“I don’t eat white rice, it’s just empty calories”. So says the modern, health-conscious, weight-watching western urbanite.
But what if the choice between eating white rice and not eating white rice is a choice between living and dying? For billions of people in developing countries, this ‘high GI’, ‘over-processed’ grain full of ‘empty calories’ makes up 80 per cent of their diet, and they don’t get to choose what they eat.
White rice is packed with carbohydrates, which is a source of energy, but only contains small amounts of other vitamins and minerals. These ‘micronutrients’ are vital components of a healthy diet. The ‘big three’ micronutrient deficiencies in the developing world are of iron, zinc and Vitamin A. People who eat mostly rice, or another major cereal crop such as corn or wheat, are likely to be deficient in one or more of these.
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