White Rice and Type 2 Diabetes

A new study shows eating white rice regularly can increase your risk of type 2 diabetes. The results showed that people who eat 3-4 servings of white rice per day chance of developing type 2 diabetes is higher than those who consumed one to two servings a week.

The more often people eat white rice, the higher the risk of type 2 diabetes. Researchers estimated the risk of diabetes increased 11 percent due to higher daily servings of white rice.

However, this study only shows an association between white rice and type 2 diabetes, not causality. "Further research is needed to support the idea that white rice increased risk of type 2 diabetes," said Bruce Neal, professor of medicine at the University of Sydney in Australia.

Neal stated health problems due to poor diet is believed to be the main cause of chronic illness worldwide. "A lot of work to be done to find ways to prevent and treat disease," he said.

In the study, researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston examined four studies that examined the relationship between rice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes. Two studies conducted in Asia, namely China and Japan, while the rest are in Western countries, namely America and Australia.

Type 2 diabetes. (Picture from: http://www.medicinenet.com/)

Researchers examined whether the relationship between white rice and a stronger diabetes among Asians, who tend to eat more rice than Westerners. The study which lasted for 4-22 year included 352 thousand participants without diabetes at baseline. During the study, 13,284 people affected by diabetes.

The relationship between increased consumption and diabetes risk was found in Asia and Western countries, although the relationship was stronger among Asians. The relationship was also found to be stronger in women than men.

Rice has a high glycemic index, which means the body, quickly convert carbohydrates into glucose in rice. The glycemic index of white rice was 64, on a scale of 100 points. For comparison, the ice cream has a glycemic index of 61 and orange juice about 50. *** [LIVESCIENCE | ARBAIYAH SATRIANI | KORAN TEMPO 3828]
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