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White rice linked to Type 2 diabetes, say researchers

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Well, is anyone surprised? Avoid eating anything in excess, but refined carbohydrates in particular.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Right. People who eat a large amount of white rice probably eat a large amount of everything. At least that would be true in Japan and urban China. The relation between over consumption of carbohydrates and diabetes is no secret.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

It's not only overconsumption..it's the fact it is white rice and not whole grain rice. I love japanese food don't get me wrong, but I don't understand why they remove all the essential nutrients of the rice just to make it white..it is absorbed much faster into the blood stream and spikes your insulin..just eat the whole grain.

8 ( +8 / -0 )

Saw on the news yesterday that Seiyu/Walmart will sell 5kg of Chinese imported rice for around 1.300Yen.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

rice is Carbs

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

5kg of Chinese imported rice for around 1.300Yen

That's no different from what my local Nokyo charges for japanese rice. Someone's making a killing somewhere.

White rice is rice with all the good bits stripped away. Brown rice is better for you, and tastes better, too.

0 ( +7 / -7 )

"Health researchers find troubling link between higher consumption of rice and Type 2 diabetes.."

what reseachers have found now and telling us hesitantly is nothing knew, atleast i knew it since my childhood (decades ago).

0 ( +1 / -1 )

cleo

remember to factor in the approx 700% duty + 5% import consumption tax on import

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Yup, not very spectacular news. When I arrived in Japan, I was surprised to find out the rice was white, as I also learned that whole grain rice is better. The other thing that surprised me is that Japanese people eat rice without sauce. I'm out of saliva after pretty much one bite.

-4 ( +4 / -8 )

White rice = starch

which yr body converts to sugar VERY easily, I eat no more than a bowl a day, often I cant even finish one bowl.

But try to explain to the locals that white rice is pretty much void of any health benefits & most wont believe. About the only people who shud eat a lot of this stuff are those who burn lots of calories day in day out otherwise moderation for sure, but that doesnt go down well here!

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Remember, correlation does not equal cause. There could be other factors that are the real culprits.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

While a high starch diet may contribute to type two diabetes it is far from the main cause. Irregular sleep, overwork, stress, bad dietary habits and too much alcohol also play a major part in the onset of type two diabetes. 30% of Japanese men over 40 either have or are at high risk of contracting type two diabetes and if you compare their lifestyle with the contributing factors I just mentioned it is surprising that it is only 30%. I'm going to buy some beer now. :P

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I read a new research that says that apples and blueberries reduce the risk of diabetes. Although they contain glucose, they contain a lot of fibers and pectin that decreases blood sugar. Now imagine how many average families in Japan can buy on apple or a box of blueberries per day for their children. Not many, it is much cheaper to stuff them with three bowls of rice per day.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"So why do you have Type 2 diabetes, Taro?" "Because I am Japanese."

People all over the world have known that white rice lacks any nutritional value, other than fast-burning carbs, for years. However, the Rice Boards here keep pushing people to eat more and more. In fact, I believe there was a campaign to eat a few more mouthfuls of rice per day, just to increase consumption resulting in enough production for rice self-sufficiency. White rice basically fills out the required calories per meal here, kind of like MSG fills out the flavour in Chinese take-out in North America.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

I eat genmai at home. It's tastier and I believe healthier than polished white rice.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

Easy answer. Just think about who is doing the eating in each country.

In the US and Australia I'm sure there are very few people who consume much white rice, and the ones that do tend to be more health conscious people who are only eating the white rice because it's a part of the Japanese food they're eating. They may take in a lot of rice but their total calories are low, so no white rice = diabetes in this case.

But in Japan and China most people eat white rice all the time anyway, so naturally the people eating more white rice are also the people just eating more overall and get diabetes.

If the researchers could show their data again, controlled for caloric intake, then they might have something.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I eat genmai at home. It's tastier and I believe healthier than polished white rice

Good that you are health oriented. but as somebody said, it depends life style, exercise, on other things you eat and drink and your body in general. I read that white rice diet does not affect so much men as women.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Some American researchers are now pushing for Alzheimers to be re-classified, basically as something akin to diabetes type 3.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

I'd believe it with some processed foods, but not rice. Anything from the earth is good. Man can mess up soil though.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Back in Mexico no white rice, only at them Chinese or Japanese restaurants but must be in our DNA, lots of diabetes.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Excellent waste of money for this research. I don't need to be a scientist to understand that everything in excess is bad.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

warnerbroMar. 17, 2012 - 05:04PM JST Right. People who eat a large amount of white rice probably eat a large amount of everything. At least that would be >true in Japan and urban China. The relation between over consumption of carbohydrates and diabetes is no secret.

