The Glycemic Index Claim Is Conditional
A bowl of jowar roti and a bowl of white rice can produce nearly identical blood sugar spikes if the jowar portion is large enough and the roti is made without adequate fibre from vegetables alongside it. A 2021 meta-analysis published in Frontiers in Nutrition by Anitha et al., which reviewed 19 studies on millet consumption across South Asian populations, found that millets do lower postprandial blood glucose compared to refined grains, but only when consumed in controlled portions and as part of a mixed meal. Eaten in isolation, or in the quantities many Indian households use when they switch from rice, the glycemic advantage narrows significantly.
