Why does dal-chawal spike my blood sugar but not my sister's?
The short answer
How fast you turn carbohydrates into blood sugar is partly genetic, shaped by genes like AMY1 and TCF7L2 that vary a lot between people in the same family.AMY1 controls how much carb-digesting enzyme your saliva makes. Some people carry many copies and break starch down fast; others carry few. Two siblings can sit at the same table, eat the same rice, and see very different blood-sugar curves an hour later.
For a population with India's diabetes burden, this matters. It is why a meal that keeps one person steady can leave another foggy and hungry again in ninety minutes. The plate is not wrong. The pairing is.
Do this today
Add protein or fibre to your highest-carb meal - a bowl of dahi, a side of sprouts, an extra sabzi. Same meal, slower curve.
Genes in playAMY1TCF7L2FTO