Eating Rice

[Maybole]

I quote from a letter to the othe newspaper.

"How many people with diabetes or high blood pressure regularly eat Thai jasmine rice? Have their doctors ever told them that jasmine rice has been proven to raise blood sugar? Have their doctors ever told them that basmati rice has also been proven to lower blood sugar? "

The letter writer states this as as a fact without any supporting proof. I have never seen any proof  of this and I am very sceptical.  Can any expert point me at the appropriate " medical artical?

[Crossy]

A quick Google revealed;-

 

Quote

Is Basmati rice good for diabetics?

Wholegrain Basmati rice has the lowest GI (glycaemic index) of all rice types, which means once digested it releases its energy slowly keeping blood sugar levels more stable, which is a crucial part of diabetes management.

Basmati Rice and Diabetes by Dr Sarah Schenker - Tilda

https://www.tilda.com/live-well/basmati-rice-diabetes-dr-sarah-schenker/

and

 

Quote

Is Jasmine rice good for people with diabetes?

For Diabetics: Diabetes patients usually need to follow a low glycemic index diet and therefore most varieties of white rice are unsuitable for such patients. White jasmine rice is high in starch content and a refined food that raises blood sugar levels and insulin in the body.

Jasmine Rice Health Benefits and Nutritional Value - Diet Health Club

www.diethealthclub.com/health-food/jasmine-rice.html

So it seems there's some truth in what is said.

 

 

 

[worgeordie]

"Basmati Rice and Diabetes by Dr Sarah Schenker - Tilda",

As Tilda produce Basmati rice,can this research be trusted,

its a bit like the Tobacco industry,who also had researchers

saying cigarettes are good for you,and pushed that idea for

many years.

regards Worgeordie

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

There has been independent scientific research, and it's widely accepted, that basmati rice (among other types of grains) are much better for your health than Thai jasmine rice.  In fact, Jasmine rice is pretty much the worst, because it has a very high impact on spiking your blood sugar levels. In contract, Basmati rice, wild rice and some other grains are much slower to digest and don't rapidly raise your blood sugar, meaning they have a low glycemic index number.

 

And for whatever it's worth, I did some research on this in the past, and it turns out that Thai BROWN jasmine rice is pretty much just as bad in terms of having a very high glycemic index number as regular white jasmine rice. In the west, typical short grain brown rice is generally considered healthier than regular white rice. But that same difference doesn't extend to the jasmine rice varieties.

 

And contrary to what was suggested above, no, the research and analysis on Thai jasmine rice vs basmati rice and their respective glycemic index (blood sugar) levels hasn't just been done by basmati rice growers or their advocates.

[kkerry]

If you take a look at this site (refer to the download fact sheet), they agree with the info Crossy posted. I doubt they are part of the rice industry.

http://www.gisymbol.com/diabetes/

The Glycemic Index Foundation (GIF)
We are a not-for profit health promotion charity formed in 2001 by The University of Sydney and Diabetes NSW.

[tutsiwarrior]

simply google glycemic indices for basmati and jasmine rice and you will find that the former is much lower than the latter using any number of references...

 

not to say that diabetics should not eat jasmine rice but they should be aware of the risk and know how to control their blood glucose accordingly...which unfortunately is not the case for many diabetics in Thailand as jasmine rice is a staple food and many diabetics are unaware of their illness...

 

 

[tonray]

So based upon this thread I headed over to my local Mall Fresh Market and asked for Basmati Rice, of course they showed me every variety of Jasmine rice ever developed, then riceberry, then sushi rice. Finally he calls over some older lady and she says "India Rice..no have" and they both frown and offer me jasmine. I guess I will try Tops next.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

In my experience at least in BKK, you can find basmati rice at Makro, Villa Market, Tops Market, Central Markets, of course, and even Foodlands sometimes. Obviously, it's going to be more prevalent anywhere where there's an Indian restaurant or population presence. BTW, so-called wild rice (which is actually grains more than regular rice) has a similar low GI level.

 

I've also tried to learn about Thai riceberry in the past. Some Thai literature claims riceberry has a lower GI than regular rice. But I was never able to find many specifics on that, nor any documentation/verification from sources outside of Thailand. So it's hard for me to tell whether there's any credence to those claims or it's just typical Thai marketing hype for a local product. I will say one thing: it couldn't be any worse for GI than regular jasmine rice.

 

I've tried riceberry in the past a few times when my Thai wife had it in the house for her meals. Maybe it's an acquired taste, but I didn't really care for its taste or texture.

 

Edited September 24, 2017 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[kkerry]

Villa have Baboo Basmati rice on their website, 144baht for one kg.

 

[robblok]

For those of you really interested buy a blood tester and watch your values after a meal of Jasmin rice and after a meal of Basmati rice. Everyone is different we do respond different to certain foods. 

 

When i started my diet in 2011 i bought a blood sugar tester to see what foods influenced my blood sugar the most. It helped me a lot GI is an indication but your body could have a different response to others better or worse. 

 

Keeping your blood sugar good without too much spikes is good for anyone not only diabetics. It helps your diet if you keep your blood sugar within a certain range it prevents insulin resistance (makes it hard to lose fat). Regular exercise also helps your body to handle carbs (rice is a carb) better. 

[oldcarguy]

any idea where USA  grown long grain rice ends up ?

 

that seems to be what is sold mostly in the USA and exported Worldwide

[lopburi3]

On 9/24/2017 at 11:40 PM, kkerry said:

Villa have Baboo Basmati rice on their website, 144baht for one kg.

 

Five times the cost of good 100% Jasmine.  But the name seems to fit if baba bobo.

[lopburi3]

Expensive but a bit more reasonable - 85 baht at Big C for 1kg.