen. And this simply increases the glycemic load of the entire dish.
However, this is done only by a chosen few. But what’s more important to remember is that poha on its own contains plenty of carbohydrates. Poha or chivda or flattened rice itself has a higher glycemic index. So all in all, such preparations of Poha can be far riskier for anybody who is trying to control her or his blood glucose levels.
Is poha is good option as dinner for weight loss?
No; Poha is not at all a good option as dinner for weight loss. And that is because most poha varieties available around us are made of white rice, and the glycemic index of white rice is quite high. That’s the reason why white rice is generally not recommended for people with impaired blood glucose capacity or for those who wish to lose weight.
White rice has a tendency to spike blood glucose levels in a relatively short period of time.
Definitely poha can be eaten once in a while as a snack food but it is not suitable for dinner as most people don’t do any physical activity after dinner to dissipate the newly acquired supply of glucose.
However is someone is compelled to consume poha at dinner, then he or she must immediately take a walk for anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes.
The second line of protection can be to add some protein or extra fiber soon before or soon after consuming the poha dish.
Gestational diabetes breakfast?
Just as there are plenty of websites and “experts” claiming poha to be a good breakfast for diabetics, there are many which claim it is a great breakfast for women coping with gestational diabetes. And their reasoning is that poha is a carbohydrate, and thus it can provide a burst of energy to expecting mother.
As you can understand this logic is also full of holes. It is true that poha is a carb – and a simple carb, at that – and it is also true that it can provide quick energy, but the fact is that most expecting mothers don’t run marathons where they need a burst of energy after completing 35 or 38 kms.
Pregnant women do need energy, but they do so a sustained flow of energy, and even more important than that, they need a sustain supply of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Sadly, most of these essentials are missing in Poha. Manufactured out of polished white rice, poha has no claim to fame in providing wholesome nutrition. It is just a beautiful time-pass snack loaded with carbohydrates. It cannot provide a sustained flow of energy. In fact, not just poha but most carbohydrates, provide instant energy and then almost instant crash, often leading the blood glucose to hypoglycemic levels.
Even I have noticed it. The sweeter the carbohydrates, the more vertical the crash.
Exercise improves insulin sensitivity. It helps manage blood sugar balance and reduce the glycation of proteins.
David Perlmutter
