Rice and the Glycemic Index

Rice has been found to have a wide range of results in glycemic index (GI) studies. This variation has been attributed to a multitude of factors, such as amylose content, dietary fiber content, physical size and form, post-harvest treatments, and cooking. Rice with a high amylose content is reported to raise blood glucose less than rice with a higher amylopectin content. Rice with high dietary fiber, especially soluble fiber, is shown to produce lower blood glucose responses than rice with low dietary fiber. The particle size and form of rice may affect the GI; ground rice resulted in significantly higher GI than was seen with whole rice. Brown rice (unmilled or partly milled rice) has a lower GI compared to white rice (milled rice). Cooking of rice is sufficiently to render the starch easily available for digestion and absorption by gelatinization, thus resulting in a high GI.