My oberservatiuons over decades in Japan suggest otherwise,, The Japanese and other east asian people eat a rather ridiculous amount of white rice relative to other things, the stuff they all "okazu" in Japan. And while it's hardly a surprise to anyone that high quantities of white rice is linked to type II diabetes, let'' not forget that Americans and Australians consume a far greater amount of other things besides rice, leadng to obesity and the various health problems cardiac and vascular issues that follow.

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

brown rice sushi is pretty good. Different flavour but should be encouraged.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

5kg of Chinese imported rice for around 1.300Yen That's no different from what my local Nokyo charges for japanese rice. Someone's making a killing somewhere. White rice is rice with all the good bits stripped away. Brown rice is better for you, and tastes better, too.

The reason Chinese rice is now being sold in Japan is not to do with price but it is to do with the fact that many Japanese housewives are questioning the safety of Japanese rice (i.e. unwanted radioactive ingredients). Apparently there will be more radioactive substances left in brown rice or haigamai, so in that sense at least white rice would be safer.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I was talking to some Japanese people the other day about diet and food and over the course of the discussion I mentioned that Japanese rice is simply not good for the human digestive system. They all gave the usual, "eeeeEEEEE?" and one woman was even offended, immediately assuming that I meant they should eat bread and not rice. I tried to calm her down by explaining that along with processed flour, processed sugar, and anything made using said products (including the millions of kinds of shokupan on the shelves!) is unhealthy, and that while polished white rice is also equally unhealthy, brown rice is a very healthy alternative. They still gave me that, "We know what's right but won't say anything" look and nod, but it baffles me that more Japanese people don't know this to be fact. The human body just doesn't break down white rice properly, and doesn't have some affect on the system in terms of insulin production?

Anyway, eat brown rice, peeps, and avoid gluten and processed ingredients where possible.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

LoveNot.

I have been buying (Thai)long grain, etc rice here now for over 10yrs at local shops. It is available as much as US meat but the import duties don't make it cheaper.

Myself not sure about the link to Diabetes 2 as white rice is eaten in many other countries too. As was said everything in moderation is good. We are eating a mix of different rice at home depending on the dish served. Not all cooked in the rice-cooker as that makes some taste awful.

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

White bleached and processed anything is bad for you!

1 ( +1 / -0 )

A great way to go is haiga rice. It is produced during the milling process when the rice bran is removed but the rice germ is still attached - along with all of its nutrients. The taste is fantastic - even kids who hate tough brown rice will love it.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Mama don't take my gohan away...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

obviously because its practically just sugar,, it also doesnt have much fiber so you could connect it with colon cancer too. definitely brown rice, whole grains are the best. but it doesnt mean you have to stop eating white rice.. just dont eat it so often everyday

2 ( +2 / -0 )

this is another dumb research finding. alot of people eat rice they dont get type 2 diabetes.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Yesterday it was red meat, today it is white rice. I drink to correlations.... there are correlations between everything in the universe, if they matter, who cares.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Yeah, this proves why Japanese are some of the longest living people in the world. Let's try to be healthy and eat at Mcdonalds instead !!

0 ( +3 / -3 )

its very simple: stay away from white foods, (flour, white rice, white bread, white sugar, pasta) and eat more foods of color.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Obviously, everything in moderation is the go, that is why humans are omnivores, so they can eat everything. To restrict your diet to high starch and low protein is just asking for trouble. 'Gohan' is not a staple food! It is only a supplementary food and needs to be balanced with protein and vegetables. Gees! even a feed of Yoshinoya gyudon is better than having and onigiri with seaweed wrapped around it! Wake up Japan! People need protein! I don't give a damn if it is 'oishi' rice from Yamagata! It is still only rice and has bugger all nutritional value! It is just stomach filler!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

DisillusionedMar. 18, 2012 - 04:10AM JST Obviously, everything in moderation is the go, that is why humans are omnivores, so they can eat everything.

