Studies have discovered that white rice may be linked to a high risk of type 2 diabetes – in a recent trial, involving 350,000 people, white rice was found to be a trigger for an increased risk of contracting the disease. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School conducted two studies in Asian people, and two in Western people, to determine whether or not rice can increase your risk.
Asian people eat a higher quantity of rice than Western populations, often consuming up to four portions each day, whereas those in the West generally have just one to two servings per week. The results of the study indicated that Asian people are at a far higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. The study highlighted that in the overall population, for every extra serving of white rice served, the risk increases by up to 11 percent.
The participants’ weight, exercise level and dietary habits, such as alcohol and red meat intake, were all considered – they were also all free from diabetes at the start of the study. The trial had an extensive follow-up range, with up to 22 years in some cases, and approximately 13,200 people developed diabetes in this period. Eating brown rice, according to researchers, can lower this risk moderately but further studies need to take place in order to confirm this.
Diabetes affects more than two million people each year in the UK, with a further 850,000 having the condition but being undiagnosed. Your diet and exercise levels greatly affect your body’s ability to function effectively, so you should pay close attention to your fat, sugar and salt levels in order to lower your risk. Boost your diet with diabetes ‘superfoods’, which are rich in flavanoids – these consist of flavanols, flavanones, flavones, catechins, isoflavones and anthocyanins.
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