The Glycemic Index of Rice and Rice Products: A Review, and Table of GI Values

Abstract

Rice is the principle staple and energy source for nearly half the world's population and therefore has significant nutrition and health implications. Rice is generally considered a high glycemic index (GI) food, however, this depends on varietal, compositional, processing, and accompaniment factors. Being a major contributor to the glycemic load in rice eating populations, there is increasing concern that the rising prevalence of insulin resistance is as a result of the consumption of large amounts of rice. Devising ways and means of reducing the glycemic impact of rice is therefore imperative. This review gathers studies examining the GI of rice and rice products and provides a critical overview of the current state of the art. A table collating published GI values for rice and rice products is also included.

Cereal processing and glycaemic response

“…roller, hammer, disc and stone) to reduce particle sizes for subsequent processes or uses (Doblado-Maldonado et al, 2012;Li et al, 2014a). Milling affects starch digestibility, and various studies generally reported an inverse relationship (Table 2) between starch digestibility and particle size (Li et al, 2014a;Tosh & Chu, 2015;Kaur et al, 2016). Milling affects starch digestibility, and various studies generally reported an inverse relationship (Table 2) between starch digestibility and particle size (Li et al, 2014a;Tosh & Chu, 2015;Kaur et al, 2016).…”

“…The prominent ones are rice and maize, as well as porridges or gruels that could have undergone minimal heat-moisture treatments (e.g. Stapley et al (1997) measured increases in starch gelatinisation with boiling time for wheat grains, and Kaur et al (2016) reported increases in glycaemic responses of rice with boiling time and water:grain ratios. Cooking temperatures vary depending on products, so also are time and water:grain ratios .…”

“…Roopa & Premavalli (2008) measured a substantial reduction in SDS and RS with germinated millet, even though the increase in RDS did not match these reductions. Kaur et al (2016) noted that germination reduced the GI of brown rice, due to insoluble dietary fibre and acylated steryl glucoside, a growth factor in the germinated rice. Although noncereals, in vitro starch digestibility was higher in germinated legumes and nominally increased with germination time (Uppal & Bains, 2012).…”

“…For example, high-amylose cereal products, a grain factor, have a low GI (Hung et al, 2016;Kaur et al, 2016), and the presence of certain micronutrients (e.g. For example, high-amylose cereal products, a grain factor, have a low GI (Hung et al, 2016;Kaur et al, 2016), and the presence of certain micronutrients (e.g.…”

Food quality, effects on health and sustainability today: a model case report

“…Analyzing the results for the glucose and insulin curves, we may observe that the GI values fall within the lower values observed among all the types of rice (Kaur et al 2016) and even below the threshold of low GI foods, that is 55 (Wolever et al 2006). Rice is generally considered a high GI food, but this depends on varietal, compositional and processing factors.…”