Science found a way to make rice healthier

andyluvv

I have been cooking my (brown) rice with coconut oil for the past couple of weeks and it always turns out a bit sticky. I leave it in the fridge overnight and take it to work the next day - so, I was wondering if the sitckiness was a common issue (is it?) and came across this interesting article. I thought this lovely community would be interested in it!

This was tested with white rice so not sure if it's relevant to brown.

There's also a video with further detail at the bottom

New low-calorie rice could help cut rising obesity rates


eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-03/acs-nlr021915.php

nvmomketo

I suppose it could help. I would think it could be cheaper and simpler to just cut back on rice though.

hgycta

It sounds a bit too good to be true for me, but then again, what do I know!? This is incredibly interesting and I'd love more research to be done to test this! Thanks for sharing Great read!

RodaRose

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/25/scientists-have-figured-out-a-simple-way-to-cook-rice-that-dramatically-cuts-the-calories/

"The oil interacts with the starch in rice and changes its architecture," said James. "Chilling the rice then helps foster the conversion of starches. The result is a healthier serving, even when you heat it back up."

So far they have only measured the chemical outcome of the most effective cooking method for the least healthful of the 38 varieties. But that variety still produced a 10 to 12 percent reduction in calories. "With the better kind, we expect to reduce the calories by as much as 50 to 60 percent," said James.

andyluvv

catscats222 wrote: »

i have never used oil when cooking rice.
i can't figure out why people use it.
tephlon has been around for decades. no need for oil

I do it because if I don't add some oil to my cooking I end up not consuming enough fats in my diet to make it sustainable. Due to a lack of fats, I've had hormonal issues in the past.
I use it before cooking rice to add spices and fry some onions or garlic for added flavour.

Fats are necessary in a diet in limited quantities as one of the body's macro requirements. The body can survive without carbs through ketosis (using fats for energy), but not without fats as it needs it for hormonal production, padding and isolation of organs and so on...
So the question is - why do we eat carbs? In my case to once again, to sustain my active lifestyle.

http://authoritynutrition.com/23-studies-on-low-carb-and-low-fat-diets/
http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/fat-burning-using-body-fat-instead-of-carbohydrates-as-fuel-40844#

RodaRose wrote: »

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/25/scientists-have-figured-out-a-simple-way-to-cook-rice-that-dramatically-cuts-the-calories/

"The oil interacts with the starch in rice and changes its architecture," said James. "Chilling the rice then helps foster the conversion of starches. The result is a healthier serving, even when you heat it back up."

So far they have only measured the chemical outcome of the most effective cooking method for the least healthful of the 38 varieties. But that variety still produced a 10 to 12 percent reduction in calories. "With the better kind, we expect to reduce the calories by as much as 50 to 60 percent," said James.

Yup, the research seems to have made slow progress. I thought it'd be interesting to share but I don't see much benefit from it myself - even if it is cutting the calories from the rice, wouldn't there be calories added from the fats?

It does make you wonder.

Jruzer

This all seems so strange to me. We're making food healthier by making it less nutritious. I understand that obesity is a real concern, but this is so foreign to the vast majority of human experience that it makes my head spin.

andrikosDE

Reads thread title: "Science found a way to make rice healthier"
Thinks: "Oh great, genetic science finds ways to pack a bunch of vitamins and extra minerals in rice"

Reads actual thread content.
Oh boy... there we go again...

lemurcat12

Jruzer wrote: »

This all seems so strange to me. We're making food healthier by making it less nutritious. I understand that obesity is a real concern, but this is so foreign to the vast majority of human experience that it makes my head spin.

This is how it seems to me too.

And what nvmomketo said.

tennisdude2004

This is not new. Type 3 RS can also be applied to potatoes and other grains and beans.

RS is a good thing to add to your diet, as it can be very beneficial to your gut flora.

htimpaired

I would think if we want to help cut obesity rates, doesn't it make more sense to try to teach people about proper serving sizes?

paperpudding

The article says " DENVER, March 23, 2015 -- Scientists have developed a new, simple way to cook rice that could cut the number of calories absorbed by the body by more than half, potentially reducing obesity rates, which is especially important in countries where the food is a staple."

Correct me if I am wrong but I would of thought most countries in which rice is a staple food are not those with the biggest obesity problem.

I would of thought this research was not especially important to most people in those countries.

_John_

dang...I thought this thread was about golden rice...

Need2Exerc1se

RodaRose wrote: »

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2015/03/25/scientists-have-figured-out-a-simple-way-to-cook-rice-that-dramatically-cuts-the-calories/

"The oil interacts with the starch in rice and changes its architecture," said James. "Chilling the rice then helps foster the conversion of starches. The result is a healthier serving, even when you heat it back up."

So far they have only measured the chemical outcome of the most effective cooking method for the least healthful of the 38 varieties. But that variety still produced a 10 to 12 percent reduction in calories. "With the better kind, we expect to reduce the calories by as much as 50 to 60 percent," said James.

Oh, this works with potatoes too, right? I read something about the starches in potatoes changing so they have a lower GI/GL if they are boiled and then cooled before eating.

extra_medium

paperpudding wrote: »

Correct me if I am wrong but I would of thought most countries in which rice is a staple food are not those with the biggest obesity problem.

I would of thought this research was not especially important to most people in those countries.

They may not have the biggest obesity problem, but there are plenty of obesity problems in these countries, especially among those in the upper classes. But again the problem is not with the rice, it's with people eating too much of it.. probably along with too much of everything else.

paperpudding

Well, yes, there are still well off obese people in such countries - but the article said the research would be especially important in places where rice is a staple food - and I think it would be less important to most people in those places.

Need2Exerc1se

paperpudding wrote: »

Well, yes, there are still well off obese people in such countries - but the article said the research would be especially important in places where rice is a staple food - and I think it would be less important to most people in those places.

Many countries where rice is a staple have rising obesity rates.