A new review in the United States has claimed that people who regularly consume white rice could be increasing their chances of developing type 2 diabetes.
The Harvard review of four separate studies in the West and Asia, which was published in the British Medical Journal, showed that for Chinese and Japanese people who eat a lot of white rice as well as those in the US and Australia who eat less, a greater consumption was associated with a higher diabetes incidence. It was found that each 158g helping of rice eaten per day was linked with an 11 per cent rise in the risk of diabetes.
When white rice is quickly converted by the body into sugars, known as having a high glycaemic index (GI), levels of blood sugar can rise dramatically before tailing off again, bringing difficulties for diabetics trying to manage their condition. In addition, the scientists said the review suggested that white rice could contribute to the development of diabetes as levels of fibre, vitamins and magnesium – believed to help protect against the condition – were present in lower quantities than in brown rice.
There are also concerns that, as eating low GI food makes you hungrier again much more quickly, this prompts overeating and people becoming overweight, another risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

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