Last Updated on April 19, 2026
For diabetics, bread is your arch-nemesis, but this could all change in the future. The National University of Singapore may have made a discovery that could change the way diabetics eat. The university extracted a natural plant pigment that could be the hidden recipe for bread that is safe for diabetics.
The scientists discovered a recipe that uses anthocyanin, which is taken from black rice. The bread that is made with the anthocyanin, which makes it much slower to digest. The slower digesting break helps control blood sugar better than normal bread, which can cause glucose levels to skyrocket. Anthocyanin is naturally high in antioxidants, making it an excellent addition to your diet. It also can help prevent inflammation, heart complications and some forms of cancer.
When the researchers studied the digestion of the bread, it showed that it was almost 13% slower. While the bread is still made pretty much like every other bread, the scientists only added a small dose of the plant pigment. This small change to bread recipes could drastically change diabetes recipes and the way that diabetics look at their meals.
Because of the way bread impacts glucose levels, most diabetics drastically limit the amount of bread they eat every day. But, bread is everywhere. It’s a stable of just about every meal. Completely avoid breads is an almost impossible task, but you might not have to avoid it if this pigment proves to reduce glucose spikes.
The pigment anthocyanin is normally found in fruits and vegetables. It’s the pigment that causes the fruits to have orange, reds, or blues. Fruits like blueberries, blackberries, and grapes are high in anthocyanin. For this specific study, the researchers took the pigment from black rice, anthocyanin is the reason the rice is black.
The research team (also the baking team) was led by Professor Zhou, and the bread was baked in very specific conditions. The bread was 1% anthocyanin taken from black rice and was added into the bread dough and then baked at 200 degrees Celsius for 8 minutes. The study also showed that the more anthocyanin added to the read slowed the digestion rate even farther.
Professor Zhou had some enlightening things to say about the research and the results, “Our results demonstrate that it is indeed feasible to create functional food products through anthocyanin fortification, using bread as an example.” He went on to say that the bread isn’t going to be the only item they alter, “We hope to conduct further studies to incorporate anthocyanin into other food items, such as biscuits. ” meaning that exciting things could be in store for diabetics that are struggling to control their glucose levels.
With most bread they have a high amount of starch that is digested very quickly inside of the body. Lowering the digestion rates of the bread can significantly reduce the glycemic index, which will lower the amount of insulin required after a meal. The less insulin needed will mean better-controlled blood sugar and reduces A1C.
While it’s exciting for diabetics to think that they could be enjoying a sandwich or biscuit without having to worry as much about their glucose levels, the best part is that the pigment is completely natural. We won’t be adding any manmade chemicals into our bread that could be causing more harm than good.
This discovery could make huge waves within the diabetic community in the next few years as the results continue to point towards a healthy alternative to bread. It’s exciting news, but for now, make sure you continue to count your carbs as you eat your toast in the morning or enjoy that biscuit at dinner.
