Why Brown Rice??

Why choose brown rice over white rice?

Researchers tracked nearly 200,000 men and women for 14 to 22 years. Those who ate at least 5 servings of white rice per week had a 17 percent higher risk of Type 2 diabetes than those who ate less than one serving per month. In contrast, people who ate at least two servings of brown rice per week had an 11 percent lower risk of Type 2 diabetes than those who ate less than one serving a month.

A separate study found that among women who already had diabetes, those who ate the most bran (around 10 grams per day) had about 35 percent lower risk of dying of heart disease than those who ate the least bran (1 gram per day). It didn't matter if the bran came from whole grains or was added to meals as bran itself.

WHAT TO DO: Switch from refined to whole grains. Brown rice may protect against diabetes because it has more fiber, vitamins, and magnesium and other minerals than white rice, and because it raises blood sugar less than white rice does. However, other whole grains, like bulgur, quinoa raise blood sugar even less so trying to incorporate them is beneficial as well.

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