The rice and wheat you eat may soon also be used as a medicine if scientists are successfulin changing the carbohydrate profile of food grains. By partial bioprocessing of rice, wheat and coarse grains like jowar, bajra and ragi, a team of five researchers at IIT Kharagpur are working on developing nutraceuticals.Nutraceuticals are products derived from food sources enhanced with extra medical benefits. The word is a portmanteau of the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical'. Once ready in the next three years, the bioprocessed grains would then be consumed just like corn flakes or in the form of ready-to-eat products like biscuits, chocolates and even health drinks."Changing the dietary carbohydrate profile by bioprocess in grains will lead to the development of new range of low-cost prebiotic nutraceuticals. It will enable better nutrition by releasing more energy, promoting growth of beneficial gut microbe and inhibiting harmful gut bacteria andboosting immunity," lead researcher of the project Dr Satyahari Dey told PTI.The food grains would also be fortified with beneficial microbe and micronutrients before it reaches the consumer. Prebiotic and probiotic nutraceuticals are preventive for lifestyle diseases like hyperglycemia, inflammatory bowel disease and colon cancer.