 Blue corn keeps you in the pink
Blue tortillas contained 20% more protein than their white counterparts, as well as less starch and a lower glycæmic index, Sara Jensen reports in Chemistry & Industry |
 Perusing the grocery aisles, you’ll soon be more likely to find tortillas in a greater variety of colours waiting to be made into a delicious taco. The change will come as a result of new research that has found that naturally pigmented blue corn tortillas are healthier than the white and yellow varieties.
Luis A Bello-Pérez and colleagues at the International Polytechnic University, Morelos, Mexico analysed blue and white corn tortillas, finding the blue tortillas contained about 20% more protein than their white counterparts. The blue tortillas also had less starch and a lower glycæmic index (GI), which is good news for diabetics and dieters. (Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture DOI 10.002/jsfa.3008).
The glycæmic index shows a carbohydrate’s potential for raising blood glucose levels. Foods with a low GI are considered healthier because sugar is taken into the blood more slowly. This is helpful for maintaining a steady supply of energy.
Foods with a low GI are important for staying healthy, especially for those with metabolic syndrome, a combination of disorders which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Its symptoms include hyperglycæmia, high blood pressure and obesity. Studies have shown that up to 25% of the population in the US is affected by the disorder.
Blue tortillas are healthier for all, not just those with metabolic syndrome. Juscelino Tovar, an author of the study, said the findings will be ‘good for those affected by metabolic syndrome and for healthy individuals’ as it reduces the risk of developing the syndrome.
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