Can "sugar-control rice" really control blood sugar? Steaming ordinary rice in this way can also help you stabilize blood lipids and blood sugar

Rice is an important staple food on the table and occupies a very important position in the daily diet. A meal can be without meat, but how can it be without rice?

However, some people dare not eat rice, after all, rice is a high GI food that easily raises blood sugar. Therefore, in order to cater to the dietary preferences of this group of people, many sugar control related products have appeared on the market, such as sugar control rice. What is it like? Is it necessary to buy it? What cooking behaviors in life can help us control blood sugar?

Is the sugar-control rice on the market useful?

The GI value is an effective indicator to measure the postprandial blood sugar response caused by food. The higher the value, the more unfavorable it is for blood sugar control .

The GI value of the rice we usually eat is relatively high, generally ranging from 71 to 90, and is considered a high GI food. [1] Therefore, the emergence of sugar-controlled rice has really surprised those who need to control their blood sugar. It can satisfy the need to eat a lot of rice without causing a surge in blood sugar after a meal, which is really exciting.

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The main component of rice is starch, which is a relatively large family and is divided into three categories:[2]

Fast-digesting starch : can be digested and absorbed in the small intestine within 20 minutes, such as baked potatoes, ripe bananas, etc.

Slowly digestible starch : can be digested and absorbed in the small intestine within 20 to 120 minutes, such as natural corn starch.

Resistant starch : It cannot be digested and absorbed in the small intestine and will not be converted into sugar. It has a certain sugar control effect. It exists in seeds, grains, and some staple foods that have been cooled. For example, the resistant starch content of cold rice will be higher than when it is hot.

Resistant starch is also a kind of dietary fiber . Although it cannot be absorbed and utilized in the small intestine, it can reach the colon after 2 hours and be fermented by the microbial flora in the colon. This process produces short-chain fatty acids, lowers intestinal pH, reduces the number of pathogens in the intestine, increases the number of probiotics in the intestine, and helps prevent colon diseases. Resistant starch also has the benefits of lowering blood cholesterol, reducing the risk of obesity, and helping to control blood sugar .

The reason why sugar-controlled rice can control sugar is that its resistant starch content is significantly higher than that of ordinary rice, and it also has a relatively lower GI value . The resistant starch content of most rice varieties we eat is around 1%, and only a few are close to 3%. Sugar-controlled rice is a relatively special rice variety, and the resistant starch content of most of them exceeds 3%. For example, Zhejiang Fu 201, Jiangtang Rice No. 1, and Gongmi No. 3 have resistant starch contents of approximately 3.6%, 10%, and more than 10%, respectively. Among them, Gongmi No. 3 sugar-controlled rice is very popular on the market. [3, 4]

Therefore, sugar-controlled rice can indeed control sugar levels better, but it may be hard and not very tasty, and the price is relatively high, almost 5 times or even higher than that of ordinary rice. It is okay for families with strong economic conditions, but ordinary families really cannot afford it .

In fact, there is no need for us to pursue expensive sugar-control rice. We can just eat ordinary rice. Just make some changes when steaming the rice to help you control your blood sugar.

One change in steaming rice can help you control sugar levels

Rice + beans: Studies have found that eating black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, and black kidney beans together with rice can significantly reduce postprandial blood sugar response. Replacing half of the rice with lentils can reduce postprandial blood sugar response by 20% . [5]

This is because mixed beans are low-GI foods, with a significantly higher resistant starch content than refined white rice. They are also rich in dietary fiber, plant protein and other ingredients. Using them to replace part of steamed rice can better control blood sugar and is beneficial for preventing diabetes and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Rice + oatmeal: When whole-grain oats and hulled oats are mixed with rice in a 1:1 ratio and cooked, the GI value is significantly lower than that of white rice, regardless of whether it is cooked at normal pressure or pressure cooking. [5]

This is mainly due to the β-glucan in oats, which is a type of water-soluble dietary fiber that can absorb water and swell. It also has a higher viscosity after absorbing water. It can slow down the emptying of food in the stomach, slow down the hydrolysis of carbohydrates by digestive enzymes, and inhibit the diffusion and absorption of glucose in the small intestine, thereby slowing down the absorption of glucose into the blood, slowing down the rise in blood sugar after meals, and helping to maintain stable blood sugar.

