Raipur, Dec 11 (PTI) Rice will no more be a 'villain' for diabetic patients as researchers in Chhattisgarh have identified a high-yielding variety of white rice with low Glycemic Index (GI) measurement of how foods affect blood sugar levels.

The finding is not only advantageous for people with diabetes, or at a risk of the disease, it can also be a part of a healthy diet for the average consumers, experts feel.

A team of researchers from Indira Gandhi Agriculture University (IGAU) Raipur, led by Department of Plant Molecular and Biotechnology's Professor Dr Girish Chandel, has identified the variety of low GI rice, which is expected to be released next month at a commercial level.

"Since past few years we have been working to develop or identify a rice variety with low GI that could be fruitful for sugar patients. Interestingly, we found it on the 'Chapati Gurmatiya' race of rice, which is a traditional cultivated variety of paddy in Chhattisgarh," Dr Chandel told PTI.

He said that this new development is significant as rice is a staple diet for a big population.

People can't give it up in Chhattisgarh, which is popularly known as a 'rice bowl', as well as in the entire country because food habits are an entrenched cultural habit which is difficult to change, he said.

But consumption of white rice with GI more than permissible limits can be harmful for diabetic patients.

Keeping this in view, the research was taken up, he said.

"During the research, data was collected by mouse feeding trial at Chhattisgarh Council of Science and Technology. The mouse model data clearly demonstrated that the effect of low GI rice on a diabetic mouse was similar to that on another diabetic mouse who was injected with sugar control drug," he said. .