It's easy to say but if you look at people in Tokyo or any other cities in the evenings, where do they go? Most salarymen and many women go drink beer with a cheap appetizer until they are drunk. If they don't drink outside, they drink excessively at home. Beer, sake, shochu, wine, and other alcohol drinks have alot of sugar and it might be problem than rice. If they go drinking, do they stop at two beers? Hell no.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I love the smell and taste of warm rice ... splosh a little milk and sugar on it for taste and whammo! It's a real filler and freaks all the Japanese out. I then tell 'em all about rice custard pudding. Genmai has been the way to go for us for many years. Curiously, our J friends think this is rather low-brow culinary speaking. Bollix, genmai is very tasty and satisfying than the pure starch white stuff.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

“It’s very important to address not just a single food but the whole pattern of consumption.”

I'm glad they said that.

Anyway i like brown rice and other rice more than white rice. In JP i would have imagined that the brown rice would be more popular as it is more healthy but it leaves the shelf more slowly and is always in stock at my grocer. Maybe its just people in my neighborhood.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Musashi: "Asians have eating rice for thousands of years and no diabetes."

They haven't been eating WHITE rice for thousands of years, which is what this is about, isn't it? Brown rice, jasmine rice, wild rice, yes.

Hide: Quick question -- the people that are now the centennarians who make the Japanese life span the longest in the world -- did they eat white rice during and after WWII? NO! They ate regular genmai. Many centennarians have already seen their children die and cremated because of the change in lifestyle and diet that followed -- and if you check a large number of those have been from diabetes and diseases not present in family history. The life span of Japanese is going to drop on average in the future, trust me.

2 ( +5 / -3 )

i buy brown rice even if it costs more than white rice, but the real winner is oatmeal.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

I eat only brown rice (save if rice comes with the meal at restaurants), and occasionally have Thai and Basmati rice imported because I know the white stuff is no good for the internals.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@Reckless; Yes you can cook it in a rice cooker, it just takes a little longer. The newer rice cookers are built to cook both white, brown and the admix of the two. For best results and super quick, use a pressure cooker as it takes hardly any time at all.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

It’s very important to address not just a single food but the whole pattern of consumption.

The whole lifestyle needs to be taken into consideration, and substituting white rice for brown is pointless if you're guzzling gallons of cola and so on. No need to give up white rice if it's eaten in moderation and, as others are saying, it's part of a balanced diet. I would bet that Japanese males in their mid-30s and 40s are much heavier on average now than they were 40 years ago.

From the WHO website (my emphasis): "More than one billion adults worldwide are overweight; at least 300 million of whom are obese. It is estimated that WELL OVER HALF of all cases of type 2 diabetes could be avoided if excessive weight gain in adults could be prevented."

http://www.who.int/diabetes/actionnow/en/DANbooklet.pdf

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Brown rice doesn't store as long. White rice doesn't have the fats and oils that normally break down brown rice faster so white rice stores longer. Thus there are different storage and transport conditions affecting both their prices. Note that the brown rice components are the nutrients that make all the difference in healthy eating.

It would seem there's a significant stigma to brown rice in Asia not common to my country which would be the association of being poor = brown rice. Interestingly I consider it a healthy choice of food, like brown bread. (I'm Canadian. Your country mileage may vary)

Japanese getting over this cultural impediment anytime soon is really a whole other topic.

Pass the genmai ;)

0 ( +2 / -2 )

My old National rice cooker works fine with brown rice, so I wonder what the problem is with newer cookers?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

yeah, oatmeal for breakfast with some fruit is the best ;)

2 ( +2 / -0 )

The science of brown rice versus white rice is clearly in favour of brown rice.

As for the Japanese diet, there's lots of fish and other foods to make up for the deficiencies in the rice. On it's own it's not healthy. In combination with a meal high in other nutrients it's fine. In excess it is not. But that would be rare to eat just white rice wouldn't it? Kinda like me eating too much pasta. Portion controls in Japan tend to be better given the variety of foods so all in all the Japanese diet does well.

I see this as the trend back in the 80's in Canada away from white bread towards brown bread. It probably took a generational change but brown bread is widely available now. Like brown rice, brown bread uses the entire germ, and is thus healthier.

I've never understood why simple knowledge is such a chore to explain in Japanese. It's like everything is a personal afrontment. Relax. Take it easy.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This is not about not eating in moderation or that people who eat a lot of rice eat a lot of everything. It's specifically about white rice, which has a high glycaemic index. I remember the JA promoted giving children rice for breakfast because it was healthy. White rice shoots your blood sugar up quickly.

