Effects of Leaching Cassava Mash in Water on the Glycemic Index of Garri

Garri is a fine, fermented and roasted coarse, granular flour of varying texture produced from cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) tubers. Starch and fibre are the major components of carbohydrate contained in garri with low protein content and some 3 essential vitamins .The high fibre content of garri which is mostly insoluble fibre makes it very filling, and good in reducing the likelihood of bowel diseases. The glycemic index (GI) is a numerical measure of how much each gram of available carbohydrate in a food raises a person's circulating blood glucose level after one or two hours of consumption. The need for increasing food choices of the diabetics necessitated this study on the effect of leaching cassava mash in water on the GI of garri. The experimental design was adopted using two cassava varieties: a local variety known as Nwaocha 'Land Raise' and an improved variety TMS 30575.Each cassava variety used was processed into eight samples and the volume of water (VOW) used for leaching was graded into four levels and samples coded based on the treatment thus: 10.0 liters (F L ), 5.0 liters (F L ), 2.50 liters (F L ) and 1.25 liters (F L ) for48 10.00 48 5.00 48 2.50 48 1.25 local and improved varieties. Seven normoglycemic adult volunteers with body mass index (BMI) ranging from 19 to 24 were used to determine the GI of the food samples. Data generated were subjected to one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and students 't- test procedure of statistical assessment was used to check for differences of treatment in the cassava varieties. Mean values were further separated using fisher's least significant difference (LSD) and significant was accepted at P<0.05. The result shows that the leaching treatment had significant effect on the GI of the leached garri samples was observed in the sample treated with the highest volume of water (VOW) F L (43.08±10.61 & 39.31±5.85) for LV and48 10.00 IV, respectively. The result further shows that the GI of both varieties was not significantly different (P< 0.05) but the local variety had apparent higher GI than the improved variety. Leaching of cassava mash in water significantly reduced the components of starch and sugar (carbohydrate) and subsequent increase in the fibrous material left in the mash and led to the production of low GI garri and fermentation further reduced the garri GI. It is therefore recommended that garri should be leached and the fermentation period prolonged to reduce the GI of garri for the purpose of consumption by target groups such as the diabetics.