According to a study conducted by Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, foods treated using solar and sun drying had a reduced glycaemic index, making them healthier to consume.
Cooked konkonte from sun-dried cassava flour had a significantly lower glycaemic index (GI is a rating system for measuring how specific foods increase blood sugar levels) of 40.20 percent, according to research from the school’s Department of Food Science and Technology, which was published in the Journal of Food and Nutrition Science.
The reduced GI for ‘konkonte’ could be related to the production of resistant starches as a result of starch gelatinization during the cooking process and intermittent heating regimens during the drying process.
Food processing methods have a considerable impact on starch breakdown and sugar release into the body, according to the study, which is attributed to varied processing temperatures.
Low GI meals are proven to lower blood sugar levels in diabetics, reduce body weight, and enhance pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes, the study mentioned.
The goal of the KNUST study was to see how different food processing procedures affected starch bioavailability and to estimate the GI of several traditional Ghanaian cassava-based staples.
Boiling, steaming, fermenting, and drying were all used to process the food.
The study employed Ghanaian cassava-based staples such boiled cassava (locally known as ampesi), ‘akyeke’ (a Nzema steaming meal), and cooked ‘konkonte’ with sun or solar-dried cassava flour.
Food processors should also use sun or solar drying to generate reduced glycemic index foods while adhering to strict hygiene and sanitation standards during the drying process, the study recommended.
Source: pulse gh
Nice
Thanks