Carbohydrates have been made out to be the villain in the story of diabetes since the disease was discovered. However, they are an incredibly important part of nutrition that cannot simply be cut out. In fact, carbs are converted to energy and serve as the primary power source for our bodies.

The problem for diabetics is that this energy source comes by way of glucose. As we know, diabetics have difficulty processing glucose either because of faulty insulin or lack of insulin production altogether. As a result, many diabetics feel as if they can hardly consume any carbohydrates without some major consequences (and injections).

Luckily, there is one type of carbohydrate that works really well for diabetics: brown rice.

Lower Diabetes Risk

Much of the world depends on rice as a major form of nutrition. Asia and Latin America use rice daily and sometimes twice a day as an affordable way to get enough nutrition. The problem is that most of the rice consumed is white rice, which is devoid of a lot of the nutritional value that whole grain rice originally offers. White rice is stripped of the husk, bran, and germ in the preparation process to extend its storage life. As a result, white rice mainly just provides a quickly digested carbohydrate that causes a spike in blood sugar.

Brown rice, on the other hand, has all of the nutrients intact. The nutritional value of brown rice is so impressive that it can actually reduce the risk of diabetes! Harvard School of Public Health found that people that replaced white rice with brown rice were able to reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by 16%.

Additionally, brown rice is rich in manganese, a mineral in regulating blood sugar (among many other vital functions of the body). Brown rice not only serves as a source of carbohydrate but it also actively helps regulate blood glucose levels.

Of course, speak with your health care professional about what is best for you. Be sure to mention brown rice, though, and see if it can make its way into your diet!

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