Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health recently completed a study confirming a finding that eating five servings of white rice per week increases the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Lead researcher of this study Qi Sun and Frank Hu also found that when you replace 50 grams of white rice with brown rice, it could lower the risk by 16% (based on 1/3 of a daily serving.) However, they also found that if you replace the same 50 grams with whole wheat or barley, the risk reduces by a substantial 36%.

“From a public health point of view, whole grains, rather than refined carbohydrates, such as white rice, should be recommended as the primary source of carbohydrates … ”

- Frank Hu, Harvard School of Public Health

The reason for the lowered risk in type 2 diabetes is because of the fiber, minerals, vitamins and phytochemicals found in brown rice.

In their study, Sun and Hu examined 157,463 women and 39,765 men and the relationship between their white and brown rice consumption to type 2 diabetes. [Harvard School of Public Health]