Japan does seem to have quite a high incidence of diabetes for a nation that has so few obese people.

Pasta is my carb of choice.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

sf2k

Brown rice doesn't store as long. White rice doesn't have the fats and oils that normally break down brown rice faster so white rice stores longer.

Brown rice doesn't have any fats. Don't know where you got that.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Brown rice doesn't store as long.

My local Nokyo must have it all wrong, then. They store their rice in 30kg bags of brown rice, and polish just what they plan to sell that day.

Japan does seem to have quite a high incidence of diabetes for a nation that has so few obese people.

I wondered about that, and found these figures - http://www.who.int/diabetes/facts/world_figures/en/ WHO reckons there were 171 million diabetes sufferers worldwide in 2000, set to rise to 366 million by 2030. The number for Japan is 6.7 million (8.9 million); China, 20.7 million (42 million); India, 31.7 million (79 million); Bangladesh, 4 million (11 million); Pakistan, 5 million (13 million); USA, 17.7 million (30 million). Obviously size of population has to be taken into account, but it seems a lot of countries not noted for obesity or a surfeit of calories in general do tend to have relatively high rates of diabetes. Does the fact that a lot of them are in Asia reflect diet (rice) or some genetic factor?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Good! Finally this white culprit is being exposed...LOL

I can't eat anything made with rice. I have a rare intolerance to it. Yet, I have no problem buying raw goods, fat free dairy and lean cuts of meat. Whatever I don't find in a grocery store, I just order it from Dean & Deluca or other similar high quality delicatessen store.

Reality is the human body wasn't made to digest rice, flour and anything white(rice, flour, pasta sugar). Our ancestors were lean and in excellent shape. Frankly, these "white culprits" are responsible for the majority of health and obesity problems.

That said, eating rice and pasta and anything made from flour and sugar isn't gonna kill people on the spot, but moderation is advised.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

It is well known that rice isn't good for people suffering diabetes. The Okayu 粥 is even worse.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

@smithinjapan

A good point that older generaion of Japanese people used to eat healthier than today's younger people. But improvement in medical science makes up for at least some of that. Besides, I just can't imagine typical western foods being healthier than typical Japanese foods.

Look at average Americans for example, they eat too much meat , not enough vegetables, too much fast food.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I agree with Hide Suzuki. Every food has its side-effect, those with the less is better.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

not all rice are same, or cooked the same way, and yes too much of everything is not Healthy .

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Hide Suzuki: "But improvement in medical science makes up for at least some of that. Besides, I just can't imagine typical western foods being healthier than typical Japanese foods."

Hide.... you seem to miss the point. It's not a matter of us vs. them or anything of the like. By saying white rice is unhealthy I'm not even remotely trying to be a poster-boy for Western foods. That's not what this is about. Read my comments! I have said time and again that white bread is just as bad if not worse than white rice -- they are both the products of processing. Saying typical Japanese foods are healthier or not healthier than typical Western foods is neither here nor there, is it? Read my first post -- I stated clearly that when I told my friend that white rice is unhealthy she got upset and said bread is also bad. I NEVER suggested bread was good, I just said that our bodies are not adequately equipped to metabolize polished white rice (AND bread).

People need to stop taking this thread as some sort of attack on Japanese culture and start seeing it for what it is -- a question about how processed foods affect our health.

"Look at average Americans for example, they eat too much meat , not enough vegetables, too much fast food."

How many vegetarians and health conscious Japanese do you know? It is always an interesting fact that until the Meiji era people who dealt with animal meat were considered a class below the rest. I have never in my life met a Japanese vegetarian, nor have a found anything 'vegetarian' that doesn't contain "ebi/gyu/ton-ekisu". Yes, many North Americans eat too much meat, as to many Japanese. Doesn't change the fact that white rice is not good for you. Stick with the genmai.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Eat a large variety of foods and then you won't get poisoned even if few of them is harmful.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

3 or 4 servings of polished white rice a day is madness - nutritionally as poor as eating 3 or 4 servings of white bread per day would be. I can't believe anyone would eat that much? Stick to whole, unprocessed grains people - it ain't rocket science!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Japanese life span is better than the West.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

"Japanese life span is better ( longer ) then the West('s)"

No thanks to the white rice.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Japanese life span is better than the West.

