http://www.asianscientist.com/healt...pe-2-diabetes-risk-in-asian-populations-2012/
Harvard Study: Eating White Rice Increases Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
By Samantha Chan | Health & Medicine
March 19, 2012
A recent Harvard study has discovered a link between higher white rice intake and a significantly elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, especially among Asian populations.
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AsianScientist (Mar. 19, 2012) – The risk of type 2 diabetes is significantly increased if white rice is eaten regularly, says a study published last Friday in the journal BMJ.
Led by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, the goal of the study was to determine whether this diabetes risk is dependent on the amount of rice consumed and if the association is stronger for the Asian population, who tend to eat more white rice than the Western world.
On average, Chinese populations eat an average of four portions a day while those in the Western world eat less than five portions a week.
The authors analyzed the results of four studies: two in Asian countries (China and Japan) and two in Western countries (USA and Australia). All participants were diabetes free at study baseline.
A significant trend was found in both Asian and Western countries with a stronger association found amongst women than men. The more white rice eaten, the higher the risk of type 2 diabetes: with each increased serving of white rice (assuming 158 g per serving) contributing to a 10 percent increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes.
“In summary, this meta-analysis suggests that higher white rice intake is associated with a significantly elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, especially among Asian populations,” the authors write. “The recent transition in nutrition characterised by dramatically decreased physical activity levels and much improved security and variety of food has led to increased prevalence of obesity and insulin resistance in Asian countries.”
White rice is the predominant type of rice eaten worldwide and has high glycemic index (GI) values. High GI diets have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Compared to brown rice, it has a lower content of nutrients including fiber, magnesium, and vitamins, which may contribute to the increased risk, the authors report.
The authors caution that an increased intake of other sources of refined carbohydrates such as pastries, white bread, and sugar sweetened beverages may also contribute to type 2 diabetes, not simply just white rice. They recommend eating whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates, which they hope will help slow down the global diabetes epidemic.
Both Asian and Western cultures are susceptible to this diabetes risk, the authors say, although it is thought that Asian countries are at a higher risk due to a generally higher rice consumption.
The article can be found at: Hu EA et al. (2012) White rice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: meta-analysis and systematic review.
——
Source: BMJ.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/family/2012/03/18/white-rice-link-seen-with-type-2-diabetes
White rice link seen with Type 2 diabetes
AFP Relaxnews | 18 March, 2012 13:40
In studies carried out in China and Japan, those who ate the most rice were 55 percent likelier to develop the disease than those who ate the least.
Image by: ©Piotr Malczyk / shutterstock.com
Health researchers say they had found a troubling link between higher consumption of rice and Type 2 diabetes, a disease that in some countries is becoming an epidemic.
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Further work is need to probe the apparent association and diets that are notoriously high in sugar and fats should remain on the no-go list, they cautioned.
"What we've found is white rice is likely to increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, especially at high consumption levels such as in Asian populations," Qi Sun of the Harvard School of Public Health told AFP.
"But at the same time people should pay close attention to the other things they eat.
"It's very important to address not just a single food but the whole pattern of consumption."
In the British Medical Journal (BMJ), Sun's team said the link emerged from an analysis of four previously published studies, carried out in China, Japan, Australia and the United States.
These studies followed 350 000 people over a timescale from four to 22 years. More than 13 000 people developed Type 2 diabetes.
In the studies carried out in China and Japan, those who ate most rice were 55% likelier to develop the disease than those who ate least. In the United States and Australia, where consumption of rice is far lower, the difference was 12%.
Participants in the two Asian countries ate three or four servings of rice a day on average, compared to just one or two servings a week in the Western countries.
White rice is the dominant form of rice eaten in the world. Machines produce its polished look by hulling and milling, leaving a grain that is predominantly starch.
Brown rice, by contrast, has more fibre, magnesium and vitamins, and a lower "glycaemic index," a measurement of sugar content, than white rice.
Sun said the study did have limitations, including full details about what the volunteers ate in addition to rice.
"I don't think I can put forward a 100% confirmed case, given that this is a meta-analysis of four original studies," he said.
"But I see a consistency across these studies, and there is biological plausibility that supports the association between white rice consumption and diabetes."
He added: "More trial data are needed to corroborate or refute our observations."
Diabetes affects nearly 350 million adults worldwide, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Diet is only one factor in Type 2 diabetes, a complex disease that involves high levels of blood sugar that cannot be processed by the hormone insulin. Obesity and lack of exercise are also cited as culprits.
