Can We Eat Rice in Diabetes?

According to a study published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), people who consume a lot of white rice have a 10 percent higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. In such a situation, if you have prediabetes or have been diagnosed with diabetes, then you must exercise restraint in eating rice. Not only this, but you should also know about the GI score of the rice you are eating and the number of carbohydrates in it.

Harvard University researchers also say that if you do not want to have diabetes in the future, then you should eat white rice in less quantity. In this study, the results of 4 previous studies were examined, in which more than 3 lakh 52 thousand participants from China, Japan, America, and Australia were included. People who consumed more white rice had a 27 percent higher risk of developing diabetes, and this risk was higher in people from the Asian continent. All participants were diabetes-free at the start of the study.

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, diabetic patients should meet their daily carbohydrate requirement from whole grains. Whole grains contain complex carbohydrates which take longer for the body to break down and thus reduce the risk of sudden spikes in blood sugar levels.

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If you are a diabetic patient, then you should eat only such rice which is full of nutrients those 3 types of rice that are considered right for diabetic patients are -

• Brown rice
• Wild rice
• long grain basmati rice

All three types of rice are higher in fiber, nutrients, and vitamins than short-grain white rice. Short-grain white rice not only has a high GI score but also lacks any nutritional value. Basmati, brown, and wild rice has a medium GI score and can be consumed in moderation.

Control the portion - If diabetic patients want to eat rice, then they should eat it in very little quantities. Half a cup of rice contains about 15 grams of carbohydrates. Also, instead of eating only rice, mix it with healthy things like rice with pulses, legumes, beans, or green leafy vegetables. By doing this, your body will also get the necessary nutrition. Anyway, lentils and rice are seen as a perfectly balanced diet.

How to cook rice - Instead of cooking rice in a pressure cooker, cook it in a pan or pot with extra water and when the rice is cooked, throw away the extra water or batter. By doing this the starch present in the rice will be reduced and the carbohydrate level of the rice will also be reduced to some extent.

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If you are a diabetic patient and want to eat rice, then you should consume brown rice instead of normal white rice. The reason for this is that brown rice is rich in minerals and nutrients like fiber, magnesium, potassium, iron, folate, etc. For this reason, brown rice helps reduce overweight people or type 2 diabetes patients whose blood sugar level increases after eating.

A study conducted on patients with type 2 diabetes found that consuming 2 servings of brown rice helped lower post-meal blood sugar levels and hemoglobin A1c as compared to consuming white rice. Along with this, brown rice is also helpful in reducing weight and due to this it also helps in controlling the blood sugar level of the body. Diabetic patients need to reduce their weight. Not only for diabetic patients but for people who do not have diabetes, if they also consume brown rice instead of normal white rice, then the amount of magnesium in brown rice is high, which can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

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Overall, diabetic patients, whether type 1 diabetes or type 2, do not need to completely stop eating rice. If they want, they can consume rice in small quantities, but it is very important that you eat rice by mixing it with many other healthy foods like protein-rich lentils or healthy fats, and also eat a balanced diet. By doing this, your blood sugar level will remain under control.

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