Bit of a generalisation there, the "West" contains widely differing nations, cultures, ethnicities, healthcare and diet. For example, Australian men on 2011 figures live longer than Japanese men (source: CIA Worldbook) and consume far less polished white rice. Overall Aussies and Japanese live for as long as each other give or take a few months depending on which source you look at. We can learn from each other, that's for sure. Eating vast quantities of processed white grains is simply not wise.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Eat a large variety of foods and then you won't get poisoned even if few of them is harmful.

Hmm so if you eat cyanide but eat it with a variety of foods it is harmless? Crazy thinking.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

2020hindsights, you don't get the point. Actually, most foods today contain harmless substance, just a matter of degree between healthy and unhealthy foods. What makes it harmful is you eat too much of one kind of food and get accumulated one unhealthy substance to a level beyond your body can bear.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

That explains why Japan is the fattest country in the world.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Japan is the fattest country in the world"

Never been to the U.S. or Australia, 'ave you?

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Asians have been eating rice (white/brown) for thousands of years without diabetes. Diabetes is a new health risk occurrence. Of course brown rice is healthier. Of course a well rounded diet consisiting of organic produce, less refined sugars, less unhealthy fatty foods, unhealthy oils, non-fast food diet. It is the mixture of these unhealthy foods in your diet that cause diabetes - not rice. This article is trying to sway people away from the thought that bread is unhealthy. I see foreigners that come here healthy and in 1 generation their entire family is a wreak.

The question is why are Americans so FAT? Why do Americans have this highest occurrence of heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, etc...??? Japanese have this highest life expectancy. American's poor health is mostly due to the corrupt health industry. Brainwashed by TV/Internet Ads. They want to make $$$ first and do not care about citizens health first. Same with Pharmaceuticals. Rice is not the culprit! Americans eat bread, white bread mostly. Pastries. I know of many Japanese that have recently gotten the Americans disease because they are trying to model the American way of life. Big mistake.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

jdow, in a fast-paced economy, limited time and unlimited workload, one will either lose his health or his job. Fast food with plenty of sugar and fat may supply us with quick energy.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

2020hindsights, you don't get the point. Actually, most foods today contain harmless substance, just a matter of degree between healthy and unhealthy foods. What makes it harmful is you eat too much of one kind of food and get accumulated one unhealthy substance to a level beyond your body can bear.

This study is nothing to do with accumulating unhealthy substances in your body. White rice doesn't have unhealthy substances per se. What it's about is that by eating white rice every meal has an effect on your metabolism that over time causes your body to need more insulin than your body can produce to metabolize the glucose. This is type 2 diabetes.

Rather than thinking a unhealthy substances accumulating in your body think about the effect of your diet on your body.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

quite simple, we eat way too much. Everything is omori these days, especially cheap refined carbs like rice and noodles here in Japan. One bowl of rice per day is more than enough.

Our bodies havent changed genetically in thousands (hundreds of thousands?) of years but the volume we eat has increased dramatically. We can live off of our ample fat stores for a long time.

Try cutting a meal a day and you will see wonders in your health.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

and brown rice doesnt make it better, it is still rice. There is no benefit from that. I would say eating white rice is better than brown rice as it doesnt have those gut-irritating/autoimmune affecting proteins that most grain products have.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Jdowe

It is the mixture of these unhealthy foods in your diet that cause diabetes - not rice.

Why do you dismiss this meta study out of hand on white rice? Do you have evidence to the contrary? Questions about how the study was conducted? Please provide links.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

The obvious thing is to ban the sale of white rice, and allow the sale only of whole grain rice. This of course will never happen because of enormous profits that would be lost by the Pharmaceuticals if type 2 diabetes was eliminated. Table sugars, white flours, honey, syrups cause type 2 diabetes because they wear out your pancreas from over-use. All sugars , as well as all meats also cause inflammation which starts many diseases in humans. Type 2 diabetes was formerly call "adult onset" diabetes, but youngsters now eat as much sugar by age of 12 as it took people 50 years to eat. Highly sugared foods and drinks is the cause.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

White rice doesn't have unhealthy substances per se.

