Is white rice bad?

gethinow
gethinow Posts: 2
in Food and Nutrition
Is eating white rice everyday bad for you? and yes Im asian...haha :)

Replies

  • Hendrix7
    Hendrix7 Posts: 1,903 Member
    no.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    Nope, rice is a food, it isn't "good" or "bad".
    If you eat it regularly, that's fine - just pay attention to how much you are eating and make sure that the rest of your diet contains lots of veggies and some protein and fruit - you want to aim for a variety of foods and for some balance in your macros (carbs, protein, fat).
  • shrinkingkiwi
    shrinkingkiwi Posts: 17 Member
    Just watch the calories. Like many many foods, white rice happens to be high in them - so better to have a salad as a side than rice - or have smaller meals. Don't have a big meal then rice on top or you will blow your calorie limit - unless of course you are working out loads. It's about portion control. Whole grain rice is better as it has more good stuff in it - but still high in calories.
  • maryhoey
    maryhoey Posts: 2
    I live in Cambodia and the locals eat rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner and there are very few overweight Cambodians. But they also have very active lifestyles and eat tons of fish, fruit and veggies. I say go for it, it isn't nutrient dense but it won't kill you!
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    No. And unlike many products, the health differences between white and brown rice are negligible. Rice is better than most grains in terms of thing like iron, protein etc.
  • BerryH
    BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
    No. And unlike many products, the health differences between white and brown rice are negligible. Rice is better than most grains in terms of thing like iron, protein etc.
    ^^^ This!

    But if you're calorie counting double-check your portion sizes as rice is one of the things it's very easy to go over on if you're judging by eye.
  • GenFo
    GenFo Posts: 124 Member
    Ninjas eat rice.
  • HogSandwich
    HogSandwich Posts: 146 Member
    Would also put my hand up and say basmati is usually a little calorie lighter than standard white. Also smells awesome.
  • obeserat
    obeserat Posts: 218 Member
    How could rice be bad , you need to weigh out portions though , it's easy to eat a lot of calories if you don't
  • AlphamaleBAMF
    AlphamaleBAMF Posts: 373 Member
    White rice isn't bad. It is just not as "good" as brown rice because the refining process removes some of the healthy parts of the rice and as a result white rice has less vitamins.
  • vailias
    vailias Posts: 5
    White rice and rice products have a very high glycemic index and therefore insulin response.
    For example: puffed Ricecakes have a higher glycemic index than ice cream.

    This doesn't make them "bad", but depending on your physiology, eating rice as your primary carb source for meals can work against you in losing body fat. Also if you're diabetic or pre-diabetic rice should be off the menu.

    Fat storage vs usage is primarily hormonal, not specifically calorie related. IE you can be under your caloric goal every day, but still putting on or maintaining body fat levels if your insulin and blood glucose levels are always up.

    Calories are a rough estimate of overall energy density in the food product, but what your body DOES with that energy depends on its hormonal state. Your body attempts to keep an even keel on blood sugar levels so the brain and the rest can do their things. If you have extra blood sugar, the body releases insulin to store some of that away (ie as body fat), if you don't have enough floating around, the body releases glucagon, which increases blood sugar levels from reserves in the body.. pancreas first then from stored body fat as I recall. So to lose body fat, you're going to want to keep your glucose levels down on average.

    Carbohydrates,especially fructose, convert to glucose incredibly easily, and so raise your blood sugar levels as they are digested. Protein can be converted to glucose, but its a much harder/longer process, and proteins are favored for tissue repair and growth. Fat has no effect on insulin levels. It can be converted to blood sugar, but takes even more energy than protein to do so, and in the absence of insulin, will not be stored by the body.

    So is white rice bad? Depends on how much you eat and what you eat with it. If you include sufficient dietary fiber the overall absorption of carbohydrates will be slowed, and so your insulin levels are less likely to spike.
    However, there are likely better choices in grains if you must eat grain. I'd recommend quinoa.
  • caraiselite
    caraiselite Posts: 2,631 Member
    rice is so easy to overeat.

    check serving sizes, watch your carbs, and you'll be fine
  • Eupho
    Eupho Posts: 201 Member
    Is eating white rice everyday bad for you? and yes Im asian...haha :)

    :laugh: :laugh: :drinker:

    I gave up white rice a long time ago.. I only eat brown rice now. It takes longer to cook. But I much prefer it! it has more 'bite' ..

    Oh.. here.. I found this..

    Brown rice vs White Rice..

    http://diabetes.webmd.com/news/20100614/brown-rice-vs-white-rice-which-is-better
  • meerkat70
    meerkat70 Posts: 4,605 Member
    Wow, that's bad scientific reporting in that article. see if we can spot the logical fallacy:


    "Replacing white rice in your diet with brown rice may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a new study.

    The finding is important because the consumption of white rice in the United States has increased dramatically in the past few decades, and about 18 million Americans have type 2 diabetes."

    Say it with me people: correlation does not equal causality.... :-)

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