Indian diets | Our metabolic mismatch
A recent dietary study maps what Indians are eating today and how it is linked to rising diabetes, obesity and prediabetes.
India is facing a quiet dietary shift—one reshaping the country’s metabolic health. The latest ICMR-INDIAB (Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes) dietary study, published recently in Nature Medicine, maps what Indians are eating today and how it is linked to rising diabetes, obesity and prediabetes. Drawing on large, nationally representative data, the study shows that while calorie intake may be adequate, macronutrient balance is not. Indian diets remain heavily tilted towards carbohydrates, with insufficient protein and poor-quality fats. Simply replacing rice or wheat with millets or whole grains, the researchers note, does not meaningfully lower metabolic risk unless overall carbohydrate intake is reduced. Instead, even modest shifts—such as replacing a small proportion of carbs with protein—show measurable health benefits. The findings point towards a deeper reset of the Indian plate: fewer refined carbs, more protein, better fats and lower added sugar.
India is facing a quiet dietary shift—one reshaping the country’s metabolic health. The latest ICMR-INDIAB (Indian Council of Medical Research-India Diabetes) dietary study, published recently in Nature Medicine, maps what Indians are eating today and how it is linked to rising diabetes, obesity and prediabetes. Drawing on large, nationally representative data, the study shows that while calorie intake may be adequate, macronutrient balance is not. Indian diets remain heavily tilted towards carbohydrates, with insufficient protein and poor-quality fats. Simply replacing rice or wheat with millets or whole grains, the researchers note, does not meaningfully lower metabolic risk unless overall carbohydrate intake is reduced. Instead, even modest shifts—such as replacing a small proportion of carbs with protein—show measurable health benefits. The findings point towards a deeper reset of the Indian plate: fewer refined carbs, more protein, better fats and lower added sugar.