The health impact of white rice

White rice is a common food especially in Asia, but also in the USA. It is very common to have white rice served in restaurants.

Refined carbohydrates have been suggested to have a negative impact on the glucose metabolism. For that reason a large study involving 25,666 men and 33,622 women ages 44 to 75 years was conducted investigating the association between white rice intake and the risk of type 2 diabetes (Nanri A, et al. 2010). The study lasted for 5 years.

The results documented that there was a significant association between rice intake and an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in women. In men it was found to be a positive association in persons who were not engaged in strenuous physical activity.

White rice has a high glycemic index which means it will elevate the blood sugar quite high. Brown rice is a little bit better, but it also has a high glycemic index even if it is somewhat lower than white rice and contains more nutrients.

If you are going to eat white rice it would be healthier if you mix it with beans or lentils, since both beans and lentils have a very low glycemic index. It would be even better of course to substitute the rice for beans or lentils.

You will find a lot of recipes with beans and lentils in the book, "The Food Connection" and with explanations why it makes sense to eat low glycemic, high nutrients meals.

To read the original abstract, click on the reference below.

Reference:

Nanri A, Mizoue T, Noda M, Takahashi Y, Kato M, Inoue M, Tsugane S; for the Japan Public Health Center–based Prospective Study Group. Rice intake and type 2 diabetes in Japanese men and women: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study. Am J Clin Nutr. 2010 Dec;92(6):1468-1477. Epub 2010 Oct 27.

Published with permission by Didrik Sopler, Ph.D., L.Ac : – www.TissueRecovery.com Dr. Marsh has worked with and referrers patients to Dr. Sopler for co-management for years . . . He is quite simply San Diego's top functional medicine consultant.