Harvard Study: Eating White Rice Increases Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes
By Samantha Chan | Health & Medicine
March 19, 2012
A recent Harvard study has discovered a link between higher white rice intake and a significantly elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, especially among Asian populations.
FACEBOOK SHARESTUMBLE IT EMAIL CONVERT TO PDF
AsianScientist (Mar. 19, 2012) – The risk of type 2 diabetes is significantly increased if white rice is eaten regularly, says a study published last Friday in the journal BMJ.
Led by researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health, the goal of the study was to determine whether this diabetes risk is dependent on the amount of rice consumed and if the association is stronger for the Asian population, who tend to eat more white rice than the Western world.
On average, Chinese populations eat an average of four portions a day while those in the Western world eat less than five portions a week.
The authors analyzed the results of four studies: two in Asian countries (China and Japan) and two in Western countries (USA and Australia). All participants were diabetes free at study baseline.
A significant trend was found in both Asian and Western countries with a stronger association found amongst women than men. The more white rice eaten, the higher the risk of type 2 diabetes: with each increased serving of white rice (assuming 158 g per serving) contributing to a 10 percent increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes.
“In summary, this meta-analysis suggests that higher white rice intake is associated with a significantly elevated risk of type 2 diabetes, especially among Asian populations,” the authors write. “The recent transition in nutrition characterised by dramatically decreased physical activity levels and much improved security and variety of food has led to increased prevalence of obesity and insulin resistance in Asian countries.”
White rice is the predominant type of rice eaten worldwide and has high glycemic index (GI) values. High GI diets have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Compared to brown rice, it has a lower content of nutrients including fiber, magnesium, and vitamins, which may contribute to the increased risk, the authors report.
The authors caution that an increased intake of other sources of refined carbohydrates such as pastries, white bread, and sugar sweetened beverages may also contribute to type 2 diabetes, not simply just white rice. They recommend eating whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates, which they hope will help slow down the global diabetes epidemic.
Both Asian and Western cultures are susceptible to this diabetes risk, the authors say, although it is thought that Asian countries are at a higher risk due to a generally higher rice consumption.
The article can be found at: Hu EA et al. (2012) White rice consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes: meta-analysis and systematic review.
——
Source: BMJ.
Disclaimer: This article does not necessarily reflect the views of AsianScientist or its staff.
http://www.timeslive.co.za/lifestyle/family/2012/03/18/white-rice-link-seen-with-type-2-diabetes
White rice link seen with Type 2 diabetes
AFP Relaxnews | 18 March, 2012 13:40
In studies carried out in China and Japan, those who ate the most rice were 55 percent likelier to develop the disease than those who ate the least.
Image by: ©Piotr Malczyk / shutterstock.com
Health researchers say they had found a troubling link between higher consumption of rice and Type 2 diabetes, a disease that in some countries is becoming an epidemic.
SAVE & SHARE
EMAILPRINT
Further work is need to probe the apparent association and diets that are notoriously high in sugar and fats should remain on the no-go list, they cautioned.
"What we've found is white rice is likely to increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, especially at high consumption levels such as in Asian populations," Qi Sun of the Harvard School of Public Health told AFP.
"But at the same time people should pay close attention to the other things they eat.
"It's very important to address not just a single food but the whole pattern of consumption."
In the British Medical Journal (BMJ), Sun's team said the link emerged from an analysis of four previously published studies, carried out in China, Japan, Australia and the United States.
These studies followed 350 000 people over a timescale from four to 22 years. More than 13 000 people developed Type 2 diabetes.
In the studies carried out in China and Japan, those who ate most rice were 55% likelier to develop the disease than those who ate least. In the United States and Australia, where consumption of rice is far lower, the difference was 12%.
Participants in the two Asian countries ate three or four servings of rice a day on average, compared to just one or two servings a week in the Western countries.
White rice is the dominant form of rice eaten in the world. Machines produce its polished look by hulling and milling, leaving a grain that is predominantly starch.
Brown rice, by contrast, has more fibre, magnesium and vitamins, and a lower "glycaemic index," a measurement of sugar content, than white rice.
Sun said the study did have limitations, including full details about what the volunteers ate in addition to rice.
"I don't think I can put forward a 100% confirmed case, given that this is a meta-analysis of four original studies," he said.
"But I see a consistency across these studies, and there is biological plausibility that supports the association between white rice consumption and diabetes."
He added: "More trial data are needed to corroborate or refute our observations."
Diabetes affects nearly 350 million adults worldwide, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Diet is only one factor in Type 2 diabetes, a complex disease that involves high levels of blood sugar that cannot be processed by the hormone insulin. Obesity and lack of exercise are also cited as culprits.
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