Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Researchers found that those with the highest intakes of white rice had a 17% increased risk of diabetes compared to those with the lowest intake of brown rice, the highest intakes had an 11% reduced risk of diabetes compared to the lowest intakes.
Diabetes now affects 24 million Americans and costs our healthcare system $174 billion per year (1). One out of every five health care dollars is spent caring for someone with diagnosed diabetes, while one in ten health care dollars is attributed to diabetes (2). The condition comes with a number of health risks, including a 200-400% increased risk of stroke and a 200% increased overall risk of death, compared to those without diabetes of similar age. Diabetes can lead to permanent disability and numerous health complications that include heart disease, stroke, blindness, chronic kidney disease, and amputations (1).
Now a new study (3) has found that brown rice can help maintain healthy blood sugar. Researchers analyzed data from three studies: the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (age range, 32-87 years (4)) and the Nurses’ Health Study I (age range, 37-65 years (5)) and II (age range, 26-45 years (6)). In all three studies, patients completed questionnaires before the study began and every two years thereafter to update information on their lifestyle and occurrence of chronic diseases.
The researchers found that those with the highest intakes of white rice (5 or more servings per week) had a 17% increased risk of diabetes compared to those with the lowest intake (1 serving per month). For brown rice, the highest intakes (2 or more servings per week) had an 11% reduced risk of diabetes compared to the lowest intakes) (1 serving per month). They then estimated that replacing 50 grams per day (uncooked, equal to one-third serving per day) of white rice with the same amount of brown rice was associated with a 16% reduced risk of diabetes.
When suggesting how brown rice helps maintain blood sugar health compared to white rice, they cited previous research showing white rice to elicit a greater increase in blood sugar (10). For the researchers, “Substitution of…brown rice…for white rice may lower risk of type 2 diabetes” and that “these data support the recommendation that most carbohydrate intake should come from whole grains rather than refined grains to help prevent type 2 diabetes.”
Source: Sun, Qi, et al. “White rice, brown rice, and risk of type 2 diabetes in US men and women.” Archives of internal medicine 170.11 (2010): 961-969.
© 2010 American Medical Association. All rights reserved.
Posted June 23, 2010.
References:
- Number of People with Diabetes Continues to Increase” from the CDC Website.
- Direct and Indirect Cost of Diabetes In the United States” posted onthe American Diabetes Association website.
- Sun Q. White Rice, Brown Rice, and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women. Arch Intern Med, 2010; 170 (11): 961-969.
- Foster-Powell K, Holt SH, Brand-Miller JC. International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values: 2002. Am J C lin Nutr . 2002;76(1):5-56.
- Nurses Health Study – see the Brigham and Woman’s Hospital website.
- Nurses Health Study – see the National Cancer Institute website.
