Many people striving for a healthy diet often make their own breakfast drinks or carefully choose sugar-free ingredients, but such “healthy habits” can sometimes backfire. A woman in her 60s experienced weight gain and blood sugar levels approaching prediabetes after daily consumption of a homemade drink.
Nutrition and functional medicine expert Dr. Liu Boren shared the case of “Mrs. Wang” (pseudonym), a retired teacher in her 60s who was highly health-conscious. Every morning, she drank a large cup of a homemade five-grain beverage made from brown rice, oats, and coix seed, emphasizing that it was sugar-free and additive-free. Yet, after six months, she noticed a 2 kg weight gain, a more prominent belly, increased visceral fat, and abnormal fasting blood sugar levels nearing prediabetes, leaving her puzzled.
Dr. Liu explained that whole grains like five-grain or ten-grain rice are nutritious, rich in dietary fiber and B vitamins, and normally support metabolism and gut health. The problem arises when grains are ground into powder—the glycemic response changes drastically.
He cited a 2024 study in Foods, which tested millet muffins made with different particle sizes of sorghum flour. The results showed that muffins made from finely ground sorghum had a glycemic index (GI) of 76 ± 21, while those made from medium-grain flour had a GI of only 32 ± 17. In other words, the same raw ingredients can cause vastly different blood sugar responses depending on particle size.
Dr. Liu warned that grains are primarily carbohydrates, and when brown rice, purple rice, millet, oats, or coix seeds are powdered for beverages, their natural fiber structure is broken. This allows starch to be rapidly converted to glucose, making the body respond as if you are drinking sugar water—even if you think it’s healthy.
He offered five tips for “grain consumption without spiking blood sugar”:
- Choose whole grains whenever possible
Eat brown rice, purple rice, millet, or coix seeds in their original form to slow carbohydrate absorption. - Avoid daily overconsumption of grain powders
Occasional use as a breakfast substitute is fine, but it should not replace regular meals, especially for those with diabetes or borderline blood sugar. - Pair with protein and healthy fats
Add soy milk, nuts, or chia seeds when preparing grain drinks to slow digestion and stabilize blood sugar. - Control portion sizes
Limit a serving of grain powder to about 20 grams (roughly 80 kcal); more is not necessarily better. - Monitor blood sugar and weight
Regularly check fasting and post-meal blood sugar, as well as waist circumference, to ensure your diet is truly supporting health.
