Banh chung is a traditional dish indispensable every Tet holiday. However, according to nutrition experts, this food can cause blood sugar to rise sharply if the portion size is not controlled properly.
The main ingredient of banh chung is sticky rice - a type of starch rich in amylopectin, a branchy starch that is easily broken down quickly into glucose by digestive enzymes. When eating banh chung, glucose is quickly absorbed into the blood, causing blood sugar to increase sharply in just a short time.
The glycemic index (GI) of sticky rice ranges from 70–98, depending on the type and processing method. With well-cooked sticky rice such as in banh chung, GI is usually high, about 85–90. According to nutrition classification, foods with GI from 70 or higher belong to the group that causes rapid blood sugar spikes.
This means that after eating banh chung, blood sugar can increase rapidly within 30–60 minutes, reaching a peak higher than carbohydrates with low GI.
Green beans in the filling provide a small amount of fiber and protein, which helps slow down the glucose absorption process somewhat. However, the amount of green beans is often not large enough to balance the dominant amount of sticky rice.
Meanwhile, fatty meat and fat do not increase blood sugar immediately but slow down the digestion process, causing post-eating blood sugar to increase for a long time and be more difficult to lower. Especially, if banh chung is fried, the added oil and fat also increases the blood sugar load of the meal.
In healthy people, after eating banh chung, the body will secrete insulin to deliver glucose into cells, helping blood sugar return to normal after a few hours. However, if eaten in large quantities, for example from 1/4 to 1/2 of a banh chung, blood sugar can still temporarily increase, causing feelings of fatigue, drowsiness, and thirst.
Conversely, for people with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, the ability to respond to insulin is reduced. Eating banh chung easily increases blood sugar after eating, leading to loss of blood glucose control. In the long run, this condition contributes to promoting dangerous complications such as damage to blood vessels, nerves, kidneys and cardiovascular system.
Pre-diabetic and diabetic people need to minimize banh chung during Tet. Not to mention, during Tet, people often exercise less and sit more after eating.
This combination causes the amount of glucose intake into the blood to increase while the body's ability to consume glucose decreases, making blood sugar easily exceed the safe threshold.
To enjoy banh chung without causing blood sugar spikes, nutrition experts recommend: Control portion sizes: Each time you should only eat about 1/8–1/6 of the cake (100–150g). Include in the main carbohydrate: Do not eat with rice, sticky rice or other carbohydrate dishes. Choose a reasonable time: You should eat it in the morning or noon, avoid evening/late night. Eat with fiber: Combine with green vegetables, pickled onions, pickled scallions. Limit fried banh chung. Post-eating exercise: Light walking for 20–30 minutes. Monitor blood sugar in people at high risk.
