‘Joha Rice’ varieties of North-eastern India

Published
27th Jun, 2023

Context

As per the Ministry of Science, Joha rice, aromatic rice cultivated in the North-eastern region of India is effective in lowering blood glucose and preventing diabetes onset and hence is an effective nutraceutical of choice in diabetes management.

About Joha Rice:

Joha is a short-grain winter paddy known for its significant aroma and taste.
The traditional claims are that the consumers of Joha rice have a low incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
These Rice two unsaturated fatty acids, linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic (omega-3) acid.

Significance:

These essential fatty acids (which humans cannot produce) can help maintain various physiological conditions.
Omega-3 fatty acid prevents several metabolic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer.
Joha has also proved to be effective in lowering blood glucose and preventing diabetes.

Present Scenario:

More than half of men (55%) and two thirds (65%) of women aged 20 years in India are more likely to develop diabetes, with most of those cases (around 95%) likely to be type 2 diabetes (T2D) in their lifetime.
Diabetes is a Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin (a hormone that regulates blood sugar, or glucose), or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces.

Type 2 diabetes:

It affects the way the body uses insulin. While the body still makes insulin, unlike in type I, the cells in the body do not respond to it as effectively as they once did.
The population with 45 and above age groups is the most affected with it.
This is the most common type of diabetes and it has strong links with obesity.

Government Interventions:

To promote indigenous food grain promotion and health benefits:

India’s Millet Revolution is driven by growing awareness of the health and environmental benefits of millets, as well as efforts to revive traditional agricultural practices and support small-scale farmers.
- It is seen as a solution to the country's dual challenges of improving public health and promoting sustainable agriculture.
Benefits:
- Millets are a powerhouse of nutrition because of their high nutritional value compared to rice & wheat. Being alkaline in nature, they are easily digestible for infants.
- They are rich in protein (muscle growth), essential fatty acids, dietary fibre (prevents constipation), B-Vitamins, antioxidants, and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, etc.
- They are gluten-free and have a low glycemic index.