High brown rice intake lowers diabetes risk
A study in the US showed that eating brown rice lessens the chance of developing type 2 diabetes. With the increased consumption of white rice among Americans in the past decades, about 18 million have the developed the disease.
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of diabetes where the body fails to take up insulin or there is insufficient insulin production. Without insulin, glucose is not used for energy. Poorly controlled diabetes results in high blood sugar levels.
Using questionnaires, 39,765 males and 157,463 females participated in the study. It was found that eating two or more servings of brown rice per week lowers the risk of diabetes by 11%. On the other hand, eating five or more servings of white rice per week increases the risk of diabetes by 17%. Diabetes risk was reduced by 16% by substituting daily 50 grams of white rice to brown rice. A 36% risk reduction was observed when brown rice was replaced by whole grains like barley and wheat.
This information is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of an individual consultation or examination or replace the advice of your healthcare professional and should not be relied upon to determine diagnosis or course of treatment.