Diabetes has become a global problem. It is expected that 380 million people around the globe will have the condition by 2025.
Diabetes is a metabolic disease marked by high levels of sugar in the blood. There are three types of diabetes:
- Type 1 ( Insulin-Dependent Diabetes) – This is an autoimmune disease seen in young people.
- Type 2 (Noninsulin-Dependent Diabetes) – This is seen in adults over 40 years of age and associated with obesity, physical inactivity and family history of diabetes.
- Pregnancy Diabetes or Gestational Diabetes – This is seen in pregnant women. It disappears after child delivery. However, the affected woman has an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life.
Common symptoms of diabetes are:
- Increased thirst
- Increased hunger
- Increased frequency in urination
- General malaise
- Recurrent skin and subcutaneous tissue infections
Type 2 diabetes leads to heart disease, blood vessel disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, and eye complications. The best way to treat diabetes in general is through proper diet.
Is brown rice good for diabetes?
One food nutritional expect have found to help a person suffering from diabetes is brown rice. Brown rice is unmilled rice. It has more nutrients than white rice. All types of rice are originally brown rice before being processed into white rice. Brown rice is rich in vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6. It also contains minerals such as magnesium, iron, selenium, and manganese. These nutrients in brown rice are removed during the processing of brown rice into white rice in order to make it cook faster and give it a long shelf life.
Removing the outermost layer, the husk, from rice grains produces brown rice. When the next layer under the husk, the bran and germ, is removed, the remaining starchy endosperm produces the white rice. This process strips away several nutrients dietary minerals, and all of the rice fiber. Consuming the oil from the rice bran has been shown to reduce cholesterol triglyceride in the plasma, thus causing clogged arteries. Consuming white rice will cause cholesterol and triglyceride to build up in the plasma.
Studies show there are significant differences in nutritional value between brown rice and white rice. Brown rice has a low glycemic index of 70. This means brown rice is found to reduce Type 2 diabetes. Because brown rice is rich in fiber it is less constipating. This fiber also helps protect against colon cancer because the fiber binds to cancer-causing chemicals. The magnesium in brown rice will bring down high blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes, and lower the frequency of migraine headaches.
Researchers have found that eating 2 or more servings of brown rice per week can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, 5 or more servings of white rice per week increases Type 2 diabetes.
So a self-help strategy of eating more brown rice can prevent and even reverse cases of type 2 diabetes.