Pay attention to what you eat! Refined white rice may cause diabetes

"White rice" is the most representative food of Asian culture and an indispensable staple food for most Asians. However, this rice-eating culture that has been passed down for thousands of years may be the main cause of the increased risk of diabetes. A report from the United States pointed out that the proportion of Asian ethnic groups, led by China and Japan, who suffer from type 2 diabetes is much higher than that of Westerners who mainly eat wheat.

Asians who love to eat refined white rice have a significantly higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. (Photo/Taken from the British Daily Mail)

The British Daily Mail today quoted a research paper published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) by a public health scholar from Harvard University in the United States. After interactively comparing the blood sugar levels and eating habits of about 350,000 people in China, Japan, the United States and Australia, it was found that Asians who eat white rice 3-4 times a day have a significantly higher chance of developing type 2 diabetes than Westerners. Another shocking data in 2010 showed that after 20 years of intensive tracking, as many as 10,000 of the more than 97,000 Asians surveyed had type 2 diabetes to varying degrees, equivalent to a 10% chance.

The researchers explained that compared to brown rice, which has higher nutritional value, refined white rice lacks fiber and magnesium, two nutrients that can inhibit the development of diabetes. This causes the body's blood sugar level (Glycaemic Index, GI) to soar significantly within a few hours after ingestion. When blood sugar is in a state of drastic fluctuations for a long time, it is more likely to develop diabetes.

The New York Times also reported recently that eating brown rice more than twice a week can reduce the incidence of diabetes by an average of 10%. In contrast, consuming white rice more than five times a week will increase the risk of developing the disease by 20%. Therefore, for Asians who cannot do without rice for every meal, they can consider replacing one-third of their daily fixed intake with brown rice, which will effectively reduce the possibility of developing the disease by 16%.