Scientists warn of arsenic in rice http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/9285695-423/scientists-warn-of-arsenic-in-rice.html

BTW, any nutrition far in excess of the body needed may become harmful substance.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

"white rice is better than brown rice"

It is not.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

I will be increasing my brown rice intake and reducing the white rice, thanks to this article and the comments. 2/3 brown, 1/3 white. And, I will pay a visit to the local rice milling shop and see if they have brown rice, and where it is from. Fukushima not acceptable (gomen ne). Anyway, a thought provoking commenting storm. Thanks everyone.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

If we will avoide white rice,white flour(fine flour) and white sugar than I think 50% of health problem will be solved.We should take half or less polised rice instead full milled or polished.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Almxx

Table sugars, white flours, honey, syrups cause type 2 diabetes because they wear out your pancreas from over-use.

Not true. Type 2 diabetes has nothing to do with ill health of the pancreas.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

efisher

Scientists warn of arsenic in rice.

Arsenic doesn't have any known link with type 2 diabetes last time I checked.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Food for thought; it is only recently, within the past 40 years or so that Japanese people have been eating white rice on a daily basis. I know people who told me that they only ate white rice once or twice a year when they were growing up, usually New Year's and maybe obon, otherwise they ate genmai, or something else, depending of course upon their economic status.

It used to be that only the affluent in society were able to purchase and eat white rice on a regular basis. The common folks not so.

Hopefully, particularly children, and specifically in ES and JHS, will be educated about this and that their school lunches will change to adapt to this serious health risk.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Made the switch to brown from white just last year, and I have to say that it was an acquired taste. But one consider the health benefits, it's really a no-brainer.

As for noodles, I would guess buckwheat soba is a little healthier than udon?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Arsenic doesn't have any known link with type 2 diabetes

but arsenic in rice poses a cancer risk.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

add some Oat into rice, it is good for lowering cholesterol.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Old Japanese saying, to paraphrase, "God only gives you so much food to eat, the more you eat the shorter your life".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

but arsenic in rice poses a cancer risk

So a random article that is completely off topic (this thread is about rice and type 2 diabetes).

In any case, my point is the dangers for type 2 diabetes with rice (or anything else) is not about accumulation of any toxins. It's about the long term effect on the metabolism.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I don't agree with this research.... I think that cultures that have sustained themselves for long periods of time on a main staple of white rice and other foods have become more susceptable to type 2 diabetes once they start to ingest sugar and heavier fatty foods. I don't think the rice itself is the problem. Meaning.... if a person that already has sugary and fatty foods in their diet starts to eat more white rice it will not increase their probability of getting type 2 diabetes.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@serrano, look up lectin. you will realize then why brown rice is more damaging than white rice..short answer--nutritional deficiencies and immune diseases.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I looked up lectin, seems it's a problem in undercooked beans and grains. Is anyone advocating eating undercooked food?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

I don't agree with this research.... I think that cultures that have sustained themselves for long periods of time on a main staple of white rice and other foods have become more susceptable to type 2 diabetes once they start to ingest sugar and heavier fatty foods. I don't think the rice itself is the problem. Meaning.... if a person that already has sugary and fatty foods in their diet starts to eat more white rice it will not increase their probability of getting type 2 diabetes.

Hmmm, yet another poster who favors annecdotal ideas over scientific method. Rational thought is doomed... :-(

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

@2020: You are 100% correct... but I'm not trying to get published in a medical journal or anything I'm just stating my "ancedotal" opinion. In addition.... many, many times over the years my "anecdotal" opinions have been proven to be correct. Observation... observation.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

jdowe3838: "Asians have been eating rice (white/brown) for thousands of years without diabetes."

They have NOT been eating polished white rice for thousands of years. Brown rice, yes. This study is not about brown rice, however, and hence your comment is moot.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I looked up lectin, seems it's a problem in undercooked beans and grains. Is anyone advocating eating undercooked food?

Wrong. It is not only a problem in undercooked food. You won't completely eliminate it by roasting your beans and grains to blackened bits. Lectin will still exist. Just having to cook it to kill it should tell you it is a toxin. Add amylopectin, gliadin, etc to the list of toxins in grains and you are just fooling yourself if you think it is a healthy food.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I bet they can get the same results using bread, tortillas, pasta, instead of rice - but then who cares?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

What kind of Chinese rice are they are importing? Is it long grain or is it like the the Japanese short grain, which in Britain we call pudding rice. The long grain is much better with curries and many other Asian dishes. It is also good when fried as it doesn't stick together like Japanese rice. Long grain is not good for sushi, though.

Traditionally, in Japan only the Samurai class ate white rice. Did they have a higher rate of diabetes?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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