Instant noodles made from quinoa rice work well in controlling diabetes, according to a research study done at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST).

This relatively low-cost instant food can be a welcome alternative to noodles made from wheat, rice, potato, and sweet potato which contains high content of carbohydrates that lead to diabetes, hypertension, obesity and other complex diseases, according to the research done by a student as part of her PhD thesis.

The research aimed at finding low-cost healthier climate-adaptive alternatives to the popular carbohydrate-rich instant noodles.

Also read: Quinoa: Cultivating the 'mother of all grains'

The research was done by Meherunnahar, PhD Fellow of the Department of Food Engineering and Tea Technology (FET) supervised by Professor Dr Mozammel Haque of the same department.

The co-supervisor was CSO Dr Md Abdus Sattar Mia of Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST) of Bangladesh Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (BCSIR).

The study focused on producing nutritious noodles with a composite flour made from a new species quinoa rice, wheat, rice bran and mushrooms, where the amount of carbohydrates has been reduced by about 50 per cent and the amount of protein, vitamins and minerals has been increased.

This quinoa rice noodle is much more nutritious than ordinary noodles, according to its findings.

Quinoa rice is used as the main raw material in this study. Besides, the quality of the other three raw materials is determined by their physical, chemical and functional properties analysis. Then the best variety of raw material is selected for the production of noodles.

The use of these noodles as food will help control the complex diseases and physical problems including diabetes, hypertension, hyperactivity and obesity.

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According to the study, this noodle is gluten and sugar free. Per 100 gms of quinoa rice contain approximately 10-12% protein, 65-70% carbohydrate, 5-7% fiber, 2-3% fat, 380-390 kcal energy, 30-32 mg calcium, 7-8 mg iron, 350-400 mg of potassium, 600-700 mg of phosphorus and other minerals and vitamins.

Researcher Meherunnahar said that quinoa rice is useful for diabetic patients as it cleans the stomach and relieves constipation because of its high fibre.

Adequate amounts of minerals fill the salt deficiency in the body, especially useful for pregnant women and children, she added.

It also has a long digestibility time due to its vitamins and mineral salts, providing energy to the body.

Moreover, according to medical science, gluten-rich foods increase the hyperactivity of many children. Therefore, even in the case of children with special needs, nutritionists prefer quinoa rice instead of gluten (flour). Nutritionists now call it a "superfood" because of its great health benefits and its extraordinary role in the diet, said Meherunnahar.

On the other hand, quinoa is capable of adapting to the climate change.

As Bangladesh is the most vulnerable country to climate change, food security in the country is now under threat. As a result, hunger, malnutrition and ill health are increasing day by day.

And so, it is important to know the different adaptation strategies to adapt to these adverse climatic conditions. Because crop diversity plays a unique role in keeping these strategies free from the harmful effects of climate change.

As a result of production of quinoa noodles, the demand for this grain production in the country will also increase. This way, marginal farmers will be benefitted as it is possible to produce quinoa at low cost.

Quinoa also can be produced in drought-affected fallow lands and sandbar areas.

Research supervisor FET Prof Md Mozammel Haque said that the country's agriculture is going to be a big problem due to the inconsistency of climate change. Considering these contexts, it is very important to bring crop diversification.

Besides, many complex diseases including diabetes, obesity and hyperactivity are also increasing. So, disease control and simultaneous climate adaptation of grain production has now become a major challenge, he said.

Therefore, more research is needed on this type of crop and he urged the concerned researchers to come forward in this regard.

SUST Vice-Chancellor Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed said, "Research into climate-friendly crop production and low carbohydrate production is undoubtedly a timely decision.”

He further said that teachers and students of the university have always done well in research.

“Our main goal is to reach international standards in education and research. That's why we always encourage and motivate researchers.”

“This year I have increased the allocation for research by seven times. We are doing everything we need to do, including infrastructure development in research,” the VC added.