Does Eating White Rice Increase Your Risk of Developing Diabetes?

Grains are a good source of complex carbohydrates and are mainly of three types ? cereal grains, legumes and gluten-free grains. Cereals can further be classified as whole grains and refined grains. While whole grains are considered to be the healthiest kind of grains which contain protein, fibre, iron, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese, selenium and various vitamins of the B family, studies have indicated that refined carbohydrate consumption can increase the levels of triglycerides and blood sugar levels in the body, which enhances the risk of heart disease, obesity and diabetes.

White rice, a staple food in various South Asian countries like India, Japan, Thailand and China, is a refined grain that has been associated with the development of diabetes in people.

What makes white rice different from other whole grains?

Unlike whole grains, white rice undergoes milling to be able to have a longer shelf life. During the refining process, the bran and germ of the whole rice grain are removed, leaving only the carbohydrate-rich endosperm of the rice grain. This makes it easier to store the rice but removes most of the nutrition from it. It has been noticed that milling strips most of the essential dietary fibre, protein, iron and vitamins from the rice.

Can the consumption of white rice cause diabetes?

Scientists have conducted various studies to find out the link between diabetes and white rice consumption, however, only a few have been successful in doing so.

A study published in the British Medical Journal in 2012 showed an increased risk of type 2 diabetes in the white rice eaters of Japan and China. Another study published in the British Journal of Nutrition in 2019 conducted the study on the Indian population and concluded that white rice consumption was amongst one of the factors responsible for type 2 diabetes in them.

The most recent study published in Diabetes Care collected and studied the data on the consumption of white rice in 1,32,373 individuals from 21 nations in the age group of 35 to 70 years for nine and a half years. The results of the study showed that out of all the participants, 6,129 people with no prior diagnosis of diabetes developed the disease as they were consuming 450 grams of white rice per day.

To eat or not to eat white rice?

With all these studies, it has been proven that excessive consumption of white rice can increase the risk of diabetes in people. By reducing the consumption of white rice or by replacing it with other alternatives like brown rice, wheat flour and other complex carbs can help in reducing the risk of diabetes in people.

For more information, read our article on Diabetes.

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