Harvard Medical School experts claim that white rice could increase your blood sugar levels. They said that its effect is the same as eating pure table sugar.
A man holds a handful of rice grains at a market on July 17, 2008 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangladesh has recently closed nearly 2,000 rice mills because they ignored official demands to sell the staple to the army-backed government at below market rates. Rice, a basic staple for Bangladesh's 144 million people, has nearly doubled in price in the past 12 months due to shortages caused by floods last summer, a cyclone in November and the continued rise of fuel prices. Bangladesh is currently one of the world's poorest countries, where nearly 40 percent of the population survives on less than a dollar a day.
If this is true, it will be a huge problem since more than half of the world's population relies on rice as a staple food. Yahoo News reported that around 480 million metric tons were produced globally way back in 2018.
What's alarming about the issue is that white rice is more common than brown rice, which is its healthier version. White rice is widely consumed by many people, especially in an Asian country since it can be transported easier and has a longer shelf life.
How white rice increases blood sugar levels
Harvard medical experts explained that the issue with white rice is caused by how the body processes it. However, white rice is still a healthy staple food.
A variety of rice is displayed in a market on July 17, 2008 in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Bangladesh has recently closed nearly 2,000 rice mills because they ignored official demands to sell the staple to the army-backed government at below market rates. Rice, a basic staple for Bangladesh's 144 million people, has nearly doubled in price in the past 12 months due to shortages caused by floods last summer, a cyclone in November and the continued rise of fuel prices. Bangladesh is currently one of the world's poorest countries, where nearly 40 percent of the population survives on less than a dollar a day.
White rice is actually the same as brown rice. It only becomes white in color once it is polished, and its germ and bran are removed. This process also makes the white rice easier to cook and gives the food a longer shelf
However, getting rid of bran and germ still has negative side effects. Once you do it, important nutrients are also removed. These include calcium, phosphorus, vitamins B1 and B3, fat, magnesium, and more.
How to remove white rice's arsenic?
It seems like white rice also has another negative side effect as researchers from the University of Sheffield claimed that staple food has cancer-causing arsenic.
To help people avoid getting cancer from white rice, the school's Institue for Sustainable Food's team discovered the PBA or "Parboiling With Absorption Method." This cooking method allows you to remove the harmful arsenic while maintaining the good nutrients in white rice.
Study Finds' latest report explained that PBA requires you to parboil the rice in pre-boiled water within five minutes. After five minutes, all you need to do is drain the water and replace it with fresh water. Once the rice is in freshwater, you can now cook it normally at a lower heat until the water boils.
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Written by: Giuliano de Leon
