Recently, white rice has been getting some bad press. Let’s take a look at some of the apparent conclusions the researchers made. “Eating white rice could increase the risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, Harvard researchers claim….The study authors wrote in the British Medical Journal, ‘we found that higher white rice consumption was associated with a significantly elevated risk of Type 2 diabetes. This association seems to be stronger for Asians than for Western populations… ‘ The researchers noted that compared with brown rice, white rice has a lower content of many nutrients including fiber, magnesium and vitamins, some of which — especially fiber and magnesium — are thought to protect against diabetes… White rice is the most common type of rice eaten worldwide. The researchers claimed that people in Asian countries eat it an average of three to four times a day, compared with an average of one to two servings a week for people in Western countries. March 16, 2012, NewsCore, www.foxnews.com”

WebMD Health News had a similar report from Denise Mann with the added suggestion of “… choosing whole grains instead of white carbs. This is not to say that a person can never eat white rice. It is all about moderation: ‘Eating white rice one to two times per week is fine.”

Over 8,000 years of rice cultivation

Rice is the most difficult of all the grains to grow, cultivate and harvest. It can only grow in a few parts of the world and requires almost perfect growing conditions, with the proper amount of water and sun along with the ideal elevation and temperature. Rice has been cultivated in China for more than 8,000 years. Even more impressive is the fact that archeologists have discovered rice wine distilleries in China also dating back to at least 8,000 years ago. This means that not only were the ancient Chinese cultivating the most difficult grain, they also were distilling rice into wine as well!

Approximately 60% of the world’s population consumes rice on a daily basis, with rice being the main component of each meal. Rice has been so important to the Chinese (ancient and modern) that according to Qigong Master Zhongxian Wu in his book Vital Breath of the Dao, p.75“…In the classical Chinese Medicine cannon, Huangdi Neijing, only thirteen formulas were recorded. Rice soup was the first formula and its function was to strengthen energy. Why rice? Because it grows in a water place that holds high-quality Yin energy. It also needs good sunshine to gather Yang energy. Rice cannot grow everywhere in China. Rice is the symbol for nutrition [emphasis added by Taoism examiner].”

Major Diabetes research that paints a much different picture

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Health Organization funded a study conducted in 2008 and published by “The Lancet, June 25, 2011” titled: “National, regional, and global trends in fasting plasma glucose and diabetes prevalence since 1980: systematic analysis of health examination surveys and epidemiological studies with 370 country-years and 2·7 million participants.

The study found that the regions with the highest increase [emphasis added] in Fasting Plasma Glucose (fasting blood sugar levels) were:

• Oceania (Australia, New Zealand and surrounding Pacific Islands)
• South Asia
• Latin America
• Caribbean
• Central Asia
• North Africa
• Middle East
• North America
• Western Europe

The areas with the lowest levels of FPG were:

• sub-Saharan Africa
• East & Southeast Asia
• high income Asia-Pacific”

Notice that East & Southeast Asia make up approximately 48% of the world’s population with over 2.1 billion people and they are in the category with the lowest levels. That’s over 2.1 billion people eating rice, for the most part white rice, on a daily basis and they have the lowest levels of fasting blood sugar levels (the baseline test for diabetes) in the world. Did you notice that North America and Western Europe made the list for areas of the world with the highest fasting blood sugar levels?

What does The International Diabetes Federation say?

“The International Diabetes Federation estimates that there are 246 million adults with diabetes. The Western Pacific region and Europe have the highest number of people with diabetes, approximately 67 and 53 million, respectively. The highest prevalence rates are found in North America (9.2 percent) and Europe (8.4 percent)…The number of people with diabetes is expected to increase alarmingly in the coming decades, rising to 380 million people in 2025. Developed countries have higher prevalence rates than developing countries, but the latter will be hit the hardest by the diabetes epidemic. Increased urbanization, westernization and economic development in developing countries have already contributed to a substantial rise in diabetes [emphasis added by Taoism Examiner]” (Ohio State University Medical Center).

You read that correctly, The International Diabetes Federation listed increased urbanization, westernization and economic development as the contributing factors in the substantial rise in diabetes. In other words, as other countries become more “westernized” and take on the western/modern diet and lifestyle, they have an increase in diabetes cases. Wow, so not from humanity consuming more white rice!

Benefits of White Rice

In The Tao of Balanced Diet, Dr. Chang advises, “Do eat white rice and in general grains which have been milled to remove the shell around the seed. The shell of brown rice is very hard to cook, chew, and digest. Although brown rice is a good source of nutrients, none of its nutrients will be missed if white rice is eaten with dishes balanced in the Five Tastes… You may find that white rice complements your meal better, since white rice plays an important role as an equalizer. Rice equalizes, complements, and neutralizes any dish, so that upset stomachs, heartburn, or ulcers are prevented. It is especially good for those who have too much stomach acid. So eating rice with your meals will make any meal safe.” White rice has the added benefit of neutralizing acid in/from food, thus helping to bring balance between acid & alkaline food.

Master FaXiang Hou in Unleashing the Power of Food states, that white rice nourishes the spleen and stomach. In the Tao of Nutrition Dr. Maoshing Ni lists the benefits of white rice as “moistens Yin, clears heat, diuretic, reduces swelling [and is good for] febrile diseases, swelling, vomiting of blood, nosebleeds and nausea.” Dr. Henry C. Lu, PhD, Executive Director of the Council of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Schools of Canada, states in Chinese Natural Cures that white rice is used as an energy tonic and a spleen tonic and that it effects the spleen and stomach.

The extra nutritional value of brown rice exists in the shell, which is very difficult for the body to digest, turning acidic and disrupting the balance of food. The body must utilize a lot of energy in order to break down the shell. Also, brown rice has a short shelf life (less than 6 months), compared to white rice, as the oils from the shell break down the rice turns rancid. White rice on the other hand is alkaline and balances any meal, promoting proper digestion, reducing the risk of overeating and making any meal safe, with regards to acidity.

We are reminded by Confucius (Kung-fu Tzu) to: Eat not for the pleasure you may find therein. Eat to increase your strength. Eat to preserve the life you have received from heaven. At some point today, enjoy a nice bowl of steamed white rice along with your favorite vegetables and a small portion of meat, and rest assured that more than 60% of the world’s population will be doing the same and has done so for over 8,000 years.

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