No rolls, no risotto: who shouldn’t eat rice

Rice porridge, Uzbek pilaf, Italian risotto, Spanish paella, Japanese sushi – rice appeared on the menu more than 5 thousand years ago and has since become firmly entrenched in all national cuisines.

Rice contains a lot of useful microelements – potassium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, selenium, iodine, 8 amino acids necessary for humans, as well as vitamins E and group B (B1, B2, B3, B6). And there is absolutely no gluten – a protein in cereals that causes an allergic reaction in many people.

Another plus is the presence of at least 20 biological species and several thousand agricultural varieties of this cereal. And the recipes with rice are so varied that you can eat it at least every day. There is even a special rice diet, it just melts the kilograms. True, it cannot be observed for more than three days.

It would seem, eat and be happy. But then scientists suddenly found out that rice has a very dangerous property. As it turned out, rice actively absorbs and accumulates toxins and carcinogens from the soil. Poisons can be very different, up to arsenic. And this trace element is very dangerous for the heart and blood vessels. If arsenic is ingested regularly, it can lead to an increased risk of heart disease. Scientists at the Universities of Manchester and Salford even give numbers: the risk of getting heart problems among rice lovers is 6 percent higher. This is 50 thousand premature deaths worldwide per year.

Therefore, scientists urge to eat rice less often, alternate it with other cereals. And in some cases, rice consumption needs to be minimized or even completely eliminated from the diet.

Food intolerance

Due to the lack of gluten, rice is often recommended for people with hypersensitivity to gluten as an alternative to wheat or oats. Alas, the cereal cannot be called a completely hypoallergenic product. Rice contains at least ten proteins. A history of low acidity of gastric juice, the development of pathogenic microflora in the intestine or leaky gut syndrome only increase the chances of developing an allergic reaction.

Chronic constipation

When diarrhea covers suddenly and you can’t reach the nearest pharmacy, rice water will come to the rescue. A remedy is being prepared from unpeeled cereals, but in principle any, except for steamed one, is suitable. Amylose, one of the main polysaccharides that make up the starch in rice, is an effective prebiotic – it stimulates the growth and activity of beneficial bacteria. In addition, it is able to bind water, due to which something like a gel forms in the intestines.

But thanks to this same property, eating rice can lead to the opposite effect. Cereal contains practically no fiber, and some of the substances that make up rice reduce intestinal motility. And now going to the toilet becomes a continuous torment, and there it is not far from hemorrhoids. In addition, brown rice can cause flatulence.

However, if you are prone to constipation, you should not completely stop eating rice. You just need to reduce the number of servings to three per week. And also to cook it correctly: add a spoonful of olive or any other vegetable oil to dishes, boil rice porridge in water, serve as a side dish with fresh vegetables. You also need to drink more water.

Diabetes

When my mother was diagnosed with type 20 diabetes 2 years ago, she eliminated many foods from her diet. The most sensitive loss was then rice – milk porridge, casseroles and various types of pilaf, she ate, of course, not every day, but regularly. However, in those years there was not much choice on store shelves: rice was bought for all occasions – polished round-grain white.

However, the glycemic index of rice is off scale – 70 units. Therefore, when you use it, jumps in blood sugar resemble a frenzied sinusoid.

You can get out of the situation by replacing white rice with other varieties. Black rice has a glycemic index of 35 units, brown – 38, and red – 55. So all varieties, except white, can be eaten by diabetics, but not often.

Obesity tendency

In 1939, German doctor Walter Kempner developed a special rice diet. It was aimed primarily at the treatment of malignant hypertension (prolonged excessive increase in blood pressure). But in the process of testing it was found that the patients also got rid of excess weight in the process of treatment.

Already in our days, Japanese scientists in the course of a long study have come to the conclusion: the more rice you eat, the less chances you have to turn into a potential hero of the program “I weigh more than 300 kilograms.”

“Perhaps the fiber, nutrients, and plant compounds found in whole grains can make you feel full and prevent overeating. Rice is also low in fat, ”the Japanese scientists said.

But rice perfectly retains water, which can lead to excess weight, consisting, in fact, of excess liquid. And also long-term use of this cereal leads to a deficiency of calcium, fats and proteins in the body. Doctors strongly advise against eating rice with 2-3 degrees of obesity, because in this case, most likely, there is a violation of glucose tolerance. And surges of insulin in the blood are dangerous to health.