(01-04-12) High Intake of White Rice Associated with Excess Risk for Type 2 Diabetes

This finding was particularly marked in Asian populations.
White rice ? which is almost entirely starch ? is the main type of rice eaten worldwide and has a higher glycemic index than other grains. High consumption of foods with high glycemic indexes is associated with excess risk for type 2 diabetes. In this meta-analysis of seven prospective cohort studies, investigators assessed the association between white rice intake and risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Of 352,000 participants, 13,000 developed type 2 diabetes (follow-up range, 4?22 years). Among Asian populations, there was a significant 55% increased risk for type 2 diabetes in the highest category of white rice intake compared with the lowest category. In contrast, among Western populations, a 12% increase in risk was not statistically significant. Combining these populations, each serving per day increment of white rice consumption was associated with an 11% increased risk for type 2 diabetes.
Comment: Although this meta-analysis showed that high intake of white rice was associated with excess risk for type 2 diabetes in Asian populations, the association does not prove that rice is more diabetogenic than other starches. For example, mean white rice intake in Asian populations was far higher (3?4 servings daily) than in Western populations (1?2 servings weekly), and rice comprises a smaller proportion of overall glycemic load in Western than in Asian populations. In any case, people should limit their intake of starchy foods and employ other measures (e.g., exercise, weight control) to lower their risk for type 2 diabetes.
? Paul S. Mueller, MD, MPH, FACP

Source:Published in Journal Watch General Medicine March 27, 2012

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