Eating white rice could increase the odds of developing Type 2 diabetes, suggests a recent study. A review of four studies led by US researchers examined two studies from China and Japan and two studies from Australia and US, involving more than the hundred and fifty thousand people.
They found that the more people eat white rice, the higher their likelihood of developing the condition. The review evaluated a portion of rice say equal to one hundred and fifty gram and considered aspects such as level of exercise, weight and diet of the study subjects. All through the follow-up ranging from four to twenty-two years, more than thirteen thousand people developed diabetes.
The link between white rice and risk of diabetes might be explained by the effects of white rice on levels of blood sugar because it is comparatively high on the GI (Glycaemic Index), which calculates how swiftly glucose is released into the bloodstream after eating. In contrast foods with low GI such as brown rice break down slowly.
These foods make you feel fuller for longer and keep your blood sugar levels stable. White rice also has fewer nutrients including magnesium and fibre, which could help prevent Type 2 diabetes. The study was published in the British Medical Journal. Asian people have tendency to have a much higher intake of the food than those in the West.
Lead author Dr Qi Sun from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, stated each serving addition per day in white rice intake was associated with a small, yet significantly higher diabetes risk. It is probably fine to eat white rice, infrequently one or two servings per week, although the consumption seen in Asian countries will increase diabetes risk substantially.
Increasing consumption of white rice among Asians might increase diabetes risk, but it was unlikely to be a risk transferred to the West. This was not only due to a lower consumption in countries such as the UK, but also because of difference in diet and lifestyle, explained Catherine Collins, principal dietician from London’s St George’s Hospital.