balita.ph; July 29, 2013 4:24 am 

MANILA, July 28 (PNA) — There are various alternatives to rice as a staple and with a lot of dietary benefits as well; one of the most popular ones we known of today is corn.

According to University of the Philippines Los Baños research professor, Dr. Artemio Salazar the best thing about using corn instead of rice was that it not only tasted similar, it also had significantly higher protein, dietary fiber, minerals, anti-oxidants and amylose than other staples.

Salazar explained in a recent seminar, that white corn, in particular had higher amylose content than rice which explained its ability to have a harder gelatinization and slower digestion.

This, he said was good news for diabetic patients because it was exactly what they needed to keep their digestion in the right pace.

“Foods with low GI (glycemic index) can lessen the risk of diabetes by slowly releasing glucose into the blood stream,” Salazar said.

“Low GI food helps delay hunger and promotes weight loss,” he said. “Low GI food is a slow-releasing fuel for the muscles which can extend endurance.”

However, Salazar also explained that while corn was a good staple to try out, Filipinos are not usually used to shifting to eating something they have already been used to.

“Shifting from rice to pure corn is difficult, hence rice blend is recommended,” Salazar said, explaining how it was rice blend (rice composite) has acceptable taste similar to rice alone.

“The acceptable ratio for the rice blend is 70:30,” he said.

Another benefit of corn as a staple was shown in a study wherein there was a one kg weight gain of children fed with 70:30 rice blend. [By Azer N. Parrocha(PNA)CTB/ANP]