Rice + corn : The GI value of corn is only 55, which is a medium GI food. Mixing it with high GI rice can lower the overall GI value, which helps to delay the rise of blood sugar after a meal. At the same time, corn is also rich in dietary fiber, B vitamins, lutein, and has good potassium and calcium content. [1]

Rice + brown rice : Indian scholars found that among overweight people, those who ate brown rice had a 19.8% lower average daily blood sugar level than those who ate white rice, and those who ate mixed brown rice and beans had a 22.9% lower average daily blood sugar level. In addition, insulin sensitivity was improved. [5]

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Compared with polished rice, brown rice is wrapped in a seed coat, which not only blocks water from entering, but also hinders the expansion of starch grains, thereby reducing the degree of gelatinization. In addition, the rich dietary fiber in brown rice can enhance satiety and delay gastric emptying, thereby reducing postprandial blood sugar response . In addition, the high level of anti-nutritional factors (phytic acid, polyphenols, etc.) in the outer layer of the grain may also be the reason for the slow digestion of starch and the reduced blood sugar response. [5]

However, it should be noted that many people are used to soaking brown rice overnight before eating it, which is not recommended from the perspective of blood sugar control . Soaking brown rice overnight in advance will promote the gelatinization of the rice, thereby increasing the digestion and absorption rate . Its GI value can be close to or equivalent to that of cooked rice. It only needs to be soaked for a short time of 1 to 2 hours before eating.

Eating rice like this can help control blood sugar levels better

1. Eat them with rice

Rice + protein food : Adding protein to a carbohydrate-based meal helps lower blood sugar response. That is, compared with eating rice alone, eating it with protein-rich foods such as chicken breast, tofu, milk, prawns, and eggs can help delay postprandial blood sugar.

Rice + vegetables : Vegetables are rich in dietary fiber, which not only increases satiety and delays gastric emptying, but also requires careful chewing when eating, which increases the time of eating. The polyphenols in vegetables can also inhibit the action of carbohydrate-digesting enzymes, such as α-amylase and α-glucosidase. [5]

It should be noted that it is recommended to pair it with non-starchy vegetables, such as green leafy vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, spinach, water spinach, or melon and solanum vegetables such as eggplant, tomato, and winter melon .

2. Eat them before meals

Eating some fruit before each meal may help you better control your blood sugar .

One study used overweight and obese people as the research subjects. Apples, oranges, and pears containing 15 grams of available carbohydrates were used as pre-meal load foods, white rice containing 50 grams of available carbohydrates was used as the main meal, and drinking water before the white rice meal was used as a control. [6]

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The results showed that consuming an additional 15 grams of available carbohydrates from apples, oranges and pears 30 minutes before a meal can help control blood sugar levels to a certain extent , with apples and oranges being more effective than pears. The weight of fruit consumed in the study was 134 to 240 grams.

Summarize

Sugar-control rice is not a waste of money. Compared with ordinary rice, it has a higher content of resistant starch and a better sugar-control effect. However, it is expensive and is not the best choice . In fact, ordinary rice, which is eaten by every household, can achieve a better sugar-control effect than sugar-control rice as long as it is properly matched when steaming rice. It is economical, delicious and not expensive! Hurry up and prepare it for your family~

References

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[2] Zhu Ping, Kong Xiangli, Bao Jinsong, et al. Research progress on the application and efficacy of resistant starch in food[J]. Journal of Nuclear Agricultural Sciences, 2015, 29(2): 327-336. DOI: 10.11869/j.issn.100-8551.2015.02.0327.

[3] Luo Xi, Huang Jinfeng, Zhu Yongsheng, Xie Hongguang, Wu Fangxi, Zhang Muqing, Zhang Jianfu, Xie Huaan. Genetic analysis of high resistant starch trait in rice variety Gongmi 3[J]. Journal of Agricultural Biotechnology, 2014, 22(1): 10-16

[4] Bai Jianjiang, Zhang Jianming, Park Zhongze, Fang Jun, Li Gangjie, Yang Ruifang. Analysis of the difference of resistant starch content in different parts of the panicle of 'Jiangsu Rice No. 1'[J]. Shanghai Journal of Agriculture, 2018, 34(2): 14-17

[5] Lou Xinling, Fan Zhihong. Rice diet and blood sugar control[J]. Journal of the Chinese Cereals and Oils Association, 2022, 37(12): 269-276

[6] Lu Xuejiao, Lu Jiacan, Fan Zhihong, Liu Anshu, Zhao Wenqi, Wu Yixue. Postprandial blood glucose and satiety response of three kinds of fruits before white rice meal[J]. Journal of Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology, 2022, 22(12): 134-143

Author: Xue Qingxin, one of the first nutrition instructors of the National Health Commission, and a registered nutritionist in China

Review丨Gu Chuanling, Deputy Secretary General of Capital Health Nutrition and Gourmet Society, Registered Nutritionist